Q: I have been in the insurance business for 25 years and am 56 years old. I earned an associate’s degree in paralegal studies with the idea of retiring from insurance sales and starting a new career. Since Hurricane Katrina, I have had to relocate to a small town. There are very few positions available and with my lack of experience, it is particularly difficult to obtain an interview, much less a position. So I have sent resumes for insurance sales positions and can’t even get a call back. I am confused – mainly because I never thought age discrimination would happen to me, especially when mentally I still think I am 36. – Gretchen

A: Dale: Time for the lecture I give every couple of months. Yes, you are discriminated against. Everyone is. Hiring is discrimination. If we could read every hiring manager’s true prejudices – a scary thought – we could calculate your discrimination score. Maybe you’d be a 20, maybe an 80 – that’s the percentage of all hiring managers who could give you a job but won’t because of some prejudice against someone of your age, schooling, religion, height, weight, etc. However, no matter what your “score,” the solution is the same: Find those who will hire you.

J.T.: It might feel like age discrimination, but remember that you’ve moved to a small town where there are fewer jobs, and you don’t have a network. Plus, you’ve been trying to change fields. So, start over on your starting over. Focus on the paralegal jobs. Find the top law firms in your new hometown and contact them directly. Ask if you could come in and talk. Let them know that you are not asking for a job, but rather are new to the town and the paralegal field and want to learn what top lawyers look for in a paralegal. Do your homework on the firm before you go so that you know their legal specialties and can speak with confidence about them. Ask good questions and take notes. Think of yourself as a reporter doing a story on “how to get a paralegal job in a new city.” This approach will generate a lot of information and, often, the inside track on jobs that are about to become open.

Dale: And speaking of “doing a story,” don’t be shy about using yours. People want to do their part when it comes to something like Katrina. Tell them on the phone why you moved to their town, and they’ll be curious to meet you, and many will be eager to help.

Curiosity and kindness are the other side of discrimination – people who are predisposed to help.