I Believe I'm Not Getting A Job Offer Because of My Age!
Dear Stephen,
I was “right-sized” by one of the majors.?Truth is, I took a package?I could not resist?but I was told I could have stayed in my job.?I just knew it was time to move on – to try something new - and the “package” was so good that it gave me the financial cushion and the courage to leave my job and look for another one. No non-compete or non-solicitation to hinder my search -?just me, with lots of energy and relationships that I would like to share with another company.
Problem is, I get through one interview and then I rarely get to Step 2 and never to Interview 3. I think it's my age - I'm a young looking 58, but that doesn’t always mean I can fool the interviewer. They can tell how old I am. So what’s the deal with ageism and how do I get around it? If I knew things were going to be this hard, I may have stayed where I was. With inflation and maybe a recession coming I cannot afford to be without work, what can I do?
Signed,
Too Young to Age Out
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Dear Baby Face,
In our industry I rarely see ageism. Look at the leadership in our associations and publications. There’s certainly no ageism there. Truth is that a sales rep is only as good as your current relationships and from the prospective employers point of view it is less about you and more about whether the relationships are “relevant” to the job they are offering. If you are friends with interior designers and specifiers that are about to retire, your once relevant relationships may not be relevant anymore.?Keep yourself marketable by keeping your current relationships fresh and by continuing to make new relationships.
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Here is a tip: During the interview never tell the manager who is interviewing you that you are looking for a company and a job that can be your “home” or “your last home." You are setting yourself up in their mind that you are ready to retire.?You are implying that you want to 'cruise' into the sunset for the next 10 years.
The average age of salespeople we place is 55 to 62, not so young. Our clients want experience. They also want a bargain and sometimes experienced workers like yourself price yourself out of the market and blame it on age. If you took a nice package, no one cares what you made last, because now you are making ZERO.?Sometimes people who have taken packages from manufacturers do not want to go to dealers. Some dealers make great workplaces so don’t let our industry's “snobbishness” keep you from an attractive opportunity.?
Last but not least I see with my own eyes plenty of companies that could care less how old you are. They simply want good people - so send them your resume. There are too many to name but some that come to mind are Allermuir, Senator, OFS, and other companies that are family owned like Global, Teknion, Haworth and, of course the big names like MillerKnoll and Steelcase are consistently ranked among the best places to work in America. Age is not an issue. Virtually everyone is an equal opportunity employer.?
So, re-think why you may be having a hard time?landing a new job:?Money? Too picky??Stale relationships or not great references??
Then speak to your references and former bosses and see what you can do to make a better impression. Ask a spouse or friend to role play the interview. Chances are it is not your age. And I can tell you that, for sure, The Viscusi Group would love a copy of your resume.
Signed
Stephen
Stephen Viscusi is the CEO of www.viscusigroup.com, an executive search firm that specializes in the interior furnishings industry. Hires made through The Viscusi Group are guaranteed a one year free replacement. Please share your story or comment on this article and send your workplace questions to [email protected]. Or give us a call at (212) 979-5700 ext. 101.?
Partner & SVP of Sales??Alchemy Surfaces
2 年Our world is ever-changing, candidates presenting past success with examples of how they adjust changing markets will get an audience. Alan is correct, some companies want youth (and lower cost) there is demand for proven problem solvers. Who can figure out the market
Investor in Securities and Real Estate; Corporate Sales, Strategy, Marketing, and Distribution Partner Executive
2 年Ageism is real and whoever denies it is fooling themselves, perhaps because it's so hard to prove it. But there is an antidote, and that is to have your own business, and absent that, make your own investments in quality enterprises and promising ventures. When money is the issue there are countless ways to make it, even during recessions and pandemics and whatnot. Anyone with passive and dividend income knows what I'm talking about. There is really no need to work for people and companies that either want you on the cheap, or don't want you at all because of age. But their loss can be your gain. America is a great country full of diverse opportunities. All you have to do is take moderate risk and go for it.
Managing Director US/Canada for Garsnas AB
2 年A few more comments before I send the horse over to the glue factory. First, Stephen you may have or will be a "victim" of ageism yourself. Those excellent companies you cite may arrive at the conclusion that "his older firm" does not understand how to relate, locate, or fully understand the millennial candidate of today. Second, let's take the original communication received by Stephen. That person took the "package." Here's a thought. What if his company gave him 2 options. The full package OR the option to become a Mentor/Trainer in which case he would get a smaller package but continue to earn compensation (albeit less than the the previous level). My point is in this way, companies hold onto the talent that these "older" people represent (not to mention their contacts). If a company truly wants to earn recognition as a great company this would help. Finally, in my experience, overseas companies (I guess Allermuir/Senator would qualify), in general, seem to respect and value their older generation to a greater degree than we do here in the US. Yes, many of these countries have lower retirement ages and great pensions. However, they also utilize the talents of their more senior people as advisors, Board Members, consultants.
Managing Director US/Canada for Garsnas AB
2 年Of course Richard is correct in his “life isn’t fair” comment. The candidate has to be competent. However, assuming an even playing field, the older candidate has a tougher challenge. Unless that candidate follows Stephen’s advice with regard to interview technique and uses that experience they have (meaning talent, contacts, knowledge, etc. to even the field). My point is that the ageism “factor” is there as Andrew so brutally experienced. Also, what about ageism being practiced on someone already in a position who has more than proved their worth over the yesrs. They simply didn’t get stupider in one day.
The Dog Training Real Estate Guy. I create content, the new dog book is done, now working on a new public access show/video podcast. I train dogs to help pet owners & RE to help property owners, + K9 property consulting.
2 年After showing up every time a local company placed an ad for a sales rep, finally, they got tired of seeing me week after week, month after month, and just came out and told me I was too old. Actually, that happened three times. I am persistent. One sales manager said I was like a pit bull, once I latch on it take a lot for me to get go. Except maybe "your too old, we'll never hire you." I am not making zero and I am willing to work for reasonable pay. I'm not just sitting around waiting for someone to think, hey this guy likes to work, maybe we should give him a try. I'm rebuilding my old business, hoping I can make enough to fund a little startup to possibly compete with some of the we won't hire you because your too old companies.