He was offered 50% cut because he is 52? really!
Shipra Madaan
A Perfect Resume writing and an optimized LinkedIn profile with masala of network = New Job
Swaminathan adjusted his tie as he stepped into the glass-walled conference room. At 52, he had seen it all—economic downturns, business transformations, leadership shifts. He had led teams, built multi-million-dollar projects, and handled crises that could make or break a company.
Across the table sat Sachin, a 28-year-old, hoodie-wearing startup founder with an infectious energy. His startup, an AI-driven fintech platform, had recently secured $10 million in funding, and he was hiring for a Chief Business Officer role.
Swaminathan was a perfect fit—three decades of experience in financial services, strategic leadership, and scaling businesses from scratch. He expected a CTC of ?90 lakh, a fair sum for someone with his credentials.
But then came the shocker.
The Salary Irony
Sachin leaned back and said, “We love your experience, but we’re looking at a budget of ?50 lakh.”
Swaminathan was stunned. He was being offered half of what Sachin was paying himself.
Swaminathan had seen this pattern before. While young founders like Sachin commanded high CTCs—justified by market potential, investor backing, and growth narratives—seasoned professionals were often expected to “justify their pay” at every step.
"Why is my 30 years of industry wisdom being valued less than his 5 years of hustle?" Swaminathan wondered.
Sachin, on the other hand, had leveraged risk-taking, market disruption, and storytelling to command his salary. Investors had backed him not just for his skills, but for his ability to sell a dream.
领英推荐
The Real Question: Who Deserves What?
Yet, the market favored Sachin. In the startup world, experience takes a backseat to agility, market fit, and perceived future value.
What’s the Way Forward?
As Swaminathan walked out of the meeting, he realized something:
The rules of the game had changed. Senior professionals needed to:
? Rebrand themselves as growth enablers, not just seasoned experts.
? Showcase adaptability over stability.
? Highlight value in real numbers—how their expertise can multiply revenue.
And most importantly, learn to play the game like Sachin—where perception often outweighs experience.
Expert in Credit Risk, Business Transformation, Internal Audit, AI audits, Governance, and IFRS Implementation | CFE, CIA, CA and PG in derivatives and risk
1 个月Agile and able to adopt with challenges matter age is only a number with qualifications and upliftment from managing practically variable situations with upgrading to AI Even many leaders have proved this hypothesis wrong Vulnerable frauds and AML issues unearthed recently including cyber crimes for those organizations ignoring cyber security as per ACFE studies on whistleblowing recently accounting for 43% of frauds and 60% accounting from age 25-40 Organizations may even need to introspect with knowledge and experience
Category Manager| Business Strategy & Analytics | Market Expansion | Product Strategy | Revenue Optimization | Vendor Development |
1 个月Swaminathan adjusted his tie as he stepped into the glass-walled conference room. At 52, he had seen it all—economic downturns, business transformations, leadership shifts. He had led teams, built multi-million-dollar projects, and handled crises that could make or break a company. Across the table sat Sachin, a 28-year-old, hoodie-wearing startup founder with an infectious energy. His startup, an AI-driven fintech platform, had recently secured $10 million in funding, and he was hiring for a Chief Business Officer role. Swaminathan was a perfect fit—three decades of experience in financial services, strategic leadership, and scaling businesses from scratch. He expected a CTC of ?90 lakh, a fair sum for someone with his credentials. But then came the shocker. Sachin leaned back and said, “We love your experience, but we’re looking at a budget of ?50 lakh.” Swaminathan was stunned. He was being offered half of what