Tesar-Reynes

In a recent gathering I was asked my opinion on the subject of age and the job market. After the conversation progressed for a while, the issue broke down into two pieces: chronological age versus perceptual age and naive preemptive cutting of the candidacy due to age.

I fully believe that chronological age is a poor qualifier for an individual’s candidacy. I have known people in their teens that acted like they were in their 50’s, conversely I have known people in their 80′s that acted like they were in their 40’s.

Perceptual age, how one acts, is all about enthusiasm, flexibility, curiosity and the ability to relate. As a search company we are much less concerned by someone’s age, and more how than by how they act and think.

There was a general consensus in the room that …

I have read the statistics for years and can’t believe that all of a sudden boomers really are going to retire.  I talk to my peers and many of them have moved to places with less winters and downsized so the kids can’t move back in. I look at our clients and there seems to be a disconnect with the stuff in the media. I see lots of gray hair. These people appear relatively happy and not ready to check out.

Maybe a better way of phrasing “retirement” is that people are seeing 2-3 careers in their life. Maybe the first formal career is going away for something new. For many, it’s consulting. There appear to be a growing number of boomers out there …