when looking for work how would you answer this question

[David Linnabary]

When I consider his age (about 23 or 24) the body language and what was said after, I highly doubt he was conducting a test. Just a meathead with a over exaggerated sense of importance.

Yeah, it wasn't a question, it was more of a statement. Sorry to hear it, I'm sure that was an uncomfortable experience. That person was probably threatened by your age and experience, those can be very intimidating.

David

[dennis thompson]

You walk into an interview and the first question out the interviewers mouth is: how old are you? How would you answer that?

Now I don't think stating the obvious that such a line of questioning violates the relevant anti discrimination laws is going to help anyone get to the next round of the application process. What I'm hoping for is some food for thought so I can formulate an answer thats creative and maybe eloquently dodges the question

What' s the problem with giving your age? It's my impression that even getting an interview these days is very difficult, much less getting a job. If you want the job give him your age and get on with the interview.

[Dan Hintz]

What' s the problem with giving your age? It's my impression that even getting an interview these days is very difficult, much less getting a job. If you want the job give him your age and get on with the interview.

It's a slippery slope akin to "If you're not guilty, you have no reason not to submit to a search". Once you open up the door to allowing businesses to ask questions they shouldn't (and thereby making decisions based upon that data), there's no longer any protection.

[Curt Harms]

Here in the U.S., you'd be able to file a complaint with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

If you don't seem like a complete nut job, they may go so far as to send a "tester" (an undercover 60-something guy) to interview for the same position.

Yup. A related story. A company I was working at laid off and older guy and retained a younger shorter tenured guy. There were reasons other than age for them to do what they did but nothing documented. The older guy went to an age discrimination government agency, not sure which one. As I heard it third hand, the agency person asked the company "Is the older gentleman as qualified to do this job as the younger one and has he been with your company longer?"
Company in question" Yes".
Agency person: "Has the older person had any history of incompetence or misbehavior?"
Company: "No"
Agency Person: "Pay the man".

[Art Mann]

There is always a way to explain why an older person was laid off for other reasons besides age discrimination whether it is true or not. I am aware of a guy who was an expert at a certain type of Army test set that was laid off due to his age (60+) rather than his ability. He was, in fact, the only person who truly understood the design and function of the product. Eventually, the company lost some very lucrative business because there was nobody left to competently manage the program. Fools!

[Mike Lassiter]

Where my wife works a man around 60 was fired about 2 years ago. There where many good reasons for it, but there was no documentation for any of it. Later he sued then for age discrimination and won. I think he was awarded something like $300K plus had to pay his legal fees on top of it. There were times that he wasn't at work that he claimed he was (time wrote down due to nature of work done) and repeatedly late with no reason and so forth. Management was aware of these things but failed to properly document them over the months they occurred. So he claimed age was the reason for being terminated. Not sure what facts came out in court over it, but apparently wasn't any proof other than saying he did these things. He was close to retirement age, and the order was he to be paid for all the back pay he would have received had he been working still, plus a healthy sum on top of that.

[Rich Riddle]

I would answer it like all their questions, as honest as possible. I wouldn't mention it being illegal since that really wouldn't serve any purpose. I am in the protected age category of over 40. Many people error thinking all ages are protected; they aren't.

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/age.cfm