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Dear J.T. & DALE: I saw in one of your recent articles that you recommend putting a picture in your online profile. However, I am in my 50s and think they’ll discriminate against me. Isn’t it better to leave them guessing, get the interview and then try to impress them in person? -Julie

J.T.: We suggested including a photo for one important reason: Studies show that recruiters are seven times more likely to review your profile if it has a photo.

DALE: And while some of those people may judge you as being too old for the job, having seven times as many people see your profile still puts the numbers in your favor. Said another way, people are more likely to discriminate against you for not having a photo than they are to discriminate against you for being over 50.

J.T.: You may wonder why recruiters would not consider someone without a photo. They assume that you (A) couldn’t be bothered to complete your profile, or (B) are trying to hide something. So, get a nice headshot and put it up. Age discrimination will happen no matter what you do. You fight it by showing an employer that when it comes to the speed and quality of your work, you are ageless!

DALE: A cheery, uplifting conclusion. However, Julie, as a guy older than you, let’s face together the dark truth behind the dark truth: The only debilitating age discrimination you’ll face is from yourself. If you let it discourage you or limit the jobs you apply for, you have become the bigot in the mirror. Everybody gets discriminated against for something; when people are dumb enough to exclude you based on age, it’s their loss. Period. There’s an old saying: “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.” Let ’em bark; keep moving on.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was terminated from my most recent job. I was forced to cross-train into a different position, and the employer used that as a means to get rid of me. What is the best way to handle this during an upcoming interview? The company I am interviewing with has several employees from my former company who might reach out and ask questions about my leaving. Is there any way to prevent this? – Ed

DALE: First, it worries me that you think your employer had some Machiavellian plan to undermine you. If the company wanted you out, why go to all the expense of cross-training you? When someone is fired and blames an evil management scheme, I wonder if there was a lesson that went unlearned. Spend a little time with former colleagues and figure out what went wrong.

J.T.: To answer your question, Ed, there is no way to prevent people from checking on your last job. In fact, they’ll want references, and you should assume they’ll contact your former employer. Be proactive and check with your old company by asking HR what the policy is on giving references. This will determine your strategy for your upcoming interview.

DALE: The old company probably won’t say much of anything, and whatever they say won’t matter if you can get recommendations from your former co-workers who already are at the new company. A few words of support from people inside the new company will mean far more than anything your old HR department has to say.

J.T.: Then, when you’re in the interview and they ask you about the last job, give a balanced answer, perhaps something like this: “After X years with the company, there was a reorganization and I was asked to train for a different role. Looking back, I should have recognized that the new position wouldn’t play to my strengths. Right then, I should have started looking for a new job, but I wanted to be loyal to my company. Now I’m focused on finding a position that will allow me to make good use of my skills and experience.” By describing what you could have done differently, you show that you are objective about your employers and that you learned from the experience. Employers will respect you for that.

– Workplace consultant and career coach J.T. O’Donnell has coached, trained and mentored employees and managers on a wide variety of career-related subjects since 1994. Her book, “CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career” is available at JTODonnell.com. Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.