Ageism Survival Guide

About Ageism Survival Guide

"Youth runs fast, but age knows the terrain." Age discrimination and age bias are woven into the fabric of modern work culture, shaping decisions most people never see and too many experience firsthand. For millions of older workers, the message is subtle but unmistakable: you are no longer valued. This podcast exists to challenge that message, expose ageism in the workplace, confront the systems that perpetuate it, and reclaim the dignity, confidence, and career power that professionals over fifty have earned. My name is John Stech. I spent my corporate career with four global automakers, working on five continents and witnessing ageism from both sides of the table. I have seen how organizations justify pushing out older workers, and I have seen the extraordinary value those same workers bring to teams, culture, and long-term success. After watching dozens of friends and former colleagues pushed out of their careers during 2025, I decided to do something about it. I started The Ageism Survival Guide. This podcast tells the truth about what it feels like to be pushed aside, underestimated, or quietly removed from opportunities because of age. We explore the realities of layoffs, forced early retirement, workplace retaliation, severance negotiation, and the sidelining professionals over 50 endure. These are structural patterns rooted in corporate bias and a culture that worships youth while ignoring the wisdom, resilience, and strategic insight that only experience can produce. Here, we talk openly about the shock of job loss, the grief that follows, and rebuilding self-respect after workplace discrimination. We examine how ageism damages identity, confidence, and financial stability, and offer tools to withstand it. You will learn strategies for navigating a job search over 50, optimizing your LinkedIn profile, exploring encore careers, and designing a career change over 50 that reflects your worth. Corporations often label older employees as too expensive, too slow, or not adaptable enough. They are wrong. Years of crisis management, leadership, problem-solving, and lived experience create instincts that cannot be taught in a classroom or downloaded from a training module. The gut feelings developed over decades are not liabilities. They are competitive advantages. The Ageism Survival Guide is your companion through the storm. Together, we expose the truth, rebuild what was broken, and create a better life on our own terms.

Publisher

John Stech

Category

business · education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Jan 2026

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

42 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Your Resume Starts in 1989? That Is Why You Get Ignored

   If your resume still lists your paper route, your lifeguard summer, and that first corporate job from 1989, recruiters are not impressed. They are doing age math. In this episode we play Keep or Cut to expose the resume baggage that quietly screens out professionals over 50. You will see what to trim from your resume and LinkedIn, why too much history costs you interviews, and how to stay proud of your career while looking current and relevant. You will get the 10 to 15 year rule, a simple way to handle older roles without creating gaps, plus quick fixes for dates, contact info, skills, and language that date you fast. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: Keep or Cut Game 0:37 - Amping it Up: Modern vs. Outdated Skills 1:11 - Why Cut? The Cost of Resume Baggage 2:22 - Age Proofing Your Resume 3:52 - Where to Cut: The 10-15 Year Rule 4:34 - LinkedIn Strategy 5:20 - Fix #2: Remove Age-Revealing Dates 5:52 - Fix #3: Modernize Contact Info 6:19 - Fix #4: Purge Old Skills & Replace with Current Tech 7:00 - Replace Duties with Quantified Wins 7:19 - Modernize Language & Add Recent Learning 7:45 - Actionable Steps for This Week 8:30 - Final Thoughts: Removing Distractions Get resources, guides and 1:1 services:  https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com [https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com/] Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ageism-survival-guide Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ageismsurvivalguide Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ageismsurvivalguide/ What is the oldest job still on your resume? Share it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly strategies for professionals over 50.

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Is your e-mail address making you look old?

   If your resume still says @aol.com, recruiters can guess your generation before they read your name. In this episode of the Ageism Survival Guide, host John Stech breaks down a small detail that creates a big first impression. The problem is simple. Legacy addresses from AOL, Hotmail and Yahoo act as silent age markers. The impact is real. In a fast resume scan they can trigger assumptions about tech currency and fit, especially for professionals over 50. The resolution is practical. You can age proof your inbox in one weekend without losing old messages. John knows this one personally. He scrubbed his old Yahoo address in the mid 2000s for a Gmail address and never looked back. In this episode you will learn why these domains date you, how they filter you in hiring, what research from AARP and Business Insider says about recruiter bias, and which modern options help you look current. Get support: Homepage: https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com [https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ageism-survival-guide Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ageismsurvivalguide Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ageismsurvivalguide/

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Are You Applying to Fake Jobs? The Truth About LinkedIn Listings

   Have you applied to dozens of jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed and heard nothing back? What if the job was never real to begin with? New platform data suggests up to 30 percent of listings on major job boards may be ghost jobs. These are real looking posts with no current plan to hire. In this episode, John Stech breaks down what ghost jobs are, why companies post them, and why they hit job seekers over 50 the hardest. He also shares his personal story from 2020, when nearly 100 applications during Covid led to silence from almost half of them, and hours (adding up to weeks!) of wasted time. You will learn why the numbers are so alarming, including 27.4% of LinkedIn listings flagged in recent analysis and 2.2 million openings in June 2025 with no hires, plus what most applicants miss before they hit Apply. Most important, you will get a simple 30 second test you can use today to protect your time, energy and financial runway, and what to do instead of cold applying. If you have ever typed out a perfect resume and cover letter only to get zero response, this one is for you. Tell us in the comments if you have been GHOSTED. ABOUT THIS CHANNEL: Ageism Survival Guide helps professionals over 50 navigate ageism, job loss, and career change with practical strategy and support. Youth runs fast, but age knows the terrain. CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com [https://www.ageismsurvivalguide.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ageism-survival-guide Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ageismsurvivalguide Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ageismsurvivalguide/ Subscribe for weekly episodes on job search strategy, LinkedIn, networking, and age proofing your career after 50.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

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