Over-35: Can You Hold Up for a Vibe Check?

 The challenge posted all over the internet used to be: How to work for a younger boss. Whether that's full-time or on a contract basis. 

Smirk. That became standard and we all got to know the drill. In 2013, my client and the administrative assistant were 30-something. Only once did I make the mistake of referring to a 1950s popular television show.

Now the reality setting in is how to be hired when the gatekeepers are in their early 20s. Yes, they are the ones doing the interviews. Even the 35ish can, as the Reddit headline reads, feel like a dino. And, of course, wind up not being let in. Here's a snippet from that post:

"The actual interview was conducted by two guys who could not have been older than twenty-three. One of them spent the first five minutes explaining their 'vibe check' process while leaning back in a bean bag chair." (For some reason the Reddit moderator has removed the post.)

Sure, not all the promising work situations are startups or AI firms. You can go, for example, to Big Energy like BP which ousted a leader who allegedly had behavior atypical for a large corporation. But more of hiring in a non-hire economy is by startups. In addition, that's where amazing things seems to be happening very quickly. Plus there's a shot at becoming very wealthy.

So, what do you do?

Well, nothing is new under the sun. The oldest fundamental in sales - and interviews are sales calls - is mirroring. That is, you select major attributes of the setting and the personalities to absorb and make them part of your persona. The peril is to overdo that and come across as a caricature of a professional. 

If you're determined to become part of a startup you have to get the hang of what to mirror and how much of that. Even a senior engineer can do that. This is not an issue of age per se. It's about having the expertise and problem-solving abilities the interviewers want and smoothly blending in. No, you don't want to stand out as not being in synch with the overall vibe.

But that approach to interviews is not restricted to startups. Even in more traditional work settings those hiring want and can get the exact fit of the problem-solving and kind of human they need. That's why emerging is the trend to try you out for a few days in hands-on tasks, paid or unpaid. 

So, the takeaway is, of course, nothing new. Way back in the late 1950s sociologist Erving Goffman systematized that in "Presentation of Self in Everyday Life." The principle is that those with the most power define the situation. That's the reality. If you want the job or contract or to "get ahead" you will surrender control to them. 

Careers? So Over. It’s about Earning a Good Living. No matter what.

Complimentary consultation. No Pressure. Street-smart Guidance. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.