Today I was reflecting on the key issues I want to blog about. First I asked
myself what issues were most commonly bothering my clients. I created a list of
subjects I hope to meander my way through. At the top of this list is age. When
we are young, we are indeed immortal. The world is at our fingertips. Our looks
and energy are contagious. We feel like anything is possible. However, as we
grow older, something changes. Perhaps the stress and disappointments of life
wear on us. Or perhaps our mirrors depress us. Or maybe it is simply what our
peers say to us, "You can't wear that! My daughter wears that!”. “You are
too old for him/her,", "You are too old to go to medical
school," "You are too old to have a baby," "You are too old
to start a new business," and on the negative mantras go.
Be honest. You've heard these things haven't you? Now if you are one of the
spring chickens reading this blog, keep in mind that you might even have said
some of these things to a parent or other older adult.
Why does anyone think aging stops anything? As far as I can tell, the only
thing age can stop is the reproductive cycle. Who really can imagine or wants
to be 60 years old and pregnant? So I admit some things naturally do stop
happening as we age, but that doesn't mean we should stop.
Now let's move this topic into the world of work. This is a work blog. The
central point of what I will always write about will probably have something to
do with getting hired, staying hired, advancing in one's career, self-development,
or some other topic directly related to generating self-created wealth.
Age is a scary thing. But it doesn't have to be. We face much
discrimination as we grow older. For example, how many fortune 500 companies
have a gray haired woman sitting at their front desk wearing a frumpy
housecoat? Or how many sales agents are a man who simply can't navigate a large
bustling city because he gets confused with road signs and cannot operate a
GPS? Are these examples hurtful? Do they make you feel angry? They should! But
that is the reality in which our modern world works. There are prejudices
against aging people, but let's look closer at what GENERATES these emotions
and beliefs.
From personal observations, I really think these ideas come from what
stereotypes and what people perceive aging people to be like. Have you ever met
a 70 year old sky diver? Or an 80 year old world traveler? I did and when I
first met them, I was shocked. How could they have the gumption to do
that activity at that age? Weren't they afraid of the risks such as potential
bodily harm? After this, I pondered. Why wouldn't someone healthy and with the desire,
do those things and anything else they want to? It didn't matter what I thought.
The fact remained that they did it because they wanted to.
In life, age is a mindset. As long as a mind is healthy and fully
functional, there is no reason that person can't do whatever they have always
done or what they want to do. Many professors in the USA work well into their
70's and even 80's. In some countries, people are not so fortunate. Did you
realize many countries have FORCED retirement for all government employees at
age 61-65? The reasons for this are many. One reason, for example, in South
Korea, is the small land mass, limited job opportunities, and a growing
population. The concept is if the elders are forced to retire, it opens up jobs
and income potential for younger workers just starting out with their lives and
families. I must comment here that I highly disagree with this. In a
Constitution possessing society, freedom is truly an individual matter. And one
of the greatest freedoms in the cosmos is the RIGHT TO WORK AND GENERATE SELF
CREATED INCOME.
In the USA while we don't have forced retirement for most occupations, we
have social pressure to retire. The predisposed concept of aging is that once
60 or older, we become useless, incompetent, and worthy of being put on a
shelf. This is the greatest lie I can imagine. The post 50 crowd have the
greatest knowledge base on the planet as they have both academic training and
experience.
Companies should rediscover the golden resource hiring healthy older
Americans affords them. They get experience. They get the opinions of a special
select group of individuals who perhaps have lived and witnessed a particular
industry from its birth: say a car manufacturing plant in the north, or a
computer chip manufacturing plant in Texas. From experience is born a great
resource to be valued and accessed, especially in the turbulent financial
markets on the horizon. Their voice and opinions are irreplaceable by the
younger, inexperienced worker.
Sometimes the best corporate blend of employees is both young and old in
mixed groupings. One of the most successful individuals I have ever met, my
mentor Charlie, shared one of his greatest secrets with me in building a
company work force. The strategy is based on placing new hires with an older
experienced employee. They become teammates and partners on projects for three
to six months and sometimes into a year. Midway through, they switch roles and
the younger must take the initiative in the partnership to complete the work
tasks, meetings, and projects at hand. If either complain to coworkers about
the arrangement, they are asked to write an essay about why they are having
conflicts and then share it with a rotating group of individuals whose job is
to provide feedback in to what the others have written to help them self-reflect.
The result is a greater teamwork environment, cooperation verses internal
competition, and a mutual respect between older seasoned souls and the newbies.
While some companies encourage cut throat competition, this is not sustainable
for the long term employee retention, work environment, or company growth.
On the individual level, a person must choose what is right for the self.
However, if a person over 50 is looking for a new job, he or she must be able
to be taught, be flexible, and adapt to ever changing work environments.
Honestly, the hardest person in the world I have ever coached was a man in his
50's. The problem resided in the fact due to his vast experience in his given
field, he thought he knew everything and had a solution to every problem. But
he communicated these ideas in a hostile and demanding way that sent people
scurrying away from him, not toward him. After twenty job interviews, he had
not received a call back and he couldn't understand why. His attitude was
lethal for his job search success. No matter what a person knows, he or she
must learn how to convey what information is needed when it is needed, and no
more and no less. An overbearing, demanding, know it all is never going to get
hired.
Age is reflected in attitude. Having a friendly open presentation style is
very attractive. Regardless of age, anyone can learn how to repackage him or herself
to any new work environment they desire to be part of. But the following things
must be true in order to make this happen:
1) A willingness to change. I call this "evolving".
2) A willingness to learn new ways of speaking and rephrasing him or
herself.
3) A willingness to evolve one's appearance to look contemporary, fashionable,
and in touch with modern times. I have seen too many people who are hostile to
any constructive criticism about their appearance. I'm sorry but interviewers
have eye balls as well as ears....
Physical appearance is as imperative in job searches as skill set and
presentation style. It isn't just the clothes one wears but his/her overall
appearance. This fact angers many but it remains a reality. You can be 60 years
old but you don't have to have yellow teeth and bad hair. We have dentists for
a reason as well as hair salons. If you want something bad enough,
including getting EMPLOYED, you must develop the right attitude to be willing
to update anything it takes to land the position. Ear hair, hair growing out of
face moles, chin whiskers, unattractive hair styles, bad breath, or ragged and
dirty nails have got to GO. We assume everyone knows this but trust me, this is
not the case.
A few weeks ago, a woman around my age asked for some job searching help. As
we drank coffee in a local cafe, I found myself transfixed watching a hair at
least 1 1/2 inches long, growing out of a mole the size of a dime, blowing in
the breeze located smack on the side of her cheek. Should I have said something
to her? Would this really be rude? I kind of think if someone is paying me for
help, I should tell her the truth. The mole was part of her body but that hair
easily could have been plucked. I did marvel at its blackness compared to the
red of her hair.
The body will age. This can't be helped. But anyone can adjust attitudes and
maintain health to the best of his or her ability. Is it really that hard to
want to look and feel good? If we are going to compete in the work force, we
need to work to have every advantage possible. And in my perspective, if a
person isn't willing to work at being their best, they are not going to be a
good employee to anyone else. Again, it all goes back to attitude.
This is a lot to chew on. And for some, the process is overwhelming. Where
should one begin?
Hiring a career coach (aka job coach) can help you get to the bottom line a
lot faster. How do you look to an interviewer? How do you sound? What
impression does your resume generate? Does your overall appearance contribute
to or subtract from a positive impression to potential employers?
What does age have to do with it? A lot, a little, some....
It just depends. But our attitude is the pull that lands the fish, not a
number on our application.
June
Job interview coaching, career coaching,
Charlie McGillicuddy LLC
