Despite expectations that an impending demographic shift will increase opportunities for older workers, age discrimination remains a concern for older job seekers.

Carrol Engels, 61, of Jacksonville, Fla., quit her job as a business-sanitation investigator in 1998 to take care of her sick mother. Now that she’s ready to re-enter the work force, she can’t seem to find suitable employment. Ms. Engels – who suspects her age is the main barrier in her job search – said she is tired of hearing about how employers are looking to court older workers as part of a larger demographic shift.

All this talk about opportunities opening up for older workers is “just misleading a lot of people,” Ms. Engels said.

Ms. Engels is referring to the theory that, by 2010, nearly one in every three workers will be at least 50. As the nation’s workforce ages, the pool of replacement workers won’t be large enough to fill their shoes. Employers, therefore, are being told that they need to court older people to return to work or face a potential labor shortage.

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report released on Wednesday warns that the demographic shift “could have adverse effects on productivity and economic growth.” Encouraging Americans to work more years could be a solution, the report says.

Yet fears of age discrimination persist for job seekers – even in the executive ranks. According to a recent survey of more than 400 executives, 52% of respondents said they had encountered age discrimination in a job search. Meanwhile, 89% of respondents said they harbor concerns that they might be discriminated against based on their age. The survey was conducted by ExecuNet, a Norwalk, Conn., provider of online services for executives and recruiters.

A separate ExecuNet survey shows that age bias isn’t an imagined problem. Indeed, 60% of corporate recruiters surveyed by ExecuNet said age can be a factor in a hiring decision.

When asked what concerns they may associate with hiring older executives, recruiters mentioned many of the traditional stereotypes, including an unwillingness to deal with change, the perception that the executive is just waiting to retire, and fears that older executives are paid too much. Lack of energy was also mentioned as a common concern, ExecuNet said.

Edward Fred, president of CPI Aerostructures, an aircraft manufacturer in Edgewood, N.Y., admits he had to overcome his own biases before learning the value of older workers. The first time he saw one of his foremen interviewing a job applicant in his 70s, he told the foreman to “stick to hiring young guys.” Ultimately, however, Mr. Fred decided to give the applicant a shot as he realized “these are the guys who built these planes.”

Now, Mr. Fred is sold on the idea of recruiting older workers – so much so that he maintains a steady contingent of formerly retired workers on his staff. “These guys come in and, they not only show [younger workers] how to do their job, they show them how to do it better,” said Mr. Fred.

Not all employers have had the same revelation, of course. In the meantime, there are things job hunters can do to try to overcome age-based barriers.

* Create a “functional resume,” said Jeri Sedlar, co-author of “Don’t Retire, Rewire!” Job seekers often think the only way to write a resume is to list their experience in chronological order. This can be a huge mistake for older people, who tend to have accumulated varied skill sets over the years through many different jobs. Instead of writing a resume based on dates, create a resume that focuses on skills – emphasizing the talents that will stand out to the recruiter of the job you’re after, Ms. Sedlar said.

* Don’t be a know-it-all, said Martin Yate, author of the “Knock ‘Em Dead” series for job seekers. People with a lot of experience and knowledge tend to want to demonstrate how much they know in a job interview by talking about all their past experiences. This can send the message that you’re stuck in the past and inflexible to change, said Mr. Yate. It’s better to focus on the task at hand by talking about what you would do to solve problems for the recruiting company. This will show that you’re open to new challenges and willing to change, said Mr. Yate.

* Never stop networking. It’s important to continue networking with people in your field, said Mr. Yate. That means joining professional groups and associations, attending meetings and professional conferences, and continuing your education. Job-hunting with the help of professional networks often produces results, he said.

* Consider working for yourself. During a recent stint as a job seeker, Stanley Trout, 53, said he felt employers assumed he was just looking for a place to rest his hat until he could retire. Rather than try to prove his sincere interest in working, Mr. Trout, a scientist in Fishers, Ind., started his own consulting business. What he discovered is that in the consulting field, “a little gray hair is actually advantageous.”

* Focus on industries that are receptive or growing more receptive to older workers. Not all companies will be affected by the demographic shift that is expected to open opportunities for older workers. If you can, try to find work in industries that are expected to suffer a labor shortage as baby boomers retire, which means looking to fields such as health care, aerospace, and technology.

Of course, this isn’t always an optimal solution, even when it is possible. Ms. Engels, from Jacksonville, has been working as a home health aide to make ends meet. Although demand is strong in this field, she’s not happy taking care of people. “When I see young people getting into it, I think that’s wonderful,” said Ms. Engels. “It’s just not my passion.”

* Be an advocate. If you encounter a clear case of age discrimination, report it to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which investigates claims. You may not think that your claim will make a difference since age bias is hard to prove, but enough complaints against a company can help prove a pattern of hiring bias.