Business Success for Tuesday September 13, 2011

Age Discrimination Silent but Present  Lindsey Novak Q: After a terrific interview, I was rejected for a job that I was eminently qualified for due to my age. My recruiter made it clear to me that the information she was telling me was confidential and that she would not publicly repeat it. I realize it is difficult to prove age discrimination, and the mechanisms for holding employers accountable are complex and risky, but don't you think that not filing charges is like giving employers the green light to break the law? A: Yes, but filing charges is a very difficult road to take, and perhaps that is what such companies rely on when engaging in discriminatory behavior. The recruiter jeopardized her position by opening up to you. She apparently did not like the information she heard from the company representative, as much as you didn't, but she wanted you to know that you did nothing to cause the rejection. Many job candidates wrack their brains over what they did to cause them to not get the job. Your recruiter risked her position to save you from that anguish. Your energy is better spent convincing her to sell you to the company, promoting the advantages of hiring someone of your experience and caliber. Age discrimination is an interesting factor because people who want to discriminate will find ways around it. When companies make a habit of it, such as interviewing numerous qualified candidates over 40 and hiring all candidates in their 20s and early 30s, it becomes obvious and easier to prove. What makes that road difficult for you, as the one discriminated against, is having the burden of proving it. It would not serve you well to turn on your recruiter, forcing her to tell the truth to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Exposing someone who is on your side would cause her trouble with the company and would stop her from sending you on other interviews. Document the experience, and file it away for now. Keep interviewing and see what else develops. The message is not that you are giving companies the green light to break the law, but that you are weighing factors before waging war. Your immediate goal is to get a job. You will have time to decide about the matter based on what lies ahead for you. ARTIST WORRIES ABOUT MAKING MONEY IN HER CAREER CHOICE Q: Since my childhood, art has always been my passion. While others were out, I would be in my room drawing. Now that I am an art student in college, I want to pursue illustration. I want to illustrate children's books, as I have always had a desire to help children and a love for books. I also want to create greeting cards. My concerns are the economy and always being able to come up with fresh ideas. A: Don't let the economy affect your passion. It's true that a beginning illustrator will not make the salary of a beginning Wall Street trader, but you cannot put a price on being able to use your gift. When people only follow the money, they will be lost when that path ends and they have no other path to follow. Imagine someone telling Will Smith not to become an actor, or Celine Dion not to hope for much by singing. It sounds like art chose you, so as long as you love drawing, your ideas will flow. Look around you and see that everything has an artistic aspect to it. Artistic ability can lead you into many careers. Illustrating children's books and greeting cards are just two of the possibilities. Getting a job is important, but loving it is critical. Email Lindsey Novak at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com with all your workplace questions. She answers all emails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

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Chris Lytle's Sales Success Tip -- Quickest Route to Success  Chris Lytle's Sales Success Tip: Looking for the quickest route to success? Heed this advice from writer Henry Miller. "In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest." So here's the easiest route to sales success: Fill the pipeline. See the people. Work the process over and over again. You'll be many miles and dollars ahead of the short cut seekers.