Is Botox a Solution to Unemployment?

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Middle aged man performing botox injection on himself at lunch time When you hear the word Botox, to be honest, most people think of women. Yet, a recent article from marketwatch.com explains how more and more men—specifically ages 50 and up—are getting some “work done.” 

Why, you may ask? Well, it seems that older men are concerned with looking older on the job. And Botox is a way to remove the wrinkles and offer a more youthful appearance—one that could keep them employed.

The article explains how it takes Boomers a much longer time to find new jobs. “The duration of unemployment for job seekers 55 and over is 50.4 weeks, compared with 34.2 weeks for those under 55, according to an analysis of BLS data by Sara Rix of the AARP Public Policy Institute,” the article said.

It’s no surprise that how one looks can dramatically affect his/her job search results. And looking older, of course, isn’t always very popular in America.

The article says:

With all this mind, men are visiting plastic surgeons and dermatologists for Botox and facial fillers that minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Women visit too, of course, and face similar pressures at work. But some doctors say workplace concerns have been particularly influential in driving male patients to get past the stigma some men attach to cosmetic procedures. (While their ranks are growing, men still make up just 9% of overall cosmetic procedure patients, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

So, what’s a Boomer to do?

Get Specific

Just like you tailor your resume and/or cover letter for a particular job, Boomers need to tailor their job search for their age group.

A quick Google search of ‘Boomer job search” pulled up four career and job-search websites specifically for people who fall into this category: boomerjobs.com, seniorjobbank.org, retiredbrains.com, and jobsover50.com.

Share Your Concerns

The article said a lot of men are now getting Botox because they’re concerned about keeping their jobs. If you have concerns about remaining employed simply because of your age, talk to your supervisor. While you don’t have to directly say, “Hey, I’m worried I may lose my job because I’m getting older,” you can ask your supervisor for an honest evaluation. Ask him/her about your strengths and weaknesses and about any areas you may need to improve. Offer to take on new and/or different assignments; this will not only show higher ups that you’re still capable of getting the job done, but that you’re also committed to improving yourself as an employee.

Sharing your concerns may also help you discover that you really don’t have anything to be concerned about. Just because your company may be hiring more and more millennials doesn’t mean you—and the older crowd—are on the way out.

Minimize Your Age

Now, this is specifically for your resume. If you’re sending out applications, removing information like the year you graduated from college and even some employment dates and/or experiences may help you. Play up the skills you’ve garnered from work experiences in your cover letter even if you don’t list the dates or job in your resume. This can help decrease an initial age bias when recruiters see your resume.

Be Confident

Although, in a sense, point no. 3 tells you to “hide” your age on a resume, you should embrace that you’re a Boomer during the interview. Be confident and present your age as an asset. Explain to the hiring manager how being a Boomer actually benefits the company, i.e. more experienced, less onboarding, more loyal, etc. Confidence is key. If you embrace your age and make “older workers” look attractive and like potential benefits to the company, an employer is bound to feel the same way.

By Shala Marks