Who Authorized This Much Life Experience?
Today’s topic snuck up on me fast. I mean, it was over the course of 20 years, but still... fast.
It turns out, I am no longer the youngest person in the room.
Do you remember the first time you realized this?! Was it yesterday, like me?!
Seriously, I am having such a hard time absorbing that I am, in fact, no longer 28. And there are other young people... who are.
My word.
I have clients my age who are not putting their graduation year on their résumés. One just asked that I remove the dates from their earlier career history.
He's younger than me.
It looks like I should be one of the many people worried about being overlooked because of age.
And I get it. Oftentimes, it's not wrong to mitigate against it.
Ageism exists in hiring. It shows up in assumptions about energy, adaptability, ambition, compensation expectations, and the ability to learn new things. It shouldn't happen, and yet many experienced professionals encounter it anyway.
But here's what I want to say—gently and honestly.
I don't think the answer is simply hoping employers become less ageist.
I think the answer is becoming impossible to overlook.
The professionals I see navigating career transitions most successfully aren't necessarily the youngest. They're the ones who remain curious.
⛽ They take the LinkedIn Learning course.
⛽ They ask questions about AI instead of dismissing it.
⛽ They experiment with new technology.
⛽ They seek feedback.
⛽ They admit when they don't know something and then go figure it out.
⛽ They keep evolving.
Experience is incredibly valuable. Perspective is valuable. Judgment, pattern recognition, leadership, and emotional intelligence are valuable. The wisdom that comes from having weathered hard seasons at work is valuable.
But experience alone isn't enough anymore.
The workplace is changing faster than it ever has before, and learning can no longer be something we did early in our careers. It has to become part of who we are.
I know that can feel exhausting, especially if you've spent decades building expertise in your field. There can be grief in realizing that the rules have shifted again.
And yet, I see people in their forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond reinventing themselves every single day.
🚀 They're learning new systems.
🚀 Launching businesses.
🚀 Mastering new tools.
🚀 Changing industries.
🚀 Finding work they genuinely enjoy.
Their age isn't the thing defining them.
Their willingness to grow is.
Join the LinkedIn Convo
The tea? Here’s where to find the 70% of jobs that aren’t posted anywhere online.
And speaking of the hidden job market… Joe and I just handed over the keys to that castle.
Not at my desk? You may find me skittering around the streets of San Francisco talking about your LinkedIn positioning!
Let’s cut to the chase. You want to land the interview.
Well, then, let’s stop applying to all the jobs and start applying to the ones that actually fit.
The goal isn’t to send out 7,859 applications a week and hope for the best.
It’s to position yourself well enough to actually land the interview.
Do cover letters still matter? 🤔
Well, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question... I’d have about $500, which, in reality, isn’t that much.
Join me this Friday for a candid conversation with Alexandra Thomas, as we get the real-real on cover letters from the hiring manager's perspective.
We'll tackle questions like:
📃 Are cover letters actually being read?
📃 When are they worth the effort?
📃 What makes one stand out (for the right reasons)?
📃 What mistakes send candidates in the wrong direction?
Whether you're a cover letter enthusiast, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, you'll walk away knowing how to make more strategic decisions in your job search.
Bring your questions, invite a friend who's job searching, and come celebrate Juneteenth with us.
If you're worried about ageism in your job search, I understand. Your concerns are valid.
But don't let fear convince you that your best years are behind you.
You do not need to be in crisis to start preparing for what’s next.
📚 Stay teachable.
📚 Stay engaged.
📚 Stay curious.
Your experience got you here.
Your willingness to keep learning will help take you wherever you want to go next.
Work with me 1:1 → Step into a focused alignment experience to clarify your direction and intentionally reposition your leadership. I’m currently scheduling for July and have 4 spots left!
Engage on LinkedIn → Jump in, comment, and engage in weekly insights and candid career conversations. This is where you practice! Hit the bell so you don’t miss a post.
Enroll in Own Your Search → Build clarity, strengthen your positioning, and land aligned roles inside a structured digital program, all in your own time.
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