Seven Elephants

Susan Brannon
7 September 2011

Guess what?  You land the interview you don't sleep well the night before, you walk into the door and the HR contact is 1/2 your age.  There are two other people in the room applying for the same job, and they are younger by about 15 years.  When you walk into the interview, you get a surprised look on the manager's face.  Your resume does not state your age, but it is obvious that you are over 40.  The interview takes an awkward turn and you walk out of the door knowing that you will not get the job.

The 40 and over job interviews are called, "Seven elephants in the room"  Because they are present with every interview, being ignored with influence the decision makers.

Elephant One:
Working for a younger manager or with a younger team. It is difficult for the 25 year old to get it out of their heads that they are having someone like their mom or dad reporting to them.  The corporate pyramids have the "oldies" at the top this is the norm.  So, you age might be a factor; but if the job requires experience, this should not be a factor.  What to do:
Ask the question, it exposes the truth about the position and the corporate culture.

Elephant Two:
Over qualifiation: You may fit the profile, except for your age. They may interview you as an exercise, with no intention of hiring you. Shake it off and carry on.  They may think that you are taking the job as a stop over, until you find that better job and may be worried about you leaving.
What to do:  Look at your resume' is it overloaded with the experience that they are looking for?  It may be you that is telling them that you are overqualified.

Elephant Three:
Lack of energy:  We do slow down as we age, fact. However, in the workplace young people can waste a ton of energy.  A mature person will accomplish more in the same time frame, because the task is performed more efficiently.  The tortoise can win because he is not distracted, stays on track and completes the race.  The hare, knows his limits and works with them to succeed.
What to do:  Show your enthusiasm, if you just finished a cycling race or climbed a mountain, drop it into the conversation.  It is the projection of energy and perception of health that matters.

Elephant Four:
Health Problems:  It is a fact that many middle aged people have more health problems than the younger folks. Do you look healthy? Look at yourself honestly in the mirror and see what is real.  You must project confidence, look after yourself.  What to do:  invest in your health and appearance, with a positive attitude.  It will take you a long way.

Elephant Five:
You don't need the money:  There is the common perception that the elders are already set, they don't need the money.  They may assume that you are not driven as the younger people because they think that money is not the issue.  What they don't understand is that you too have to pay a mortgage and for the university for your kids or caring for a parent.  Focus on personal fulfillment and a desire for new challenge.  What to do:  See if you can have a quiet word with the senior person by private communication.  Sometimes they will understand better if they know your situation.

Elephant Six:
Mentally Agile:  There are two types of intelligence: fluid and crystallized.  One does not exist without the other.  Fluid is the capacity to think independently of acquired knowledge to apply logic to problem-solving.  As we age, our fluid intelligence wanes.  This is why young people tend to perceive those who are older as slower, and less mentally agile.

Crystallized intelligence is knowledge gained by experience, which includes verbal skills, general information and the ability to create analogies, this is the wisdom.  Negotiating skills depend on crystallized intelligence.  this increases with age and remains stable until after 65. 
As the excuse for not hiring an older person, does not work because it does not have a foundation in science.  What to do:  Memorize salient facts about your prospective employer and the industry.  With that knowledge at hand you will appear bright and ready as the young candidate.

Elephant Seven:
Problems with change: Some people cannot cope with change and some can.  Prospective employers may be under the stereotype that you cannot change.  They may be projecting the characteristic on someone that they know who is older.  This one is a difficult one to fight. What to do:  When you realize that you are older than everyone else, you can have extra confidence in your abilities. 

Now that you know the "Elephants" you will be better prepared to face them because they will no longer be hidden in the corner.  Smile, relax and look into the eyes, be yourself and don't think about your age!
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