Dead Man Walking

Thanks *Frank* for spending some time with me yesterday over lunch.

I met Frank last year while doing a Company Directors course.  (One of my many strategies to make myself more appealing to prospective hiring managers.)

Anyway, I start telling Frank about my new blog and my aspirations around it.

It turns out that he has recently turned 50 himself - life is good.  Kids are great, having a wow of a time, and all is going swimmingly, but...

Frank knows he is on a short rope at his job.  Working in the finance industry as a fund manager, part of his job description is to actually do himself out of a job and wrap up the fund he is presently running.  So what's next ...?

Well he doesn't have to worry about it until this time next year because there is still much to do, but I then posed some interesting questions to Frank that I'd like you, the reader to ask yourself (no matter what your age).

What would be your situation if you were suddenly brought into an office by HR or your manager and told the following:

"the market is tough out there, and we have to make some tough decisions, please know this is nothing personal, it's just business, but we have to let you go"

Don't think it will happen to you?  I hope you're right!

But for those of us in the "danger zone" of lets say 45 and older, I'd like to pose a challenge to you today (as I did to Frank at the close of our lunch).

If you had to leave your employ tomorrow, what would you do? and how employable are you? 

So let's try this experiment ...

• Grab your resume and dust it off (if you haven't done this recently, this again is a sobering exercise)
• Sanatise the resume so that you are not using your personal details, and put in your entire career details (yes all of it)
• Start applying for jobs you'd like to do and see how many responses you potentially get for an interview/first round discussion as a totally cold applicant/candidate.

I'd be very pleased to hear back from anyone out there trying this experiment to share the details. 

Finally .. look around your office - when was the last time your company hired someone over 50?

So remembering my blog is not about fear and loathing.  I wish to positively engage with this community to work through how we can be better considered, better prepared and knowledgeable.  Today's exercise is about pragmatism and being prepared - not scared and maudlin.

I'm enjoying the wonderful Sydney autumn weather that is now making up for the summer we never had!  Have a great weekend.

Dom

A great read from someone who recently turned 60 - way to go!