Great tips, and I love the recommendation! Sometimes I worry that not putting my college graduation date on my profile will make people think I must be old. But I still don't include it. And I don't include my first couple jobs, because they were so long ago and aren't really relevant.
When I made a career change in my fifties I was worried I'd encounter ageism. I didn't at the time (and I also looked younger than I was, which may have helped, and worked in tech), but I feel like I have now and then since then. However, I do find that a lot of people appreciate my experience. My main client right now is over 20 years younger than me but super mature and also respects me.
I did have a funny experience recently with another consultant who was showing me how to use a website for a client. I'm pretty experienced with WordPress, and he told me that their tool was even easier to use — so easy that his 69-year-old mom could do it! I'm 61, but thanks to Zoom filters he likely had no clue. ;-) (Also, I thought he looked too old to have a 69-year-old mom — ha!) Now, if I'd been his boss I would have had a talk with him about not being ageist at work, but as it was, I let it go.
For jobhunting, I use an email thru a smaller Internet service provider that frees me from getting judged by my email domain. I still have an ancient yahoo.com address that's likely so uncool it's now retro, but that one is mostly for providing to store clerks who demand an email address.
Nothing is technically wrong with it, but it's considered old-fashioned when it comes to tech. Microsoft was trying to move people off it 10 years ago.
You can easily set up another gmail address and then have any replies be collected inside your regular (primary) gmail box. When it's time to reply, you can choose to reply from the new address.
I consider myself fairly tech savvy. I still use Hotmail because that email address has been used for anything and everything for 20 years and to change it would be a bit of a hassle. Also, new email providers are prone to change - they get shut down or bought by another company and change, meaning it is necessary to change my email address or provider regularly, which is another hassle.
Have you considered getting your own domain and setting up email on it? More work initially, but then you own your email address for all time. I got my lucky8ball.com domain right at the beginning, and it was one of the best tech moves I ever made.
Yes. That is a possibility, but another plus of Hotmail is that it is free and always will be (as far as I am aware). I don't know that I could justify the cost of a domain every year when it would get little use.
Great tips, and I love the recommendation! Sometimes I worry that not putting my college graduation date on my profile will make people think I must be old. But I still don't include it. And I don't include my first couple jobs, because they were so long ago and aren't really relevant.
When I made a career change in my fifties I was worried I'd encounter ageism. I didn't at the time (and I also looked younger than I was, which may have helped, and worked in tech), but I feel like I have now and then since then. However, I do find that a lot of people appreciate my experience. My main client right now is over 20 years younger than me but super mature and also respects me.
I did have a funny experience recently with another consultant who was showing me how to use a website for a client. I'm pretty experienced with WordPress, and he told me that their tool was even easier to use — so easy that his 69-year-old mom could do it! I'm 61, but thanks to Zoom filters he likely had no clue. ;-) (Also, I thought he looked too old to have a 69-year-old mom — ha!) Now, if I'd been his boss I would have had a talk with him about not being ageist at work, but as it was, I let it go.
Thanks Rosana. One of my issues is that my first job, many years ago, is the one most relevant to what I'm trying to get now. Onward and upward.
It certainly can be tricky! But there are employers who value experience.
Let's hope so. Thanks as always Rosana.
For jobhunting, I use an email thru a smaller Internet service provider that frees me from getting judged by my email domain. I still have an ancient yahoo.com address that's likely so uncool it's now retro, but that one is mostly for providing to store clerks who demand an email address.
That's a great strategy. Thanks Eric.
What's wrong with Hotmail?
Nothing is technically wrong with it, but it's considered old-fashioned when it comes to tech. Microsoft was trying to move people off it 10 years ago.
I have a gmail address but it has my year of birth in it, so that won't work for me either :-(
You can easily set up another gmail address and then have any replies be collected inside your regular (primary) gmail box. When it's time to reply, you can choose to reply from the new address.
Yes. That is an option for the future. Thanks
That's not optimal, no. :-) But I wouldn't worry too much about it. That was just an example of tech literacy, not the be-all and end-all.
If I had a dime for every time I said to my mother about her iPad, "Press the home button!" I would be a millionaire. :-)
I consider myself fairly tech savvy. I still use Hotmail because that email address has been used for anything and everything for 20 years and to change it would be a bit of a hassle. Also, new email providers are prone to change - they get shut down or bought by another company and change, meaning it is necessary to change my email address or provider regularly, which is another hassle.
Those are all great points.
Have you considered getting your own domain and setting up email on it? More work initially, but then you own your email address for all time. I got my lucky8ball.com domain right at the beginning, and it was one of the best tech moves I ever made.
Yes. That is a possibility, but another plus of Hotmail is that it is free and always will be (as far as I am aware). I don't know that I could justify the cost of a domain every year when it would get little use.