Every week, NETSHARE hosts Ask the Coach, a phone-in coaching session with leading career management experts. Here is an excerpt from the most recent session with Nicola James, Managing Partner of Thomas Brooke International.
We all know that building your professional network is the foundation of successful career advancement. However, you also need to understand how to communicate with your network, not only in terms of the multiple points of communication to consider, but the level of the relationship, especially if you need to overcome ageism.
As Nicola pointed out in this week’s Ask the Coach call, the level of the relationship determines the correct course of action. For example, when dealing with someone at an associate level, they may not recognize your age and depth of experience as an asset, which could create a problem if they count age against you in the job application process. They also may not have all the details about the position you are applying for. It’s acceptable to contact people higher in the organization. If you have solid contacts, just drop them a note to inform them you are being considered; make it a personal note to be sure they understand you are not doing an end run. If you can connect with someone more senior connected with the search in order to make your case, so much the better.
You also should be prepared if the company itself is ageist. If there is a pervasive attitude about not hiring older workers, there’s little you can do about it, so don’t waste valuable time. If you can see that ageism isn’t really an issue and you really want to work there, go for it!
Nicola notes that ageism is real. We don’t like to think that age barriers exist, but even though they are out there, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a company that truly appreciates your talents and skills. Make sure you are not selling yourself to the wrong company.
Correctly articulating your value will attract the right companies and repel the wrong ones. Be very specific in your approach. Determine if there is a certain age where age becomes an issue. That, of course, will depend on the position, the company, and the industry. Nicola finds, for example, that many Fortune 500 companies don’t tend to hire people beyond their mid-40s, because it disrupts their controlled and regulated succession planning. In fact, Fortune 500 companies often have trouble trying to determine what to do with older workers. At the same time, Nicola has a number of clients who are only interested in candidates in their late 50s and older. These are mostly smaller companies that prefer to hire self-managing, self-motivated executives; professionals whom you can point in the right direction and let them do what they were hired to do.
Cultural fit is the key, and you need to identify companies that value you for what you offer. If you constantly have to overcome cultural problems, then the effort isn’t worth it.
