Physical appearance
Physical appearance does matter. Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. In fact, why not get your partner to take a long hard look at you. Is there anything that should change? Here are few hints…
Whilst you are not expected to dress as someone 20 years your junior, ensure you are business smart and attuned and in empathy with the dress of that organisation.
Most organisations have a style and any prior research before attending an interview is useful. I recently had a candidate being interviewed for a board level role by a slick and preppy American client and the candidate turned up in a very quintessential tweed sports jacket and corduroys, I was sitting in on the interview and there was an immediate mismatch
Glasses can make a big difference; one of my colleagues has taken 10 years off his look by a new pair of glasses not trendy but just more suited to him.
For men, unless there is a clear reason to the contrary, avoid the Regiment or Golf Club tie. Choose your tie carefully, ties – as one of the few items of business attire where you have the scope to express yourself - do follow fashions and poorly selected ties can ‘age you’.
The pocket handkerchief whilst making a comeback in some quarters in the UK is best avoided, unless you are Oswald Boatang.
Hair – if you dye, get it dyed properly! Do not use your partner to dye your hair (unless they are trained by Vidal Sassoon of course)
Invest in a good hair cut. Even if you don’t have much hair left - make what you’ve got work for you!
For men, avoid facial hair…it really can make a difference.
Other points
If the prejudice is that older candidates are less adaptable and less in touch with modern values, use every opportunity to overcome these perceptions. So show and demonstrate your energy, your innovation, creativity, illustrate how you have in your last role(s) been an agent of change and transformation, focus on those strengths!
Remember: old is good! Age brings with it many, many strengths, often over-looked by younger people, so take every opportunity to emphasise these:
• Wisdom / experience. More likely to be self aware, less likely to be political
• More likely to have the rest of their career mapped out (to retirement) and therefore are a more predictable / stable employee
• More likely to be flexible in terms of mobility, have less domestic strife and family commitments. More likely to have a partner more tolerant of them working away and children more likely to be independent
If your prospective boss is younger than you, he / she may be quietly concerned that having an older person in their team may imbalance the (possibly delicate) authority they hold in the team. If appropriate take time to emphasise how much of a team player you are, how your career aspirations are unlikely to upset the apple cart, how you can be a wise counsel.