AGEISM in Career Transition (and How to Get Past It)

Yes.   Ageism exists. It’s daunting to be in your 50’s, 60’s, and maybe 70’s and facing a job search when you’re convinced most hiring managers are not going to be interested in hiring you.  

This, of course, is demotivating, and many accept it as a reason to give up – and some people don’t even bother to be proactive as a consequence of that false belief.  Clients have reported they’ve made a passive effort, relying mostly on postings, with the feeling they’re not going to do particularly well, or will have to settle for something far less appropriate than their experience and skill set might indicate.  Sometimes, that means depending only on postings (5-6% of the market), recruiters (7%), and friends (should be up to 85%), and not the real work of career transition, which is building new relationships and rebuilding old ones, person by person – and keeping those people “warm.”  (Translation:  That means making sure they remember you via several interactions.)  

Mostly, the convictions that older people are not viable in the workplace are simply not borne out.   Why is there a fairly widespread acceptance of the notion that older workers might not be worth hiring?  

The Myths

One commonly held notion is that older people will work less, show less energy, and be less effective. Definition of “myth” - a widely held but false belief or idea.

Did anyone tell Ruth Bader Ginsburg that?  Or Tom Brady, who is considered ancient for a professional athlete?  Or Robert Caro, the two-time Pulitzer prize-winning biographer, who at 86 spent a year in Vietnam to complete his research on Lyndon Johnson?  

The list of successful older workers is long, and the facts frequently destroy the myth.  

Another notion is that older workers will be less flexible, less willing to adapt.

Or, yet another - older people will resist new technology – or any technology, for that matter.  

One major fear of employers is the assumption that older workers will be expensive, or even a threat to the person who hires them.  

There is also the fear that older people are more likely to have health problems.  True.  But true for everyone?  

Solutions

Numbers.  There are too many hiring managers, recruiters, and Human Resources professionals (Human Capital Management?  People?  Talent Management?  Manpower Planning?  Human Asset Management?  I wish I could remember all the inane corporate euphemisms.  Why couldn’t we stick with Personnel?) who buy into the negative perceptions about older people.  They’re trying to match resumes and LinkedIn profiles with job specification lists.   Many of these staffing professionals will eliminate well qualified candidates based on paper or digital representations, and frequently bypass the best candidates.  Or manage to find things on a resume that play into an irrational bias.  Resumes or LinkedIn can’t talk for you, but an in-person meeting enables a job applicant to defuse any potentially negative perceptions.  

No matter how many ways career advisors advise older clients to remove college dates of graduation from the resume, or eliminate the first few jobs, experienced staffing professionals will be able to figure out that the applicant might be over 45 or 50.  

What to do?  Those concrete decision makers don’t account for everyone who hires new employees.  There are creative hiring managers, and creative Human Resources professionals, who can see beyond age, beyond the resume and LinkedIn profile, and see the value in the candidate.  How to get to these people?  Numbers.  The more people you see in your relationship-building efforts, the more likely you are to find the more flexible, non-concrete, thinkers.  It’s a matter of odds, pure and simple.  This means working extra hard at building a more extensive network, increasing the opportunities of meeting the right people in the process.  

Many years ago, when I was a staffing officer with what was then called The Chase Manhattan Bank (and no, the bank was not named for one of my ancestors), I met a 32-year-old applicant.  I saw a gap in his resume for the previous year, and asked about it.  He told me that he and his wife (and one-year old!) had decided to take off a year and travel around the world; they figured this would probably be the only time they’d have the opportunity.  This intrigued me, so I asked about the experience (I was also curious as to how they handled it with a one-year old!).  He told me he and his wife had been having trouble getting a job since returning, because employers had asked them about the year, and were put off by a 32-year-old and his wife setting back their career by taking a year off.  

There are so many things wrong with that line of thinking that I can’t get into all of it here, but the main point is that I thought this applicant was more interesting and more creative than most, a risk taker, and a thoughtful person with depth.   He had found the right person (those odds mentioned above were working in his favor), in terms of who might hire him, but many he had met had the opposite impression, that something was wrong with him.  By expanding his network as much as possible, he was able to find those who thought his year off was an interesting asset.

I was careful to send him to a division executive who thought as I did, and the candidate was hired.  It won’t always happen quite that way, but, again, the more relationships you build the better the numbers will be for you.

Another way to defeat the misperceptions about older workers is to show energy from the outset.  Even with an approach email.   When I was first a staffing professional, I recall learning quickly that enthusiastic, high energy applicants were far more likely to be hired.  No one wants to hire someone who looks frightened, anxious, or devoid of energy.  Decision makers like an applicant to not only show enthusiasm, but to show excitement about the position.  Think of the networking meetings and interviews as performances.  You may not like the process much; or you might get anxious.  It doesn’t really matter what you’re feeling; it matters how you’re perceived.  Yes, it sounds superficial, but presenting in an energetic and enthusiastic manner goes a long way.  It does for all ages, but particularly for older job applicants who are overcoming a misperception.  

Show excitement about past positions.  As I say to everyone I meet professionally, your career has been “sunshine, light, and success.”  No complaints, no negatives.   Negatives only reflect on you, not the former employer.  You’ve loved your career, have had significant accomplishments to relate, and are excited about this next phase.  

Think before a networking meeting or an interview about how you’re going to pre-empt the interviewer’s misconceptions, and show energy and enthusiasm right away.  Figure out a way to talk about how you have successfully used technology, for example.  When you’re confronted with a remark about how you might be overqualified (this is almost always about money issues), say that perhaps you’ve miscommunicated; the job you’re applying for is a great fit because…   Make it tough for people to throw that overqualified thing at you.  

A note:  Many older men have asked me about hair issues, i.e., whether to hide hair loss, or dye gray hair.  No.  You want to be hired for who you are, plus a lot of people with dark black hair at 60 look, um, a little strange.  Of course, men and women want to dress appropriately and well.  Did I need to write that?  Not always sure.  Again, showing energy and enthusiasm will trump any appearance issues.  

Once these misperceptions are fixed, it’s time to polish up relationship building/networking skills, of course.  With the suggestions above, the search should go better than you had feared.  Don’t give into the myths. Keep this in mind whenever you face ageism.  And then…move on.  

For more on this topic, you can view my recent webinar:
Ageism in Your Career Transition, And How to Get Past It.

Career Transition Mythology - Part Two

The more I think about it, the more career transition myths I come up with, but for the sake of brevity, we’ll keep it to ten – for now. Here are five more to add to the previous list:

1) The myth: If you have a terrific interview, with instantaneous great feedback, the odds are good that you’ll get an offer.

The reality: Think of the interview as just the first part of a process.  What happens after the interview is almost as important as the interview itself.  

A follow-up email is imperative, within 24 hours. It’s not a matter of etiquette. It’s about marketing, and about solidifying the points you made on the interview. You want to reiterate why you think the position is a great fit (“fit” being one of my favorite job search words). You may want to add something that you may have not had the opportunity to include in the interview. You know how you sometimes leave an interview and all of a sudden realize that you left out a critical element? The follow-up email is the opportunity to fix that.  

Keep the email short and business-like, with short paragraphs, or perhaps bullet points. Make it easy to scan, like all business communications. Reiterate your interest in the position.  

Another follow-up element is staying in touch. Never let more than five to ten business days elapse without some sort of contact. It should be a low-key voicemail or email, just “checking in” on the status of your candidacy. Maybe if the process drags out (more common than not), you offer to come in again to make their process easier. Maybe that sounds a bit presumptuous, but I think it’s a “why not?” if the process is lagging. Nothing to lose!  

2)The myth: Spending a couple of hours a day calling contacts and answering postings should just about do it for allocating time to any job search.

The reality: Time management and prioritization are critical elements of a successful career transition. For the unemployed, it’s a full-time job. Research, building and maintaining a contact database, maintaining accurate records of all activities, reaching out, and aiming for as many as five live meetings a week should create an extremely busy schedule. A truly proactive search is time-consuming.    

For employed people, it’s tougher. I highly recommend a quota system for those on a search, i.e., a certain amount of dedicated time per day. Even if it’s just 15 minutes of reading about a targeted area, that’s part of the process. The key is to maintain momentum by aiming for some time every day, whether it’s reading or making a phone call, or trying to get one live meeting per week.

3) The myth: “Networking” means calling everyone you know, and asking for job leads and new contacts.  

The reality: Real networking is a process.  It’s not a quick introduction, or one meeting. As with sophisticated sales technique, it’s cultivating relationships – over a period of time. It’s also more subtle than just asking friends for leads. Another label for the concept is “indirect marketing.”  

Each meeting should have three objectives, which is a good way to measure its effectiveness. 

• First, the relationship itself is key; so is maintaining it after the initial contact.  
• Second, the meeting should be structured around prepared questions that both reflect your knowledge of the industry, and the self-marketing questions you wanted to ask in the first place. 
• Third, what you may have thought the whole thing was about, a chance to expand your network by asking if there’s a possibility of referrals to others who might be helpful.  

4) The myth: A great 15-second “elevator pitch” is critical to your success in any career transition.

The reality: The very idea of a 15-second pitch strikes me as ridiculous.  Yes, it might be appropriate for that elevator, but who wants to be pitched on an elevator? It also might work well at a social or professional gathering, since you don’t want to corner anyone with a full pitch. Your objective there, after all, is just to get some business cards for future reaching out.

A pitch is a 1 ½ - 2-minute summary of who you are, what your skills and experience have been, something memorable that makes you different from others, a one-sentence job history, and a summary of all of it to cement what you’ve already stated. 

A great pitch is one of the hardest aspects in transition and one of the more critical. It’s not only imperative for the “tell me about yourself” question on an interview, but it’s also a great introduction in a networking meeting, a way of establishing yourself on a new job, a good outline for scripting your approach and follow-up emails. In other words, it’s your brand, and you want to use it as the cornerstone of your transition.

5) The myth: Cast a wide net in your search. Apply for everything. Talk with everyone. The numbers are bound to work in your favor.

The reality: Designating clearly defined targets (Plan A, Plan B, and maybe even Plan C) is the critical first phase of any transition. It’s not necessarily what’s available out there; it’s what you want, and what is feasible.  

After figuring out what the possible targets will be, it’s important to then research what their markets are. If it’s a target which may have only two or three organizations that might hire into those positions, it’s not a great statistical target – unless the other(s) have more possibilities. Overall, you want a high probability of success, contingent on a large number of possible options in the target.  

An unfocused search might work, just by sheer randomness – but not that often. A targeted search will work faster and better, assuming you’ve performed a basic due diligence on the feasibility of those targets first.  

Here’s a good philosophy to stick to: The best work situation is one where someone in career transition looks for what fits his/her life, rather than fitting the life to the career. This will add to the necessary focus.  

Avoiding these myths will help keep any career transition on track.  

Ellis

For a quick course on networking, pick up my Ebook, Networking: How to Make the Connections You Need

If you're looking for more in-depth advice on your job search, In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work is available in paperback and Ebook.

Career Transition Mythology - Part One

There are so many faulty and widely-held convictions about how to execute a successful career transition that I thought it might be helpful to address a few  – and debunk them. What follows are some of the most common:

1) The myth: In order to defuse some of the more painful aspects of all the rejection and difficulties inherent in any search, it’s a great idea to share your feelings freely. 

The reality: You don’t want your brand out there to be a negative one. The last thing you need is a general perception that things aren’t going well, or that you’re discouraged, or that things aren’t working out. Think about it. Why would people in your personal or professional network want to refer you to others if they perceive you as somehow damaged or discouraged goods? The perception you want to create is what I like to call “sunshine, light, and success.” It’s all going well, even if it isn’t.  

But you do need to vent and troubleshoot during this process. Limit that to one or two close friends, professional associates, or family members.  Try hard to keep the venting to a minimum with significant others. It’s tough for them, too, and you would much prefer they be more positive and supportive, rather than experiencing exactly what you are going through. A strong emotional support system is an essential piece of a successful search.

By the way, it’s absolutely permissible to take some time off. While I think that search is a full-time job, breaks are important. (That doesn’t mean take the summer off, or give up during the holiday seasons.) I’ve frequently observed that not taking time off will often make the search less effective and less energetic.  

2) The myth: Answer as many job postings as possible; the more resumes out there, the better.  

The reality: Sending out large volumes of resumes (even with great cover emails) is usually a waste of time. It’s reactive – or passive – job search. What many people hope is that by sending out large volume responses to postings, or sending out resumes blindly to various human resources departments, there will be market saturation and, by sheer statistical probability, many responses. In other words, they can just sit there and wait for the world to come to them. The phone will ring. Emails will magically appear. It doesn’t usually happen that way, but it’s definitely a great wish.  

One of the most negative images I have of a futile job search is someone in transition staring at both their computers and phones – and waiting.  

Statistically (since we just mentioned numbers), a significant proportion of jobs are found through relationships, not through sending out resumes or calling search firms.  

You need to take responsibility for your own search, in a proactive fashion.  That means while you may answer postings, you’re spending most of your time researching your targets, working on your self-branding, and developing relationships that will lead to learning about new possibilities. That’s a full time job, and it’s hard work.  

3) The myth: After having built those above-mentioned relationships, you can relax after you meet new people, and wait for the job possibilities and leads to roll in.  

The reality: We’re back to that proactive notion again here. One of the most common problems I hear about in transitions is that my clients or students have met many people, but that alone has still not led to job possibilities.  

Having one meeting with a valuable contact is not enough.  

An effective networking approach, one that is consistently proactive and does indeed lead to finding out about position openings, is one that involves tending those new relationships. That means multiple follow-up contacts – including a thank you/marketing email for positive reinforcement right after a meeting, then perhaps multiple communications  afterward, as many as you think reasonable. One of those might be telling the contact that you’ve met successfully with someone they’ve suggested. Or another might be sending a clipping about a relevant topic that was discussed in the meeting. Keep the communications short and unobtrusive.  

What we’re talking about here is pure sales technique. A contact won’t remember you from just one meeting, and especially not from just one phone call. (I always encourage, whenever possible, that meetings be in person.)  There have to be repeated contacts to create memory and relationship. This is more hard work.

4) The myth: When you think that an offer is about to come, suspend all other job search activities. You don’t want to have to cancel meetings and offend people.  

The reality: It’s dangerous to stop a search when an offer, or offers, seem imminent. Momentum is lost. So much can happen with that assumed offer. Funding could disappear, an internal candidate could appear; any number of variables could mess up your offer. So why rely on what you can’t control?  Keep things going.  

When I said “dangerous,” I meant that when all activity is stopped in anticipation of offer(s), and those don’t work out, it’s very difficult to get activities started again. It’s demoralizing to try to rebuild the search at that low point. Search is hard enough without adding unnecessary detours.  

If you do get the offer, and successfully negotiate it, then great; you can always cancel the other meetings you’ve scheduled.  

5) The myth: The more people I talk with, the better.

The reality: Volume doesn’t equate to success in job search. High numbers are better than low, but not enough. As mentioned earlier, I’ve heard many job seekers say they’ve met many people, and some may even enjoy the process (that always surprises me, because I’m not one who will talk about what a wonderful experience career transition is).  But they wonder why the volume hasn’t resulted in new job leads or at least new, reliable information.  

I recommend a system for analyzing the quality of your networking contacts.

• Level One contacts are peers, or just those who might be able to help you penetrate an organization, or simply give you industry information that you need to make yourself more of an “insider.” Level One is where most will spend significant time, particularly in the beginning of search – when you’re looking to validate your targets. But if a search continues to be only Level One, this may be a key reason why it’s not working.
• Level Two contacts are the right people in the right organizations in your target areas – and could also possibly lead you to decision makers, otherwise known as Level Three.  These Level Two contacts are great sources of information about your targets and your potential market.  
• Decision makers (Level Three) are those who make hiring decisions.  They are your eventual targets in search.  

If your search is stalled, chances are there are mostly Level One contacts in your network. If you’re making progress, you’re seeing Level Two and Level Three contacts.

In Part II I'll talk about more myths and other factors in successful search.   

Ellis

For a quick course on networking, pick up my Ebook, Networking: How to Make the Connections You Need

If you're looking for more in-depth advice on your job search, In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work is available in paperback and Ebook.