Is it legal for employers to request "recent college grads" in their advertisements for job openings?

I see this a lot in Austin, I guess because IT and start-ups are more youth-oriented. But I'm in my 40s so I'm thinking it's waste of time to apply.

• I see this type of thing a lot in ads. They don't always say YOUNG but they always mean young.

• It might be legal, but it is making the company wide open to an age discrimination claim. If you are qualified for the job, you should go ahead and apply, then contact the EEOC if you believe that you are not hired because of age, if you are between 40 and 70.

• It's another way of saying "No Experience Required."

• wide open for an age discrimination claim? are you serious? not even close.

• Recent college grad can mean any age. But they probably don't want you if you've just graduated at 50.

• Probably not a very good job? I'd be suspicious they want inexperienced people they can exploit and pay very little. Admittedly I don't know much about the job market and such listings, but I see those words and think the worst, not "This is an awesome job and they want young, good-looking people they can employ for their entire career," or something.

• They're looking for someone cheap, not young.

• R2 is right. "Recent college grad" will easily be viewed as code for "young," especially if a qualified 40-something recent college grad is denied the job. Sure, the employer can claim that the purpose was to note that the job is for someone w/o prior experience. But this language will not help the employer's defense at all.

• R7 is right They can hire two college grads for the same salary as someone with 20 years experience. two for the price of one

• 1) it is legal to advertise this way; 2) no, there is no chance, zero, zilch, nada; not a snowball's chance in hell, that someone could bring an age discrimination case based on this. it is tough enough when the employer IS actually doing something illegal, let along when they are not (as in this case). do you have any idea how difficult discrimination cases are (for plaintiffs)? an overwhelming mountain of evidence would be required before a lawyer would spend even 15 seconds debating whether to take the case. not to mention the sheer impossibility for a plaintiff to demonstrate any damages.

• You don't know what you are talking about R10. No lawyer is needed to file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC. And it is up to these government bureaucrats to decide if any discrimination has taken place. If the company is advertising that they prefer to hire recent college graduates, and they hired a young person for the job instead of a qualified applicant who is in the protected 40 to 70 age bracket, then I suspect that applicant would prevail in filing a complaint.

• It is age discriminination and they are getting away with it.

• No, R12, it's more likely wage-discrimination.

• It's age and wage. They want someone young they can get cheaper and who won't know what is going on and they can bully. And it's age discrimination against older workers who they don't even give a chance to be interviewed. It's wage discrimination for older workers because they will not get the job, period (i.e. no money, not even a shitty salary).

• Before, to get around the law, they never asked what year you were born but rather what year you graduated from high school.

• Recent graduates don't expect a big salary, just a job. Recent graduates are also easier to walk all over and bully. Big corporations aren't looking for independent thinkers with their own views who could be a threat to the status quo. The world has changed from quality to quantity and companies would rather hire lots of cheap employees than fewer, more expensive employees who may rock the boat for management. I've seen it time and time again.

• The idea that age discrimination is illegal is a joke. Everyone does it.

• R17, Visit Vegas for the most glaring examples of age, sex, and race discrimination. The new trend is to include the word "model" in front of most positions, such as "model bartender," so applicants get a very clear message.

• And "model" in job listings also means "white" most of the time.

• I've been encountering "recent grads will not be considered." This is in nursing in the NYC metro area.

• At a staff meeting our division manager used "the young and the bright" to describe new hires. Which didn't sit well with staffers who were "young and bright" fifteen years ago.

• "Bilingual fluent in Spanish" means we hire only Mexicans.

• I see a lot of this in San Francisco... That's what we're in for now. Large corps don't want to pay reasonable salaries.

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• Dont waste your time OP Recent College Grad is also code for cheap, stupid, will work for free once we sell you the dream. I tried some some of these a long time ago. They get you all excited, you spend you time for an interview, then as the end they say "oh by the way, this is not a paid position but its great for someone right out of school for work experience." If they told you up front it low or no pay, then no one would come in for the interview.

• Ads like that are usually total BS. Its like the stuff real estate agents say. Like cozy = small Charming = over priced Peekaboo View = view through the cracks of a building. Her are some popular job version: Recent Grad = free intern Fast Paced Environment = under staffed Results Oriented = big turn over Exciting Field = low pay, lame job Assistant = low pay, demanding boss People Oriented = Work with nasty customers Start Up = we don't have any money

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• R19, I agree. At a women's empowerment conference, sponsored by Dove beauty products, I once was quoted in the Las Vegas Weekly as saying a better looking version of Halle Berry and Eva Longoria would not have a chance of getting many extremely well-paying tip jobs on the Las Vegas strip. I added that even most extreme racists "wouldn't get either out of bed," and considered them "passing the color barrier." Of course the supposedly liberal Weekly flatly denied my accusations, rather than investigating and reporting the truth. The Weekly has always been heavily supported by the advertising of the Light Group, well-known as being the most racist employer in all of Vegas. They manage most of the dayclubs and nightclubs for MGM/Mirage, and are heavily promoting Clooney's Casamigos Tequila.