David Moran, 53, an advertising manager with a large regional newspaper in suburban Los Angeles, is the oldest middle manager at his company. Every morning as he enters his office, he can hear footsteps behind him from the ambitious sales reps aching to fill his shoes.

"It's not only that all the younger men and women want my job, but the corporate mentality in this place makes me a dinosaur," says Mr. Moran. "People just naturally assume that I'm too old to cut it anymore. One day soon, the sharks will stop circling and will come in for the kill. It's like waiting for a feeding frenzy, with upper management licking their chops in anticipation."

Do you feel devalued and unwanted at your company for no reason other than your age? It's not surprising, what with corporate mergers, reorganizations and downsizings nationwide increasing your prospects of an early termination. Yet you can fight back so that age discrimination doesn't derail your career.

Step one is to take on enough assignments in your present job that you become indispensable. "No one is really indispensable, but you'd be surprised how few people want to take on the little but important jobs," says Dr. Ruth Brasher, a retired administrator at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "Every extra responsibility is a form of job insurance against termination. And it's not just the small jobs, but your willingness to know as much as you can about the company and have as many competencies and skills as possible. That means retraining if necessary, attending workshops and conferences, and keeping yourself open to the needs and fluctuations of the company," says Dr. Brasher, who's also an executive with Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society. "No one, especially older managers, can afford to be complacent in today's workplace."

Another strategy is to continually reassess your performance. That way, any problems that could arise in future performance reviews will be resolved before they're committed to writing and added to your personnel file, says Robert Siegel, a Minneapolis-based management consultant. He says many older managers have become heroes in their companies by developing new ideas that help the company thrive. By not permitting yourself to become complacent or lose the drive that got you where you are today, you'll stay competitive, he says.

"It isn't age that causes people to lose their jobs, but their lethargy and cynicism," adds James Schefter, an author in Park City, Utah, who studied career advancement at the nation's major auto manufacturers. "For example, older managers made great contributions to the development of the new Corvette. But they were as excited and energized about what they were doing at age 55 as they were when they were 25," he says.

Hit the Road

If your career seems doomed no matter how hard you attempt to appease your boss, then prepare to gear up for a job search. You should never assume that your age will stop you from landing another attractive position. Grab every opportunity to apply for openings that match your skills and experience, even if you don't think you have a chance. Let the employer decide who's right or wrong for the job.

Don't limit your search to familiar organizations. Consider local school systems, nonprofit groups and federal agencies, where new management philosophies are changing the way these organizations are run. Experienced, well-trained older managers are being welcomed by a host of organizations that you've probably never considered.

The same is true at many small and mid-sized companies that are growing beyond their expertise. And even some larger companies are casting about for experienced help.

"You'd be amazed at how many reorganized companies that let older managers go now find themselves with a shortage of skilled executives," says Dr. Randi Miller, a former Rand Co. analyst in California who specializes in age-related issues. "They're now looking for older, talented people to come in and crisis-manage."

Of course, your expectations must be realistic. "You have to be flexible and go where the opportunities are," says Dr. Miller, now an associate sociology professor at California State University in San Bernardino. "Sometimes, you have to accept pay reductions and less-desirable working conditions, but you can have an active career as a manager for a long time to come."

Robert Spivey, the former editor of a construction trade magazine in Minneapolis, says he created a second career for himself after being fired at age 49. In the two years following his termination, which occurred for no reason he could determine other than his age, he searched halfheartedly while his severance pay dwindled and his confidence eroded. Then a friend told him about an executive recruiter who was looking for older managers with skills similar to Mr. Spivey's.

"Like most people who were unfairly let go, my confidence was rock bottom," he says. "It took me weeks of indecision before I contacted the recruiter because I just didn't want to fail again. But he found me a good job at a company that respects my ability and doesn't give a damn about my age. All they care about is productivity, and mine has been phenomenal."

Look Abroad

Some older managers and their spouses who no longer have kids living at home have discovered that the freedom to relocate creates opportunities in other countries. Hiring is strong throughout Russia, eastern Europe and Latin America, especially if you speak the local language and have years of experience in the hiring company's specialty area. But making such a switch can be tough.

"It's not easy for American managers to come to a foreign country and start all over again," says Vivian Harvey, executive director of Cemanahuac, a language program for business executives in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She says that in foreign countries where modern, efficient companies are being created, experienced managers from the U.S. are highly prized regardless of their age.

"You have to learn the language and develop contacts," says Ms. Harvey. But most importantly, "you have to respect the culture and realize that foreign countries have a pace and rhythm of their own. Many U.S. executives have come to Mexico to seriously study the language and culture, and they've been successful finding work all over Central and South America," she says.

Go Entrepreneurial

Yet another strategy once your age has become a career hindrance is to tap your entrepreneurial spirit. Many creative people have great ideas for a new product or service, but lack the managerial skill to pull it off, says Tim Moreland, sales manager in Detroit for Electrobike, a new electric bicycle company. "You can help these new companies get started."

A significant percentage of new U.S. entrepreneurs are foreign born, "and for them, age is a sign of wisdom and maturity and is something to be valued," he says.

"In my case, I met an inventor at a trade show who thought that electric bikes could help people make the transition to electric cars," says Mr. Moreland, 55. "I drove a prototype, thought it was wonderful and helped my partner market the bike to auto dealers. We expect to manufacture and sell 20,000 units a month by the end of next year."

Mr. Moreland's success couldn't have been better timed. "I thought my career was washed up," he says. "I was too old to cut it, according to most companies. Well, I think I pretty much proved them wrong."

-- Dr. Glicken is a professor of social work at California State University in San Bernardino, and a contributor to CareerJournal.