Why don’t agencies hire experienced GenXers?
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They cost money and have boundaries. Both of those things don’t quite fit the agency model.
I just found a position after over a year of looking. Agencies don’t want to pay for experience anymore. They would prefer to save $$ and force the rest of the team to work harder to compensate for a new hires’ lack of experience.
This is how it has always been. Hiring is a transactional deal, regardless of how much they talk about ‘culture’, ‘growth opportunity’, etc. You’re a line item in the budget.
Pro
I’m not gen-x (I’m 43) but I think it’s generally because we expect to be paid fairly. May I suggest https://joinfishbowl.com/bowl_ekr6k8itfs
Chief
B/c we want to be paid what we’re worth and in money. Not in free pizza Tuesday.
Free pizza is a nice bonus though, as long as you can get the pizza and not miss out because you came 10min late.
I’d like to know that too. Been trying for almost 2 years.
Take your experience to a consultancy
Expensive, have self-respect, know what’s what by now
They do, as a freelancer. Once I stopped trying to get back into my old role (ECD), things opened back up to me. Been freelancing for 8 years, now in my late 50s and it has been totally consistent. People appreciate experience so much more when you're not seen as an expensive out of touch executive. Oh, and I make way more money now because I can freelance for 3 agencies at once, consistently.
Because the GenXers that run the agencies don’t want to pay anyone well.
Gen X, rightly or wrongly, has a reputation for being sardonic and particularly independent or self-preserving.
Harder to push around people who spent their youth mired in sarcasm and nihilism.
Pro
Sometimes they’re expensive, sometimes out of touch
Rising Star
I’m Gen X and agree. It’s sad when I see people not wanting to learn and just want to bring their old habits and vices and prejudices. Yes, ageism is real, but if you keep up with the industry, with tech, and with popular culture, while at the same time not pathetically trying to be hip and knowing when to trust young people’s judgment; your experience is actually very valuable and people younger and older will respect that.
$$$$ > $$
There’s a bias towards cost savings rather than experience provided.
The irony is that every younger (and cheaper) generational cohort over time becomes the older, more experienced (and expensive) talent. But that’s only if we’re lucky enough to have both the good fortune to not die before our time, and the privilege to work in a multi-generational environment.
Neither are guaranteed, but both should be treasured and valued.