I was interviewed this morning about whether or not recruiters discriminate against mature candidates and — if you are a mature candidate — how to avoid being passed over because of your age.

Age discrimination is against the law, but the reality is that some recruiters will sort a resume to the bottom of the stack if the candidate appears to be of a certain generation.  That makes absolutely no sense to me because mature workers are good workers — work experience, life experience, integrity, loyalty… you’ve seen my list before.

But to be on the safe side, there are some things you can do to avoid being sorted out because of your age:

• Consider your resume your best sales tool — work hard to make it relevant and customized for the specific job opening.
• Don’t go back to your very first job 30 years ago — focus on the relevant skills and accomplishments of the last ten years or so.
• If possible, don’t list the year you graduated from high school, technical college or university.  Be sure you list your educational accomplishments, but avoid calling attention to the fact that you graduated during the Nixon administration!
• Use technology, where appropriate.  Virtually every job has a technology element to it — so show off your technical knowledge.  Develop a profile in LinkedIn or other social networking site.  If you’ve got a website of your own, provide a link so your potential employer can see your technical skills showcased.
• Don’t take “you’re over qualified” as an answer.  Assure your potential employer that you’re serious about this application and you’ll do everything you can to help the company succeed.
• Finally, even though I’m advising that you avoid calling attention to your age, be very proud of your age and experience.  Know that you bring a lot of great things to work!

Good luck in your job search.  Employers are looking for qualified employees who can add value and help them succeed.  And you could be the perfect match — no matter how old you are!

As you know, I’m a proud baby-boomer.  As you also know, I try very hard not to be judgemental about the other generations — there are no ‘bad’ ages to me.  We all have our strengths and our weaknesses.

Several years ago, managment by walking around was all the rage.  We were told to be seen by our employees, show interest in their work, be available for questions, coach them, give them feedback…  It made a lot of sense ten or 20 years ago.

But what about Gen Y?  Many prefer to communicate electronically.  And many more do their best work when they are out of the office.  So who will I see when I’m doing my managing by walking around?

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve written about tattoos and piercings a few times.  My take on it is that I have nothing personal against tattoos or piercings, but — fair or not — body art can limit career choices and hurt advancement opportunities.

In a recent article on CNN.com called Too tattooed to work? a young woman quit her job because she wasn’t allowed to show the tattoos on her arms — even though she lived in Miami where it gets very hot.  Employers should take note that as the talent shortage gets more intense, attitudes about body art might have to ease.  Customers should also take note that judging someone by their appearance can be limiting — we may miss an intelligent exchange or excellent customer service.

The employee advice in the article is the same as mine.  If you’re interested in a career in a conservative industry or conservative company, hide those tattoos and remove those studs.  If you’re looking for a more creative career or a job in a ‘younger’ industry, ask if they are body art friendly before you reveal your masterpieces.  You may get lucky.

Bottom line — I wish we didn’t judge people by their appearances, but unfortunately we all succumb to stereotypes.  So take heed!

The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 — 45 years ago!  So I’m disappointed, but not surprised that we’re still writing about the fact that women consistently earn less than men — for the same work. 

The Business Journal did some research and reported the results in a recent article Pay gap between men, women varies strikingly by occupation.  Take a look at the article and let me know if it is as frustrating for you as it is for me to read.

According to the research, gaps exist in virtually all occupations but they vary considerably.  The top twenty occupations that have the smallest gaps are listed — I’ll give you the top five:

1. Dining room, cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
2. Food preparation workers
3. Secondary school teachers
4. Cooks
5. Stock clerks and order fillers

Those occupations with the widest gap include jobs such as bus and truck mechanics, diesel-engine specialists, auto mechanics, operating engineers, plumbers and electricians.  Women account for a small percent of the employees in these occupations, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for paying us less.

What do you think?

If you’ve been reading my posts this week, you’ve seen Fortune’s “3 Skills You Can Improve Right Now.”  We covered public speaking and negotiation skills.  The final skill you can improve is (and I quote Fortune)…

Memory Skills:  Never confuse Don with John again

• Introduce yourself first so you can focus on the other person
• Connect the name to your brain.  When you meet a guy named Bill, think of other Bills you know.
• Use the name three times.  Once to confirm you have the name right, then in mid-conversation, and again when you say good-bye.

Good advice — this is a skill that I won’t claim to have mastered.  Even so, I have a few other tips:

• If you’re not sure how to pronounce a name — even though you’ve heard it once — don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.  You don’t want to spend the rest of the conversation messing up a name.
• If you’re in a meeting use business cards to help you keep the names straight.  Arrange them on the table in front of you like the meeting attendees are sitting.  If no cards have been exchanged, draw a table diagram as people are being introduced.
• And finally, if you forget a name, ask for it again.  We’ve all been there many times.  So bite the bullet and tell the person you’ve forgotten.  Then promise never to forget their name again!

Thanks, Fortune.  And I promise to renew my subscription to discover more secrets!

Yesterday I told you about a renewal-notice stuffer I got from Fortune that listed “3 Skills You Can Improve Right Now.”  The first was public speaking — and we already covered that one.  Next on the list (and I quote Fortune) is…

Negotiating Skills:  Using the right phrases matters

• How did you come up with that number?  Opens a window into the other side’s thoughts.
• Let me check with my wife.  Or husband, or boss.  Stops you from saying yes prematurely.
• If things change, give me a call.  Put the burden on them.

I will not describe myself as a negotiation expert — in fact I’d guess I’m a push-over.  But I do know one important piece of advice that Fortune didn’t mention:  Don’t talk too much.  If we’re uncomfortable we tend to babble (I do!) and give up too much information.  Keep your mouth shut and the tables might turn.

Stay tuned for Fortune’s final bit of Skills advice.

I learned a lesson today:  Open all the mail you get because it could be something worth reading — even if you think it’s junk mail.  I wouldn’t necessarily categorize mail from Fortune as junk, but in a subscription renewal notice today I got a small card that lists “3 Skills You Can Improve Right Now.”  Over the next three days, I’ll tell you what those skills are starting with (and I quote) …

Public Speaking:  Conquer fear with a game plan

• Podiums disconnect you from the audience.  Grab the mic and wander the stage.
• Eye contact is your friend.  Looking at people one by one shrinks the room.
• Questions.  If you’re stumped, talk about your team.  “We’re lucky to have an expert on that, I’ll get you in touch with him later.”

Excellent advice from Fortune.  I have a few things to add:

• I agree with the podium advice, but be sure you’ve either memorized your presentation or are comfortable holding your notes since you won’t have anything to set them on.  Of the two, I vote memorize your presentation or be comfortable speaking from your slides without notes.
• Eye contact is very important and you’ll make friends with the audience if you connect with them throughout your presentation.  But my best advice is to plant a few friendly faces in the audience and ask them to smile and nod as you’re speaking.  Even though you know you asked them to do it, it’s amazing how much confidence this will build.
• And finally, questions.  If you’re afraid of getting a question that will stump you or a question that will start a controversial conversation, don’t take questions at all.  That is an option and it’s your choice.  You can always invite the audience to email questions to you following your presentation.

It’s easy for me to tell people not to be nervous on the stage — because I LOVE giving presentations.  I’ve got ’spotlight fever.’  But if you take Fortune’s advice and add mine to the mix, your presentations should be a bit easier to face.

I was waiting to board an airplane last Friday and was horrified by the behavior of my fellow passengers.  First, no one will get to our final destination faster than anyone else.  So, your rude rush to be the first one on the plane won’t really give you any advantage.

My gripe — able bodied people were pushing their way in front of a young couple grappling with twins.  The airlines rightly give people who are traveling with small children a bit of an advantage — they get to board early.  But business travelers were pushing their way in front of this struggling couple.

Be polite.  Be generous.  Be aware of others’ struggles.  And wait your turn!!

I had the distinct pleasure of being interviewed for a podcast by the Cranky Middle Manager, Wayne Turmel.  He asked me some really good questions about the contemporary world of work — and I enjoyed answering them.  I hope those answers make sense to you.

If you have a few minutes, listen.

If you’re considering what career to pursue or if you’re thinking about a career change, I suggest you seriously look into technical, vocational or occupational training.  Many of the jobs that are hard to fill do not require four-year college degrees.  So consider lucrative careers in…

• the trades
• health sciences
• culinary arts
• manufacturing
• technology

Ask your local technical college what they have to offer and link that curricula with the industries in your region.  If you do your homework, you can go far!