Any way to hide age when applying?

[ChanelCinq]

So I ended up getting my first Bachelors about 10 years after I graduated from high school. Normally when I apply for a job, if they look at the date of my first Bachelors they would assume I am 10 years younger. I look younger and I am fit.

However with these EMT jobs you must include a copy of your drivers license which has your birth date. I really feel that is unfair. The DMV drivers history report also has your birth date on it. Does any one black out their birth date?

I always use my passport when I am hired at a job so they never have any clue how old I am.

This is kind of frustrating me. Is there anything I can do? What have older people done?

Do the companies not care about age? I feel this industry is more male dominated so I have age and sex working against me.

 

[DesertMedic66]

If you are trying to hide anything from your possible employers, that is not going to look good at all. Age isn't a fact in most EMS systems. It is more of a factor in the Fire department setting.

 

[TransportJockey]

Unless you're under 21 you shouldn't need to Hide your age. And any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope

 

[ChanelCinq]

Unless you're under 21 you shouldn't need to Hide your age. And any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope

What do you mean, any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope?

You know it is illegal in the US to ask the age of an applicant. It is illegal to ask it in an interview and illegal for it to be asked on an application.

However, in this industry they get around it because they ask for a copy of your DL and driving history. They can now discriminate because they have that information.

You are probably in your 20s because I have many friends in the 40s and 50s that have most definitely been discriminated against because of their age. It happens a lot. But obviously it would never happen to someone in their 20s or 30s.

 

[TransportJockey]

What do you mean, any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope?

You know it is illegal in the US to ask the age of an applicant. It is illegal to ask it in an interview and illegal for it to be asked on an application.

However, in this industry they get around it because they ask for a copy of your DL and driving history. They can now discriminate because they have that information.

You are probably in your 20s because I have many friends in the 40s and 50s that have most definitely been discriminated against because of their age. It happens a lot. But obviously it would never happen to someone in their 20s or 30s.

Then kindly explain to me why I was discriminated against when I was 20 and applying for EMS jobs. And for me I said I hope because it counts as falsifying documentation in almost every service I have worked for.
We have people at my current service from 20 to sixty. And we have no issues hiring older people. They generally have a wealth of experience that is not there with the youngest population we hire.
I see more discrimination for under 21 than over 40.

 

[Handsome Robb]

What do you mean, any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope?

You know it is illegal in the US to ask the age of an applicant. It is illegal to ask it in an interview and illegal for it to be asked on an application.

However, in this industry they get around it because they ask for a copy of your DL and driving history. They can now discriminate because they have that information.

You are probably in your 20s because I have many friends in the 40s and 50s that have most definitely been discriminated against because of their age. It happens a lot. But obviously it would never happen to someone in their 20s or 30s.

Except that agencies routinely hire people who are in their 49s or even 50s. We have a medic who started when he retired from his old job. He's in his late 50s early 60s.

I had the same issue as TJ. I wasn't given the time of day when I was under 21.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Heck I was 19 when I got hired and didn't get discriminated against. We have a couple of medics who are in their late 50s.

If they ask for your DL and you don't give it to them, you shouldn't be hired for not supplying the information requested.

If you are hiding your age from the company what else are you hiding from them? That's one of the ways the company can view it.

 

[akflightmedic]

I always use my passport when I am hired at a job so they never have any clue how old I am.

Not sure what you mean by this as every passport has your date of birth on it.

 

[ChanelCinq]

Then kindly explain to me why I was discriminated against when I was 20 and applying for EMS jobs. And for me I said I hope because it counts as falsifying documentation in almost every service I have worked for.
We have people at my current service from 20 to sixty. And we have no issues hiring older people. They generally have a wealth of experience that is not there with the youngest population we hire.
I see more discrimination for under 21 than over 40.

I am not talking about being 20 or even 24 since some car rental companies do not rent to people under 25, or you have to jump through hoops to do so. So I can imagine some ambulance companies having a minimum age limit. Many jobs I have seen said must be 21 or older. But a company would hire a 28 year old over a 48 year old in a heart beat.

I am not falsifying documents. I am asking if there is anything that people do. I appreciate people trying to help but it appears you are all under 25 so you don't have age discrimination the way I do. Can anyone over 40 chime in?

 

[ChanelCinq]

Heck I was 19 when I got hired and didn't get discriminated against. We have a couple of medics who are in their late 50s.

If they ask for your DL and you don't give it to them, you shouldn't be hired for not supplying the information requested.

If you are hiding your age from the company what else are you hiding from them? That's one of the ways the company can view it.

No, I am including everything they are asking for. I am not leaving anything out. I just wonder if my age will hurt me. And I am honest to a fault. So there is nothing I am hiding from them. I just find it unfair that most other jobs would assume I am 10 years younger as it is illegal to ask your age. But this industry side steps that because obviously they need your DL and driving history for insurance purposes.

 

[Medic Tim]

I am not talking about being 20 or even 24 since some car rental companies do not rent to people under 25, or you have to jump through hoops to do so. So I can imagine some ambulance companies having a minimum age limit. Many jobs I have seen said must be 21 or older. But a company would hire a 28 year old over a 48 year old in a heart beat.

I am not falsifying documents. I am asking if there is anything that people do. I appreciate people trying to help but it appears you are all under 25 so you don't have age discrimination the way I do. Can anyone over 40 chime in?

i'm not over 40 but from what I have seen people in their 40s or older will be hired before a teenager or someone in their 20s....especially for an EMT position.

 

[ChanelCinq]

Not sure what you mean by this as every passport has your date of birth on it.

Yeah, opps. I have my passport with me and you are right. Not sure why I thought it was not on there. That would be weird if a passport didn't have a birth date. But anyway, usually you show that stuff once you have been hired and signed the offer letter.

 

[ChanelCinq]

i'm not over 40 but from what I have seen people in their 40s or older will be hired before a teenager or someone in their 20s....especially for an EMT position.

Thanks Tim. I hope so. Many of my classmates and I are pounding the pavement. And we are all kind of over lapping. We went to school in San Francisco but people live in SF, the Peninsula, South Bay, and the East Bay, and most of us are applying for positions all over the Bay Area.

 

[Tigger]

What do you mean, any attempts should get you disqualified automatically I hope?

You know it is illegal in the US to ask the age of an applicant. It is illegal to ask it in an interview and illegal for it to be asked on an application.

However, in this industry they get around it because they ask for a copy of your DL and driving history. They can now discriminate because they have that information.

You are probably in your 20s because I have many friends in the 40s and 50s that have most definitely been discriminated against because of their age. It happens a lot. But obviously it would never happen to someone in their 20s or 30s.

I think you underestimate the degree to which ambulance companies actually care about your age. Companies are not trying to get around labor laws by asking for your birthday. They have a legitimate need to know your age as it does in fact affect your ability to be insured.

You should also know that under federal law it is not illegal to ask an applicant their age on an application or during an interview.

http://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/hrqa/Pages/dateofbirth.aspx

I could not find any California statue that would supersede this.

And while many of our posters are in their 20s, many are not. Furthermore, many of our 20 something aged posters still have quite a bit of EMS experience and many have management experience.

 

[DesertMedic66]

You know it is illegal in the US to ask the age of an applicant. It is illegal to ask it in an interview and illegal for it to be asked on an application.

On every application I have ever filled out has asked for my birthday. Not sure where you are getting that information.

 

[Jim37F]

My thought is that of you're so concerned about a company discriminating against you because you're older, why apply there in the first place?

If you're afraid of them discovering your age in the hiring process, what happens once you get hired? They either find out your true age, or you lie about it and live in fear that during any one of the interactions with human resources they'll find out your age and fire you for lying or otherwise start discriminating against you.

As others have posted, there's more than enough ambulance companies out there that don't really care about your age, try applying there, without trying to hide your age and see what happens

 

[Aprz]

Y'know, I think I did hear somewhere that it is illegal to ask about age during an interview, and it's even illegal to ask when they graduated because you can figure out their age from that. Read it from a Yahoo! news article I believe. I don't believe this rule extends to applications though. It's important to know that you are eligible to work, and for ambulance companies, it's important to even be able to insure you. How else are they suppose to know that you are even old enough to work? Old enough to be insured to drive? Aren't they gonna need your driver license not altered to say you are allowed to drive? You're gonna be required to have your driver license (among many other certs), which you will be required to show when asked to even drive an ambulance. I really see no way outta this.

When I was 20-years-old, I couldn't get hired at any ambulance companies because they required you to be 21-years-old or older. :[

I cannot say I've experience discrimination for being old, I'm not old. I agree with others though, I've seen a lot of people who are at least twice my age get hired working as EMTs. It's not uncommon or rare to see.

 

[MrJones]

I am not talking about being 20 or even 24 since some car rental companies do not rent to people under 25, or you have to jump through hoops to do so. So I can imagine some ambulance companies having a minimum age limit. Many jobs I have seen said must be 21 or older. But a company would hire a 28 year old over a 48 year old in a heart beat.

I am not falsifying documents. I am asking if there is anything that people do. I appreciate people trying to help but it appears you are all under 25 so you don't have age discrimination the way I do. Can anyone over 40 chime in?

I was over 50 when I applied for my first EMT job, and made no effort to hide the fact. Got hired by a reputable service after the first interview.

Relax.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, opps. I have my passport with me and you are right. Not sure why I thought it was not on there. That would be weird if a passport didn't have a birth date. But anyway, usually you show that stuff once you have been hired and signed the offer letter.

If they are running a background check, credit check, driving records check, or have a specific age requirement for the position it will not be illegal.

 

[terrible one]

Thanks Tim. I hope so. Many of my classmates and I are pounding the pavement. And we are all kind of over lapping. We went to school in San Francisco but people live in SF, the Peninsula, South Bay, and the East Bay, and most of us are applying for positions all over the Bay Area.

You realize your applying in one of the most oversaturated markets for EMTs. You maybe being passed over because there are far more qualified canidates not because of your age.