I just read this article (Linked In actually linked me to it) on Forbes about this. Interesting perspective and I wonder if different industries look at things differently. My experience in the advertising and marketing industry is that there is definitive negativity around people who are laid-off. As a recruiter I have actually been asked not to provide laid-off people. The perception of many companies is that the company who is forced to lay-off, does everything they can to keep the best and brightest, including moving them on the different business, etc–so those getting laid off are not considered in that upper eschelon. I’m not arguing whether it’s right or wrong–just an explanation that there is discrimination in that area. I’ll have to give some thought to the most useful way to position yourself on Linked In–I don’t believe that the Forbes author is correct for some fields.
And she also address the age old problem of age. Of people who won’t put graduation years on the linked in profile, or years employed. Or on their resume for that matter. There is definite age discrimination going on, but not putting the dates is not going to stop the discrimination. it will delay it until someone starts asking questions or you go in for a meeting. The hope of these applicants is that they are “youthful” enough for their actual age not to matter. Perhaps they are correct–I just don’t know.
