Experienced Candidates: A Success Story

To close out my series on supporting older professionals in career transitions, I’d like to share a wonderful story about a client I worked with earlier this year.

I had the pleasure of supporting a 75-year-old professional who had recently been laid off. He was worried about being able to land a new role and considered whether part-time consulting or retirement were his only options. 

After discussing various strategies to mitigate ageism in the job search, he decided to go ahead with a search for a full-time role. Here are some of the strategic areas we addressed: 

• Updated résumé to a modern format, highlighting the breadth and depth of his work with strong accomplishment statements. We also removed dates on work experiences older than about 15 years.

• Updated his LinkedIn profile, including a strong headline. 

• Discussed the importance of leveraging his network, including building relationships with recruiters at search firms. 

This individual had one interview (a connection through a recruiter at a search firm) and received a job offer the next day. The hiring company clearly recognized the value of his extensive experience and work ethic. 

I know that this is not everyone’s story. But his success inspires me, and I hope it encourages you to move forward in your career, even if you consider yourself to be in an “older” demographic. You might be exactly what a hiring company is looking for. 

Feel free to reach out if you need support during your career transition. You got this!