Age cannot wither me

I’ve had a lot of conversations this week about ageism.  It didn’t feature in my book really apart from one section, mostly related to Revolting Women, but now I think it’s a gap.

I’m 50 in a few weeks’ time and maybe that’s making me more aware of age.  Or maybe it’s the clients I’m coaching who seem to mention it more and more.  And there’s an awful lot online that implies it’s a big problem brewing.

One guy I talked to this morning hasn’t had much luck finding a job, since he was made redundant at the end of last year. He didn’t sound too bothered, he’s been having a lot of fun taking time out – but recently he’s been applying for lots of roles and not getting anywhere.

Is it ageism? He’s probably about my age.

I asked him to step into the hiring manager’s shoes; someone not unlike him with his 20 odd year’s experience in a very well know financial services company.  “Would you want you?”, I asked.

“I’d want my experience”, he said.

I couldn’t have put it better. Employers want our skills, experience and knowhow, but they may be reluctant to hire us.

Do they think we’re past it?

Or is it because we’re more expensive than someone younger?  Maybe it’s because it’s actually quite a risk for them to hire someone so senior and dropping us into an organisation and culture we don’t understand.  Do you remember the pain of hiring someone – the hoops you had to go through?  Especially for more senior levels.  Or maybe they’re paranoid that if we’re good, we might take their job.

Maybe we also shouldn’t sell ourselves out in this way either.  Maybe our skills, experience and knowhow are so valuable that we don’t need to trade all five days of our time for the same money we once did.

I asked this chap how would it feel to stand in that same employer’s shoes, with a super-experienced contractor running the project, no worries about having hired the wrong person and being blamed.  Knowing that if the project is a success the contractor walks away and you’re left with the glory.

Contracting isn’t for everyone I know – and some people can’t face the uncertainty, but really is your next job any more dependable?  And what are the risks for you?

More importantly, the full time job forces us to sacrifice the very things we value most over time: time and autonomy.

It may be what your age represents that’s the problem, rather than a risk you’re past it. So, play them at their own game – find what’s right for you.

I have found it with my job at Startupbootcamp working for Shell.  I don’t think I’m particularly unusual.  Do I feel fortunate? Yes, every day.  Do I think I could repeat that good fortune? Yes I do.

It requires a different mindset to work and employment.

But I think it’s what we deserve.