What to do When Your Interviewer is Half Your Age

Being an experienced professional has its advantages; you are valued for your experience and dependability.

However, job-hunting experienced professionals are also more likely to get interviewed by someone younger than them. A big age gap between interviewer and interviewee can be an elephant in the room and the job seeker must worry about coming off as condescending, or set in their ways.

If you are a gen-x or baby-boomer job seeker, consider the following tips for addressing an age gap before walking into your next interview.

Drop the stereotypes

If you read certain click-bait websites, you might think Millennials are responsible for everything that is wrong with society, from smaller closets to the declining popularity of golf.

As harmless as some of those articles might be, it’s important for you to drop all stereotypes you might have about younger adults before sitting across from one in an interview. Don’t joke about young people always being on their phones. Don’t try to bond with them over the latest Cardi B jam. And whatever you do, don’t say you’re impressed someone so young is in a position to make hiring decisions.

Address potential stereotypes about you

Without bringing up the elephant in the room, make it a point to address some stereotypes about older workers – that they’re resistant to change, not skilled with computers and have low energy. A good approach to dispelling these myths is to talk about your passion for the job, your knowledge around the latest industry developments and your desire to keep improving as you move ahead in your career.

Focus in recent career history

If you’ve been in the workforce for 20 or 30 years, it’s safe to say that a Millennial interviewer is going to have a tough time relating to job experience in the 80s or 90s. Therefore, it’s best to focus on the past 10 years or less during the interview. In addition to being more relatable, talking about recent history can help downplay the idea that you might be over qualified.

Pay attention and ask smart questions

Many young managers and executives are concerned that older generations don’t want to engage them; they want to do things their way and don’t want to hear about new or alternative methods. A young manager wants to hear that you’re willing to work with them and possibly adopt new habits.

Prepare smart relevant questions for a younger interviewer, pay attention to the responses you get and give them serious thought.

Update your skills

If there are new software or technical tools you’ve been meaning to learn, now is the time! Don’t let your skills get outdated. Otherwise, you’ll reinforce any concerns your interviewer might have about you not willing or able to learn new skills.

At Career Concepts, we regularly assist job seekers from every generation in the workforce. Please contact us today to find out how we can help your career.