Q: I have been crushed by the lack of response to my resume. My more than 33-year career has been as a corporate executive, an entrepreneur and an adjunct professor, so I am very taken back at the seeming lack of interest. After circulating the current version of my resume to a range of people, whose opinions I value, I have come to the conclusion that “ageism” is at play.  Do you think this is a possibility?  What do you think?

A: Your situation very well could be a result of “ageism.”  Recently, I have been hearing from many more clients with this complaint.  They have submitted more-than-credible applications only to get turned down or to get no response at all.

Unfortunately, older employees are often perceived as being less flexible in their ways of doing and thinking and more costly in terms of health insurance and salary requirements.  Even though older employees are often at a stage of life when they must demand top dollar to balance life issues, the monetary bottom line can work against them.  Sometimes, the flexibility and cost issues do, indeed, drive interview and hiring decisions particularly if funds are limited.

In your particular case, there may be more to consider. Your versatility/entrepreneurial history may be giving some employers second thoughts.  For instance, leaders who have started their own businesses are sometimes perceived as lacking team skills and/or the ability to stick with a project or organization long term.  As flawed as this reasoning may be, it gets air time in hiring situations.  Also, you have academic ties and a track-record of performing instructional roles.  Again, some employers may interpret history as a “lack of focus” and use it to eliminate you from the interview pool.

Broadening the scope to all employees who are more seasoned is a perception that they sometimes get stuck in their ways including that they may be unwilling to adapt to new technologies or to try new ways to achieve their goals.  One way to counter this potential perception is to consistently participate in professional development opportunities.  Go to webinars, seminars, workshops and association meetings where new ideas are tested and discussed.  Participate in ongoing computer training, public speaking and business development courses that will keep you in touch with the best practices and experts in the field.  Keep up with the trends, and be willing to grow, stretch and try on different ways of leading others to get the job done.

From here, select and apply to those companies that value entrepreneurship, have truly diverse work teams and some academic connection.  That way, organizations are eliminated that may have age-related considerations driving their hiring decisions.  Many companies value more experienced employees who have taken time to stay current and who have been successful at resolving job-related challenges in a variety of situations. 

Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.

ExecSearches.com is a job board for nonprofit job seekers interested in fundraising, management and executive nonprofit jobs.

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