For those of you out there who have more gray on your head than you had last year, please keep reading. A couple of years ago I received a call from a radio station in Ohio asking me to guest star on their job search segment. The topic for the week was “Jobs for candidates over 50”. After thinking about this for some time, I realized that as a recruiter, what I really care about is whether a person has the qualifications and the passion to succeed – their age has nothing to do with my opinion about them.

When you’re on an interview, show the recruiter or hiring manager that you are totally committed to the job they are hiring for. You have to express passion in the form of energy. You have to convince them that you really like their company and that you’re planning to make a home there for the next 5 – 10 years (although we all know that’s rare these days). You have to convince them that you have kept up with all the technology in your industry and that you will fit in well with the team. Most of all, you have to convince them that you have the skills that they are looking for and that you are a mature, dedicated individual who takes responsibility seriously.

None of this has anything to do with your age. If you believe it does, then it will diminish your confidence, which spells disaster during an interview.

My mother gave me many gifts, but the best one she gave me was an excellent work ethic and passion for my career. My grandmother lived to be 95 and she worked until she was 94. If you think that I plan to retire when I’m 55, think again.