The Elephant in the Interview Room: Are You Being Passed Over Because of Age?

By Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder

"I can see the look in people's eyes when they first greet me," says Bill Wood, a 64-year-old from Minneapolis, Minn., who is looking for a job in information technology. "It seems to say, 'This guy is going to retire soon; we don't want a short-term permanent employee.'"

Cyndi Pauwels, a writer in her '50s from Yellow Springs, Ohio, has had similar experiences. "I was told (second-hand, off-the-record) by a headhunter, 'We don't hire older workers.' I've read that the longer I'm unemployed, the less likely my chances are of finding anything, and I'm beginning to believe it."