Your 20+ year advantage
Last week, Business Insider asked me for my take on workers who’ve been at the same company for decades.
I have many Gen X friends who have remained with their employers for 10, 15, 20, 25, and even 30 years. For whatever reason, this loyalty is sometimes viewed as a drawback to future employers (as if you didn't grow and learn and change over time).
Here's some excerpts from our discussion:
Some employers might look skeptically at people who have been at a job for many years, but it's possible to recast long tenures as a plus, said Colleen Paulson, a career coach who mainly works with Gen X and boomers.
She told Business Insider that workers can "flip the script" by emphasizing their loyalty. Paulson, founder of Ageless Careers, said workplace veterans whose institutional memories might span decades are likely to have changed roles within an organization and still been exposed to different things.
Paulson encourages job seekers who'd completed a long tour at a single employer to say, "I was able to grow and learn and thrive, and here's how I can help your company in those same ways."
She said those who have been somewhere for years can frame themselves as experts in their fields. They can name-drop clients, point to data that demonstrates success, and play up skills and experience relevant to the role they're going after, Paulson said.
It's possible, she said, that employers might look on long-tenured workers as overqualified or too pricey. Paulson has had clients who've been in leadership and want to drop back to individual contributor roles. So, they're OK with earning less.
Even if employers don't have concerns about paying experienced workers too much, Paulson said that they might still worry that such employees will leave if they get a better offer elsewhere.
"You really have to sell your interest to the company and explain why you want the job," she said.
Put it all together
With the average tenure for workers being 4 years with a specific employer, it's becoming less common for folks to spend an extended period of time with one company. However, I do believe that you can really use a longer tenure to your advantage if you frame that experience in the right way.
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Take care of yourself and have a wonderful weekend!
Colleen
