Ah, the magic age of 60. That mythical number where, according to some employers, we apparently stop being capable, energetic humans and start resembling antique furniture—nice to look at but no longer functional. Newsflash: the only thing dead here is your outdated perception of who can thrive in the workplace. Are you dead at 60?
Apparently, the moment we blow out the candles on that big 6-0, we’re expected to shuffle into the office muttering, “Braaaains.” And not in the clever, innovative way. Nope, we’re immediately cast as relics of a bygone era, incapable of grasping new concepts, fumbling with “modern” technology, and prone to talking about the “good old days.” Which, funnily enough, probably involved inventing half the tools everyone uses now.
And yet, here we are—marathon runners, business owners, world travelers, and, yes, tech-savvy grandparents who can troubleshoot Wi-Fi while simultaneously crushing Candy Crush. If anything, we’ve *never* been more alive. But go ahead, keep underestimating us.
The myths about hiring over-60s would be funny if they weren’t so painfully wrong. Employers assume we:
- Can’t Learn New Skills: As if we’ve spent the last 30 years living under a rock and communicating via pigeon. Spoiler: we’ve been adapting to everything from floppy disks to the cloud—and doing it faster than some younger coworkers who still don’t know how to change a printer cartridge.
- Cost Too Much: Sure, we might expect fair pay for decades of expertise. But let’s be honest—if you think we’re expensive, wait until you see the price of cleaning up after your revolving door of underqualified hires.
- Will Retire Any Day Now: Retirement? With what savings? Thanks to rising costs and shrinking pensions, we’ll be working until we’re 90—probably outliving half the workforce in the process.
Meanwhile, employers are missing out on a golden opportunity. Hiring someone over 60 is like getting a Swiss Army knife: adaptable, reliable, and loaded with tools you didn’t even know you needed. We’ve been through recessions, booms, office drama, and more rebrands than a failing startup. We bring actual experience, not just Instagrammable buzzwords.
And don’t even get me started on work ethic. We don’t ghost after two weeks or take mental health days because Mercury is in retrograde. We show up, get it done, and don’t expect a standing ovation for simply doing our jobs. Imagine that.
At The Talk2 Group, we regularly work with people who have been rejected and find life unbearably tough after 60. This is especially challenging in Japan, where traditional retirement ages and societal expectations often compound feelings of invisibility. We see firsthand how this lack of opportunity affects confidence and mental health—and it’s heartbreaking. These are talented, fit, and sharp individuals who still have so much to offer, yet they’re pushed aside as if they’ve somehow expired.
If you think a 60-year-old is “past it,” maybe you should take a long, hard look in the mirror. That rigid mindset of yours is aging you faster than any of us. While you’re busy chasing “fresh young talent” (translation: cheap and clueless), we’re over here being fresh, talented, and decidedly not dealing with your nonsense.
The best part? We don’t even need to prove ourselves—we already have. We’ve been running circles around everyone else for decades. The fact that we have to explain this is, frankly, embarrassing. For you.
So, to all the employers out there clutching their pearls at the thought of hiring someone born before Wi-Fi existed: wake up. You’re not just missing out—you’re actively sabotaging your own success.
References:
1. Resume Builder Survey: 34% of hiring managers admit to being biased against candidates over 60 ([New York Post](https://nypost.com/2024/04/05/hiring-managers-biased-against-gen-z-over-40s-survey/))
2. Age Discrimination Stats: Over 60% of workers 50+ report witnessing ageism ([AARP](https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2024/workplace-age-discrimination-still-pervasive.html))
3. Legal Insights: Age discrimination in hiring ([EEOC](https://www.eeoc.gov/age-discrimination))
4. Challenges in Japan: Limited opportunities for older workers ([Nikkei Asia](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Work/Japan-s-elderly-struggle-to-find-jobs-in-aging-society))
What do you think—time to give the over-60s the respect (and jobs) they deserve? Or should we just go start our own companies and hire *you* when we’re done? Drop your thoughts below!
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