How do you encourage a peer who hasn’t been able to land a job due to ageism?

First, I focus on active listening. I listen intently for emotional cues and for what they know to be true about their situation. I take notes and read them back to ensure they feel truly heard. I also provide these notes to them after the call to serve as a "listening post" they can return to. I do this because ageism (and the feelings of unworthiness it brings) can be overwhelming, and I treat every interaction with care, knowing you never truly know how close someone is to their breaking point.

This isn't just courtesy; it is a proven practice. I adopted this method through my involvement with Never Search Alone (NSA) and my weekly Job Search Council (JSC).

When they are ready for input, I shift to guidance:

🔍 Clarify: I encourage them to join a JSC/NSA group to help distinguish if they are looking for another traditional job or if they have a hunger for the independence of consulting.

👊 Advocate: I ask if they would like me to promote them to my network. If so, I ask for a short summary of their expertise or what they are looking for.

📣 Amplify: I offer to feature a blurb about them in my weekly email newsletter "#OpenToWork" section, which also lives permanently in my website archive.

🎉 Calibrate: I offer to shift them from "#OpenToWork" to "Alumni" in both the email newsletter and on my website archive so that they know I am thinking about them each week and checking in on them to get progress on any LinkedIn updates, messages, emails, phone calls, or texts saying "good news!".

Well ageism can become a negative factor when it comes to competing with young GenZ challengers with respect to jobs due to multiple factors like experience driven payscale expectations which is very relevant in all industries. However, if you remain curious, adapt to learn new skills, invest in learning what's happening with new developments in both technology & industry domains and finally 'unlearn old skills', you would still be relevant in today's job market.

When I’m encouraging a peer who hasn’t been able to land a job due to ageism, I focus on reminding them that their experience is a massive strength, not a liability, and I help them highlight the skills and stories that showcase the value they bring. At the same time, I do think ageism feeds into a bigger issue: the fear of skill loss on IT teams if people aren’t given opportunities to stay current. The real solution is creating environments where continuous learning is normalized for everyone, regardless of age. When experienced professionals are supported, upskilled, and seen as mentors instead of being pushed aside, the whole team becomes stronger and more resilient.

By reminding them what they have to offer - they have experience, knowledge, and likely expertise across more than IT.  I'd also encourage them to use their network, and consider fractional roles. 

It's a huge issue and more prevalent than is admitted. One key thing for older workers is to ensure they are up-to-date on technology. You can take courses and get certificates from LinkedIn to prove it to employers. My company has many older workers doing very well in their roles.