Youth Is Wasted On The Young

On the surface, young people seem to be a logical choice for nonprofits. They are full of energy and passion which are important traits to have in the workplace. It might be true that your organization is specifically looking for youthful job applicants, but you still need to consider older people.

Age discrimination is illegal yet it remains a problem in today's society. But, as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) pointed out in "Job Hunting: Your Guide to Success," rejecting an older applicant isn't always blatant discrimination; it could just be plain ignorance.

The most innocent sounding words could be construed as age discrimination. To help nonprofits avoid any potential legal troubles, the AARP listed words or phrases in job ads or interviews that could give applicants the wrong impression:

• The employer wants a younger looking person for the job.
• “Needs new blood.”
• Someone says there is no job opening, but the next day a position is advertised. 
• The employer assumes an applicant would not want a job because of being “over-qualified.”
• The applicant is asked when s/he graduated from college.
• The applicant is asked if there would be any problems working for a younger supervisor.