Are you “accomplished” or “seasoned”….a “participant” or a “leader”?
Posted by Diana Needham on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
Many who are in the job search situation and are over 50 seem fixated on age being a major obstacle. Not so, my friend! There is much to be said for experience and maturity in the workplace, so put out of your head those thoughts that age is holding you back.
The truth is this: Success is all in how you think about yourself, project yourself to the world, and package what you have to offer.
Recently I read an article about how those 50 and over should present themselves on their resume. While we may tend to think of ourselves as “seasoned”, stop for a moment and think of what that term brings to your mind.
Do you see images that say “B-O-R-I-N-G?? Many do…so let’s switch our thinking and not use that terminology.
So try this…Use “accomplished” instead.
When you hear that someone is an “accomplished pianist”, what thoughts come to mind? To me this symoblizes a level of excellence that many have not achieved…and something of rare value. This is a much more attractive visual picture than the one we see from the word “seasoned”.
Your next employer is looking for leadership, someone who knows how to be a positive role model, lead the team, and materialize success for all involved. Since your resume and image are your personal branding (remember you are the product you are marketing), see yourself as a “key contributor” rather than someone who merely “participated” in a specific set of work activities.
See the difference?
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