Question
I am 53 years old and have owned my own agency for the past 11 years. I have worked on the client side before and I am thinking of going back to work on the client side for the rest of my career.
Do you think given my age I am hire-able? I am looking for a senior Marketing position in a company, for profit or non-profit.
Answer
While age may influence someone’s decision to hire you, though by law it’s not supposed to, I don’t think that should be your focus. Your age, after all, is an indicator of your years of experience first and foremost. Your “hire-ability” should depend in large measure on what you’ve done with those years. I think the challenge for you will be identifying the specific organization that will most benefit from your years of experience and presenting what you have to offer in a way that is not intimidating.
Two things you might consider. After identifying a for-profit or non-profit enterprise you’d like to be part of, use your experience to craft a campaign that will pitch you as the person they need to grow, fix, or otherwise enhance their organization. Maturing start-ups may be your best bet, since the skills that help someone get a business off the ground aren’t necessarily the skills needed to take it to the next level or deal with the issues raised by rapid growth.
The other thing you might consider is working with an executive recruiter. Since they are hired by companies looking for senior-level talent, they will know best who is looking for what in your area and they can facilitate introductions so that you don’t have go knocking on doors yourself.
Matthew T. Grant, Ph.D., Aquent