Are you feeling an age gap when you look for a job? Here are some ways to make that feeling disappear:
• Ignore it. Many 30-year-old bosses have already interviewed someone who is the same age as their own parents.
• Trust that they will see past your age. That may sound optimistic, but optimism is your best choice.
• Don’t hide career gaps. Getting on and off the career track is something young people think of as a plus. They’ll respect you for it.
• Reveal any risks you’ve taken. You’ll establish rapport by emphasizing those taken to instigate change in your own career.
• Emphasize teams. The new generation in the workforce values team players, so talk about teams you've been on and why you liked them. People then want you on their team.
• Downplay hierarchy. The younger generation likes a flat workplace structure. Don’t focus on your past titles, which reflect hierarchy.
• Write a one-page resume. Yes, you have 30 or 40 years of experience, but the MTV generation doesn’t have the attention span for 30 or 40 years of details.
• Know what IM is. You can say you don’t do it and it’s too distracting, but you can’t say you don’t know what it is. Same with text messaging. And, by the way, these new forms of quick chat are easy to learn.
• Think soft skills. The most valued skills today relate to emotional intelligence: Compassion, empathy, intuition, self-knowledge. When you talk about your work history, reveal your success in these areas.
• Buy new glasses. You already know you need to dress like you understand current fashion. So don’t forget your glasses: nothing older than two years.
• Talk about taking time off. The defining factor of Generation X managers is they want to get home to their kids. They don’t want to be surrounded by people who have no personal life. Talk yours up, and you’ll bond with your new 30-year-old boss.
Penelope Trunk is the author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success (2007). She blogs at http://blog.penelopetrunk.com.
Read More: Working for a Younger Boss
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