I have interviewed more job applicants than I could hope to count. Each has his or her own story, but there are types of applicant. One type is the retiree returning to the work world. They divide into two groups: the winners and the losers. Unfortunately, the losers have been the majority in my experience.
The loser comes in (I'll call him Bill, but I could just as easily call her Mary) and says, “I am retired and did not expect to be sitting here, but I need the money.” That marks Bill as a loser from the beginning. As a potential employer, I am looking for someone to help the business, not someone who thinks the business should be helping him or her. I sympathize, but I am not looking for someone who thinks his bank account is a good reason for me to hire him.
What is even more irritating is that so many Bills and Marys appear to think they are entitled to a job due to their age. I don’t like that. And I don’t like the thought that, if I hire them, they might come back to me in six months and say, “Okay, I don’t need the money now. I’m going back to retirement,” but that happens. No, age does not work as an argument. I am 64 years old and pulling that stunt does not impress me.
When he was 25 or 35 or 45, it is extremely unlikely that Bill would tell me, “I am here because I need the money for rent (or to pay alimony, or to pay my mortgage, etc.)”. He would have had enough sense to tell me, “I have the experience and skills that suit your position and I am here to help you build your company,” or something along those lines.
So these good Bills and Marys with all their decades of work experience sit there and saying something they would not have thought of saying in job interviews in their past. Yet, they do. And then they expect me to respond positively and if I don’t, they get upset. Then I know for sure that they are not the people I want to hire.
As I said in my introductory essay here at FiLife, "In a serious recession, traditional retirement planning can fail. It becomes a "box" and we can get trapped in that box. If there was ever a situation that called for thinking outside the box, this is it."
Bill is trapped in his retirement box, but now is forced out of it to look for a job. Bill is facing me other across a desk in an office and, even if I sympathize with him, I am not going to hire him until he gets out of his box.
If you need to return to the work world, remember a very simple rule that you probably knew well in the past. Focus on meeting the needs of the employer, not on the employer meeting your needs.
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Bob Adams is President and CEO of New Global Initiatives in the US and Panama Wave S.A. in Panama. His articles have been published at Barron's and the Christian Science Monitor, among others. He has been interviewed by CNBC, Reuters television, and other television and radio media. He blogs at blog.theretirementbubble.com.
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Great story, Bob. Sadly, as you pointed out, there are too many people faced with this situation today as a result of the economy.
Oh...and a sense of entitlement when it comes to job hunting doesn't work at any age!
Looking forward to your next story.
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Thanks, Adam. I hope you get a chance to drop by my blog, linked to in the bio statement above, and share your ideas and outlook there too. It's not going to be an easy time for any of us, regardless of age, and the first step is to come to grips with the reality we all wish we didn't have to confront.
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I think a lot of us have rethought what it really means to "retire". I'm 56, and I don't plan on retiring any time soon, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think it helps to put a positive spin on things, and try to look at the positive in any situation. I guess I've never been the type that would be happy sitting on the front porch in a rocker watching the rest of the world go by - would rather be in the middle of things........
An older fellow such as myself for example, could be an asset to many organizations because of my accumulated life & work experience. I've always been aware that to a certain extent age actually can work against you, (many companies would rather hire a "fresh face" that doesn't bring a lot of baggage with them) so rather than feel that I am entitled to a job because of my age and experience, I actually feel as though I need to market and sell myself that much more forcefully........
It dawned on me a few years back, even before this current "financial meltodwn" that a lot of people, myself included, were going to have to reconsider the whole retirement idea as it has been traditionally thought of, and maybe take a different path.
I do feel sorry for those who had concrete set-in-stone plans for retirement that have now fallen through - while I myself did not really have any such plans, my own 401k has taken a big hit just like everyone else, and the future is cloudy for all of us right now.
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Jack, your flexibility and willingness to adapt to change are good signs that you are going to do well in coming years. Thanks for you comment and I hope you can visit the blog, mentioned in my bio statement at the end of the article. Your comments based on your experience would be very welcome as all of us look for better ways to deal with an ever-changing future.
I hope you had a chance to read "Charles' Story" here at FiLife too. http://www.filife.com/stories/winning-by-losing-charles-story There are many ways to deal with life that don't repeat Bill's mistakes.
And at 56, there's no need to call yourself "an older fellow"! I'm 64 and I'm happy with just "a guy"!
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I am 53 and don't think of myself as retired but instead have been unemployed for several years as I was in a serious auto accident and could not work for well over two years. Now I find I can't find a new position. I never had this problem in the past. I realize it is probably the worse time in many years to be looking for a job but the fact that I have not worked in over two years and my age is really hurting me. I am a very honest person but I also think this may be hurting me. When asked why I have not been employed I explain my accident and that seems to end the interview. Employers seem to be afraid to take a chance of me since I had a severe injury even though I have recovered. Any advice? I hate to lie or be dishonest as I feel if I do not confess the accident it could eventually come out and I would be fired.
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Bob Adams replied 6 months ago
Hi Leigh. I have interviewed more than a few job applicants who are concerned that they have a "problem" that will bias my reaction. Every interviewer is different to some extent, but I see it in rather simple terms. If you believe that a reasonable person would think that the results of your accident might negatively impact your work for a new employer, than I would like you to raise the topic yourself and explain why you do not expect it to impact your work for me. If there is no particular reason why the accident should affect your work for me, then I really don't need or want to hear about it.
In any case, when an applicant raises something that they think might be a concern to me, I much prefer that they do it in a straight-forward manner with no emotional undertones. In other words, I prefer that they treat it in a "business-like" manner, not as a personal issue. This gives me an idea of whether I can expect them to do likewise in the future when a potential issue relates to a matter of importance to my business.
In a nutshell, make up your mind whether your accident is a legitimate cause for concern by an employer. If so, deal with it during the interview without apology and demonstrate that you can deal with sensitive topics professionally. Good luck and best regards!
Bob
Bob,
I love your answer to Leigh. It's right on the mark. If the "issue" is a non-issue, then explain to the employer matter-of-factly that there is no reason to be concerned and that it will not affect your ability to help drive future business success. Ultimately I think employers look for reasons to eliminate prospects, and if you eliminate a reason for concern in a rational well-spoken manner, it should be "on to the next question."
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