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The Surprising Way AI Can Help You Fight Ageism

AI is here to stay - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I've been experimenting with ChatGPT for a few years now and, if you've done the same, I'm sure that you've seen that the outputs have improved greatly, especially over the past year. I trained my own custom GPT based on my best practices for career coaching and LinkedIn - I would never use it to write a resume, but it's great for research or brainstorming. I used it to help me generate the subject line for this email. I even used it to transcribe notes from a recent board meeting - I just took pictures of my handwritten notes and within seconds, ChatGPT delivered typed notes that were about 85% accurate.

Even though those of us who are in our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond have lived through extensive technology transformation, people sometimes assume that we just aren't on trend when it comes to the recent tech trends. It's ridiculous, but it's a real thing.

I recently talked with Fast Company around my thoughts for job seekers, AI, and ageism (link to the article is here). If you want to set yourself apart in this market, emphasizing how you use AI in your work is a great way to get started. The common theme in many of the job descriptions that I have read this year is a discussion around using AI to make your work better - whether that's proofreading, research, analysis, or something more depending on your role and industry.

Even if you are still just experimenting with AI, that honestly is where most of us are: figuring out how we can leverage these tools in our everyday work. By discussing AI, you just want to signal to the reader that you are aware that it is a tool and you are learning how to use it wisely. And if you aren't experimenting, I'd recommend that you get started - this is where things are going and these tools can definitely help with productivity if harnessed in the right ways.

Question of the week

I was a software technical support engineer for about eight years at a software development company, and was promoted to support services manager within the same company. I was laid-off in 2024 and unable to find work in my field, so I started 1099 work as a licensed real estate salesperson in 2025. That hasn't worked out for me, and I'm looking for a full-time W2 job as a support manager again at 60 yrs old. I've been using my LinkedIn profile to market my real estate services for almost a year now, and I'm concerned that my current position as a real estate salesperson may cause a problem attracting a company to hire me as a support manager. How can I best make changes to my LinkedIn profile to attract companies now that I have the additional time as a real estate agent on my profile?

This is a lot more common than what many people may think. With as difficult as this market is, many experienced workers have had to take interim roles outside of their initial career path in an attempt to pay the bills.

In your case, I would use your LinkedIn Headline and About section to emphasize your goals and highlight your biggest impacts. I would set your Headline to start with your target title so that it's clear that you are looking to make a transition. I would also add in the skills/keywords that are most important for these target roles.

I love how you started your About section (name-dropping key clients) - I'd add additional highlights of the biggest impacts that you have delivered. I'd also share more about your early career experience since your LinkedIn experience ends in 2010. You don't necessarily have to share that experience below in the LinkedIn Experience section, but I'd weave it into your About section (especially if it pertains to your goal roles).

I think it's OK to share that you started 1099 work as a licensed real estate salesperson as a way to build your skills while you were out of work. So many highly-skilled people are out of work right now, so it's not uncommon for folks to try new things in the interim. If you have any transferable skills coming out of this that you can apply to new roles (i.e. customer service), then emphasize those in your profile and resume.

Do you have any questions about how to position yourself in this job market? Any potential LinkedIn poll questions that you would like to see? Reply to this message and let me know what's on your mind.

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This week's LinkedIn posts:

"I'm not done yet."

"I make $200K/year. My job is comfortable and I'm not in danger of losing it, but I want to set myself up for opportunities to find me."

​Poll: What is your personal preference on video backgrounds? (1750+ votes)​

​I’ve had several executive clients recently whose companies paid for their LinkedIn profile upgrades. ​

“My resume worked fine before. What changed?”

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Want more personalized help?

I've been hearing from a lot of folks who feel stuck on LinkedIn: they aren't sure what to post, or whether it’s even worth the time. The truth? It is worth it. And with the right content and strategy, it can open doors you didn’t expect.

I’m currently offering a limited number of LinkedIn support spots - including ghostwriting and a short-form “LinkedIn Growth Sprint” to help you get unstuck and visible.

If you’re interested in building a smarter presence that attracts real opportunities, reply to this email - I'm happy to talk more about how I might be able to help.

My Q1 resume, LinkedIn, executive bio, and 1:1 one-hour strategy call spots are filling fast - learn more about my offerings here and set up a 15-minute pre-engagement discussion here.

As always, thank you for being part of this community.

Best -

Colleen​
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