J
J

Juancallclose

Director

Catalyst
Opinionated
Valued Contributor
+3

Tough to be an older AE?

I know of several AEs who are in their mid 40's and 50's and they're all having issues getting hired. Resumes range from impeccable to not that bad. I know it's an awful time right now but it's been at least 4 months for all of them.


Is it possible that the old grizzled AEs are viewed as too expensive and rigid? Again, I understand there's a lot of layoffs and competition is stiff.

Ageism is happening?

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Sunbunny31
Politicker
6
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
I'm not sure that their experience is any different than anybody else's right now, to be honest. It can be rough out there.
However, as a rep in that age group, you bet I'm thinking about it if and when I consider making a change. They're going to have to be persistent and keep working on it, and really leverage their experience to stand out in the crowd.
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
5
Rolling 20's all day
It's a bad time for everyone, but especially for people over 40. I could be wrong but I've seen "ageism" at a few of my past companies. I doubt it's everywhere.
Nairobi
Politicker
5
AE
I don’t think it’s specific to AEs. Ageism in the business world is a real thing. Saw a documentary about that recently, it was shocking and sad. If you lose your job in your 50s, it will be hard/take forever to find the same one. Gotta save as much as you can throughout your career. Crazy how the world works, when you are young you don’t have enough experience but when you are older you have too much experience…
Space_Ghost20
Valued Contributor
4
Account Executive
I mean, I'm mid 30s (though I definitely look in my 50s) and if I had passed on my current job when I got the offer (which I was tempted to do, and still wonder if I should have) I'd still be unemployed since November. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that it's just the market.

Honestly, I would think mid 40s is still too young for age discrimination. And, with all the experience and contacts they've probably built up over the years, I would think companies would be more interested, not less.

Mid 50s, I could buy being age discrimination.
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
4
Lead Sales
I am aging like milk. Even though I am 36, I would not be surprised if people thought I was early 40s.
Space_Ghost20
Valued Contributor
2
Account Executive
I've always looked older than I am. I remember when I was 14/15 years old and telling people I was a freshman, they thought I meant a freshman in college. As long as the actual cells in my body aren't aging faster than normal, I can't say I'm too bothered by it.
ZVRK
Politicker
3
Enterprise Account Executive
Ageism, in this case, is probably tied to salary expectations - more experienced candidates will have higher expectations..
Juancallclose
Catalyst
2
Director
And also, a lot of the olds (I say this in jest) are stereotyped as being "too senior" to prospect, it's beneath them. Not saying that is true.
RandyLahey
Politicker
3
Account Executive
It's tough across the board right now; I would think that experience would be valued highly in a market like this.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
3
Sales Rep
Agism is real and it can be super challenging to get a new role because that, especially for a IC.
WheelofCheese
Opinionated
3
Sales Executive
I happen to be in that age range (ah hem) but luckily, most people assume I’m much younger. Age discrimination is a thing! I think there’s a fine line between having solid experience and being “too old” for a new role— higher pay expectations, etc. The right role will come along. Stay diligent and positive as best you can. From one “old timer” to another 😜
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
3
Lead Sales
I am sure there is some degree of bias, but there are so many variables out there that it is tough to know. Another possibility is the way the sales career track is set up. Many orgs have a career track that goes SDR > AE > AM > Sales Manager. Seeing someone 40 or 50 that only climbed one rung of the ladder can lead to negative assumptions from hiring managers.
Likewise, it could be something as stupid as a resume that is not optimized for ATS programs.
It is really rough to know.
Pachacuti
Politicker
3
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
Better to pay a bit more now for the right person than pay a ton later for hiring someone who unproven and untested.
Maximas
Tycoon
2
Senior Sales Executive
It's bad time I get it, but we won't be able to generalize as still everyone who wasn't accepted must have had his own rejection reason!
Justatitle
Big Shot
2
Account Executive
It's across the board. If you think it's tougher with experience imagine only having 8 months of closing experience.
Mendizo
Opinionated
2
Sr. Director
I've hired more than a dozen AE's over the last 12 months, and if we look at purely the 'output' of the hiring (people who ended up with offers), you bet it is way more on the young to mid-career side. But, let's add some color:

-I look for drive, motivation and hunger just as much as I look for experience. The challenge I have is that many 'older' candidates do not come across this way. Indeed, it's oftentimes the opposite; I frequently experience, in interview cycles, 'older' AE's who come with an air of "I've done it all" and are almost arrogant in their approach. As if they've deigned to be interviewed and by their experience alone, they expect to land the role. That is a big NO.

-Partly going along with the above point, I'm a big believer in spirit with that diagram going around which says the best team player is a combination of humble, hungry and smart. Many/most candidates demonstrate 2/3, but few have all 3. Of those few, frankly, most are younger to mid career.

-There seems to be a focus from a lot of 'older' AE's on the OTE, where they pass on a ~$300k OTE because it's 'too low'. That says two things to me: One, they didn't really dig into what over-achieving means, which is what someone who is hungry does, and two, I have to ask myself if they are shooting for a higher base in order to 'ride it'. While obviously a higher OTE is great, most AE roles I'm seeing are around that range, and I think 'older' AE's are pricing themselves out.

-This may come back to ageism, but realize too that recruiting teams are getting younger every year, for perhaps some of the same reasons as above (comp, drive, etc.). What that means in practice, whether we like it or not, is that the Recruiting teams screening and hunting for candidates will invariably also look for candidates who are younger. No use moaning about this, it's happening.

Net/net, I am more than happy to hire 'older' AE's, but I'm not going to make allowances for how you come across or how you interview due to age (which would actually be ageism). I want you to show up and bring just as much drive and hunger as any other candidate, and I will judge accordingly.

Edit: Spacing
Juancallclose
Catalyst
1
Director
Awesome post. Thanks for adding color.
FinanceEngineer
Politicker
2
Sr Director, sales and partnerships
I find older AEs have a stronger network and hold through these downs better.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
It's unfortunate for sure.
SgtAE
WR Officer
1
AE
I guess it depends on company, from what I see at mine a lot of my SAL's are at least 45+ years old. Top rep at our company i'd say early 50's?
Maybe this is an APAC thing
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
yes I would think folks in that age group are struggling. I would hope that having deep experience in one area would make them more attractive to the other companies in that space.
i would find it extra hard to get a new gig if you are older, and are trying to go to a new industry.
buckeyenation
Acclaimed Answer
1
AE
I am curious how entitled those guys are. I’ve hired a few - can be unhungry. Wanted large base and had outsized expectations on marketing generated leads. Which I don’t not get - they’ve been around the
Block and know what they want: a fat ass base, 9-5, and a warm pipeline to close on. More power to them if they can find it. But don’t bitch and complain when 250 ote is “too low” lmao. Too low. Gtfo.
Juancallclose
Catalyst
0
Director
Yep. And admittedly a lot of older AEs think it's beneath them to even prospect or demo. So they shoot themselves in the foot or their predecessors did. Younger people tend to be cheaper and more coachable. And have that energy to dial if necessary
Sales_Yoda
1
Sales Leader
Ageism is real. Speaking as someone with 40+ years of experience, to overcome bias you have to be better than the other candidates. That means getting internal references, having a killer resume, volunteering a first-90-day action plans, sharing past client references, all that extra stuff. Showing your hustle can overcome bias ... sometimes. Still, it sucks to be ignored on the basis of age.
Hoopnip
Politicker
1
Commercial AE
I work at a big tech co and there is a clear gap between younger AE’s and “older” AE’s in regards to business acumen , professionalism and deal strategy. I think you have to have a balance between both in order to have a “young” and vibrant sales culture but also having the “older”experience on staff to help you close deals because older AE’s have had way more at bats and battled 100s of deal cycles. It’s a bloodbath for everyone out there and young or old may have to take less OTE in this market or work at a company that isn’t their top choice.

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