Many jobseekers in the executive sector are concerned about age and worry that they’re too old to get a job. Take this email I received today from “Jim”, excerpted here.

Although youthful looking (and feeling), I’m nearly 50 and I believe I will begin to face some meaningful headwinds in many segments of my industry” 

Well, I don’t agree.

In my experience dealing with executive job searchers every day, age is rarely an issue.

Let’s face it, it’s not like the average Chief Executive Officer is 25 (unless he’s an entrepreneur like Mark Zuckerberg and even he surrounded himself with experienced people when Facebook became a serious business!)

In other words, talent, wisdom and experience comes with age—and people doing the hiring know that and want that. 

But, there’s a huge difference between the number of years you’ve been on the planet, and old thinking.

• A person without fresh ideas
• A person who is highly conservative and completely risk averse
• A person who has no filter and blurts out ageist/sexist/racist asides
• A person who is close minded and who’s stock answer is “no”… 

… those people are old because they’ve failed to move with the times. They haven’t made a bold move in years!

That has nothing to do a person’s biological age! People can employ old thinking at 35 or 70 or anywhere in between.

A person who is 50, 55 or 60—who’s vibrant, alive, open to new ideas, and has wisdom and experience, is a very valuable player. The likelihood of even being asked about his/her age for a serious executive role—let alone having a decision maker being swayed by age alone, is pretty remote!

If you come under the fresh/open/experienced banner, then as an executive, fear not; you’re good to go.