Moving Out? Moving On? Moving Where?

Aging industry leaders are in transition and are grappling with challenging questions about next stages in their lives. Not everyone is ready for the golf course

(at least full time).

A generation of senior executive are facing so-called retirement and are considering interesting and tough options. We are losing industry leaders who shaped the practice. For many the work has been very rewarding but exhausting; for others the time is not right to consider alternatives, yet they need to move aside and let the next generation take over. These are intensely personal decisions with no clear guidelines or “retirement career tracks.”

Archives: 1/06   2/06   3/06

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August 8, 2006 [Judy Cushman]

The June 6th Wall Street Journal marketing section column on Managing Your Career talks about, “How Older Applicants Can Put Together a Savvy Job Search.” The subject of the article is Andy Armstrong a “veteran public relations man” at age 49 who has been out of work since 2002. Bill Heyman, a respected industry recruiter, is quoted in the article saying, “Employers ignore a prospect’s age if he is impeccably professional and technologically current.”

There are valuable points in the article but, in my opinion, there are certain facts of life that are not acknowledged. Here is my response which the WSJ author, Ms. J. Lublin, has read and said she is sending it to Mr. Armstrong for his reaction. This commentary will be posted on my blog and I look forward to continuing the discussion.

While I believe there are tactics that job hunters can adopt to give themselves the best ‘shot’ at finding work when they are 50+, the fact is that organizations do find ways to not hire workers that do not fit their culture. Age is part of their culture. That selection process can and does lead to age discrimination although it will not be called that, nor will there be any grounds for action. The process is subtle.

The better news is that very senior positions do require "grey hair." (BTW, how many women in business have grey hair? You find grey hair in senior men… a minor observation about sexism and age.) VPs and heads of functions need years of experience to qualify for these leadership positions. Wunderkinds be warned.

So, for those very talented, excellent performers ready for leadership roles, maturity is an asset.

It is not for those middle level executives who have progressed modestly and who are suddenly cut out of a corporate position in their late 40ties or early 50ties. Their talents are reproducible in younger less "expensive" hires. That is the underlying grinding truth about the stage upon which these mid-rank professionals compete. With the looming shortage of workers as baby boomers retire, this fact may be the single most piece of good news for seniors who wish to work for a reasonable wage.

My advice is to prepare a truthful resume based on achievements and work history. It is OK to leave out early years of a work history since that is rarely relevant to current situations. Do not be defensive or apologetic about what you have done, neither in the way you present on paper or in person. Be clear about your accomplishments whether traditional or non traditional. Provide some sort of a chronology otherwise the lack will be considered a reason for not conducting an interview.

Finding a job is a job, not a hobby. Create a job-hunting plan and be disciplined about following it. If 5-hours a day should be spent on job hunting, do not find excuses to cut corners. That time can be productively spent on networking, researching companies, writing emails, attending meetings and volunteering at professional associations. Also, getting out of the "house" or home office should be a regular goal. Use the time for exploratory social meetings, interviews (of course) and/or education about new technologies or tools to be used in the workplace.

Be prepared for positive but non-committal interviews. There are a limited number of companies at this point (since the job market is not so tight that employers venture out of their comfort zones) that will be open to hiring candidates that do not meet all of their criteria.

The fact is "senioritis" as one of my bloggers called it, is alive and well in the corporate communications and related areas where I conduct searches. Please visit my web site and click on the blog for comments that are highly relevant to this topic and are posted anonymously given the very difficult and sensitive nature of contributor experiences.

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July 17, 2006 [Anonymous Contributor]

Interesting you bring up age discrimination. I am 49 with nearly 20 years in the business. I have applied for a few positions over the past several months, but most times I get the feeling they think I am too expensive and/or not ready to work hard enough based on my age and experience level. Of course you can’t prove it, but I would like to see how people like me are handling that situation.

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