Dear J.T. & Dale: At 59 years of age, I find myself unemployed. My resume was receiving no response, so I removed any information that might reveal my age. I started getting calls, but only to go in and fill out applications, which then had questions such as the year I graduated from high school. Any suggestions on getting past the age issue? — Vance

J.T.: There are people who think removing age information from resumes is the way to go. I don’t agree, for the exact reason you’ve experienced. While you might get calls, what’s the point of wasting your time if you are simply going to get screened out later?

Dale: Well … the point is this: You give yourself a shot at making a human connection capable of overriding age discrimination. Hiring managers want to maximize the effectiveness of the staff they hire, preferably doing so at the bottom end of the salary range. Put in economic terms, they are seeking to maximize output per dollar. And what determines output? A combination of energy and effectiveness. Hiring managers are going to assume that more experienced workers will cost more, then worry that energy and enthusiasm have waned with the years. However, if you can meet face to face, you have a shot at overcoming these concerns. I’d bring them up and make your case. The hiring manager will appreciate that you raised an issue he or she cannot.

J.T.: But Vance is not getting past the application, so he never gets to make his case.

Dale: True. But he knows that a company is hiring someone with his qualifications, which means there are jobs to be filled. He has to do a better job of getting to them. That means he has to do research or networking to find out the names of the hiring managers and go to them directly, skipping the HR people who are screening him out.

J.T.: Which brings us to a point we always agree upon: the importance of networking. I recently heard from someone of similar age as Vance who lost her job and within three months depleted her savings. She reached out to the local Easter Seals chapter in her area because it offered a program designed to help people who’ve lost jobs. There are similar programs in some Catholic, Lutheran and other churches, open to people of any religious persuasion, and you can find them via an Internet search or by going to local government job centers. One thing these groups will emphasize is that despite all the ways we can learn about jobs, the majority are filled via referral — that is, networking. So, Vance, if you’re not actively calling friends, former co-workers, fellow members of clubs, etc., you are missing out on potential connections that could lead to a new job.

Dale: Also, moved by the stories we hear of people stymied in their job searches, I have an audiobook and e-book that I give away at dauten.com (under “Books”). The title is “It’s a Wonderful Job,” inspired by the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” As in the movie, a character in the book is so disheartened that an angel intervenes. So if you are in need of a job-search angel, this book’s waiting for you.