Older Does Not Translate to Dead; Ideas to Turn the Tide

I was at a communications conference recently whose primary focus was on innovation in the communications industry. There were a range of topics largely centered on curation, creativity, content, crowd sourcing, collaboration and community. These are all topics that are typically grounded in the ability to propagate prose that sizzles, soothes, sympathizes, and sells. The common denominator therein is solid and relevant experience by professionals that have "been there and done that" and are able to write and pull together narratives that engage and inspire audiences.

As I pondered the myriad of conference topics that form the essence of what I do for a living, my trend of thought was shattered by a conversation overheard as the conference transitioned to a coffee break.

Here's the dialogue. "Hello, I overheard you say that you are a recruiter based in New York. I am principal in a small firm in New York and we are searching for a GM to manage the office." "Oh right," responded the gentlemen as he said in his very British tone. "What are you looking for?" "Well we want someone with experience but not the type that is looking for their final career role. That just won't work for us. We want a young person for which the job will be a stretch."

What an appalling notion to think that a person with years of high quality professional experience and accomplishment can no longer be considered for employment because they are considered aged out. What are headhunters, human resource people and hiring managers thinking? And to add insult to injury, the latest employment numbers from Uncle Sam show a decline in the unemployment rate. Clearly the numbers have ignored the young and old who have long since been dropped from the labor count by Uncle Sam. Witness these two recent articles on the situation.   "Young People Still Can't Find Work" and "The Job Market is Still Hurting."

So what is a job seeker to do? Go boldly into the night. Here are some thoughts that may fly against conventional wisdom. And perhaps that is why they might be worth a try.

Talk it up!!!

Don’t shy from the conversation. Raise the issue in your cover letter. If you are under 25, explain how your skills and experience can help you come up to speed fast and what value you can immediate apply to contribute to the company’s success. If you are over 50, elaborate on why your experience is of benefit to the organization and how brief is your learning curve. The worst a company can say is no.

Call them on the carpet. Look at a rejection as the opening salvo. If you suspect that age was a hindrance, challenge the company or the hiring manager to explain its rationale for the rejection. Seek an answer. Directly question how and why and don’t take no for an acceptable answer. It is a new day and companies need to be more transparent in their hiring methodology.

Seek a hire or higher authority. The adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again” is applicable here. Identify and contact or seek a meeting with a level or two of management above the HR person or hiring manager. Explain your rationale for your inquiry, your experience to date with the organization and outline in specific terms why you are the best one for the job.

Network above the crowd. Work your connections. Identify people in your network who have connections with principals, hiring managers or other influencers at the companies that are the objective of your interest. Don’t hesitate to engage with them on your abilities, capabilities and aspirations. Offer to buy lunch or coffee and have a real conversation about their needs and requirements.

Take Flight!!!

Leave your comfort zone. Being in an environment that is comfortable tends to breed complacency. People tend to go with the flow and hesitate to break new ground. But when it comes to career advancement, take off the gloves and get out of your zone of comfort. Take actions that are bold and may just get you in the door. Desperate times call for measures that have the potential to break through.

How to Use Networking to Get Working

There is no debate what so ever, networking is the chief avenue to landing a new job, hands down.  And the plethora of tips, tactics and tricks to network are limitless on the web. Just Google the term networking and you are likely to be inundated with information on how to do it and profit from it.  My cursory search found 127 million inks.   In thinking more deeply about the nature of working your contacts and connections, here are several ideas to get you started to use networking to get working.  So here goes:

Start a group.  Many of the popular social infrastructure platforms have tools to allow you to establish groups so you can gather like minds together in pursuit of common goals, ideas, strategies, friends or virtually anything your intelligent mind can dream up.   In this case though, in addition to virtual groups on LinkedIn or Facebook for example, set up an in-person lunch or dinner group, whereby you get together with colleagues on a monthly basis to collaborate or discuss matters of interest.  It could be a job networking group or a career management group.  The benefits can be many.  The key is consistency, camaraderie and collaboration.

Work your brain.  Sites like LinkedIn, Quora, Facebook, etc., have features that enable you to comment and answer questions from folks that need advice.  And the questions vary widely.  So pick a topic about which you may be a subject matter expert and let loose.  Add as much value as your intellect will allow.  Chances are good that smartly answering the inquirer’s question will be reciprocated in some fashion.  Now don’t expect it to be.  But be aware that adding value to the knowledge stream that is the web often times pays dividends.

Strut your stuff.  “Proof is in the pudding,” as my Grandmother used to say.  Put yourself in the position of demonstrating what you do well.  Volunteer with a non profit for a task or project that gives evidence of your skills and ability.  Perhaps you belong to a membership organization, where there is an opportunity to be on a committee that allows you to strut your stuff.  Is writing a passion or is strategic planning your cup of tea?  If so get busy and use those skills.  In the process you have a stage center role in showing what you can do.  Let others see your value.  Seeing is believing.

Buy coffee.  Yes, buy some coffee, or tea if that is your poison.  Invite someone to have coffee on you.  Look through your network to see if there is someone who works at a company you have targeted for employment.  Write them a note, give them a call, send them an email or even a tweet if that works for you.   Go to your favorite java shop or the closest one to the object of your networking exercise.  Write down some questions you have about how to network your way into the firm.  Ask for advice on your job search, career campaign or other people with whom you can ask for advice.  At the same time, offer your support to them.  Do they have a knotty problem that is keeping them up at night?  Ask about it and offer some concrete ideas to manage the problem. 


Say something nice.  The Web is now crawling with platforms that let you give credit, make kudos, recommend and say something nice about another person.  They run the gambit from Klout, Kred, LinkedIn, PeerIndex Twitter Grader, Connect.me, etc.  Take some time to give credit where credit is due.  Make certain it is honest and authentic.  Recognizing good work by good people is, well, good.  It also conveys to your network that no good deed goes unrecognized.  That said, just remember to never expect to be complemented yourself.  Keep your expectations in check and you will not be disappointed.




Get angry.  Networking is not easy.  It takes a commitment to do it daily.  It is hard work, that is why everyone does not do it.  But for the fortunate few that have the diligence, patience and a kind heart, networking works.  And it is ok to get angry and let out some steam during the job search process.  Take some time to scream, yell and get angry.  Just do it in the privacy of your own home, a deserted beach or empty hallway.  And when you are finished get back to networking or whatever you want to call “shining a spotlight on yourself and the value you can bring to an organization through your terrific skill set, even-keel demeanor and strong work ethic.