My mission is to help executives and C-Suite leaders become more visible.

I'm a nationally recognized voice in executive resumes, LinkedIn, career, and job search strategy for workers who are 50 and over, cited as an industry expert by Fast Company, Forbes, CNBC, Business Insider, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, LinkedIn News, and FlexJobs. 

As a former engineer and senior analyst for Fortune 500 leaders Procter & Gamble and FedEx, I bring a data-driven approach to today’s most pressing market challenges. Since launching my business in 2006, I’ve partnered with major media outlets and job search platforms including The Motley Fool and Glassdoor to deliver actionable insights to broad audiences. 

Today, I've built an engaged LinkedIn following of 90,000+ with 40+ million views on my content since 2023. I’m known as a trusted advisor on age inclusion, with a dual mission: to help executives position themselves for their next great role and to help organizations engage and retain the 50+ workforce.

I offer:
* Executive resumes, executive bios, and LinkedIn profile upgrades
* LinkedIn strategies for small businesses and executives
* Best practices on fighting ageism, workforce trends, and job search strategies
* Presentations/webinars on age inclusion, LinkedIn, and resume best practices

Collaborations include:
* The ABplatform (advisory board member)
* Randstad RiseSmart (career coaching/outplacement)
* CEO Connection (board strategy for mid-market CEOs)
* Glassdoor (career expert/content creator)
* Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA admissions (reader/interviewer)

Colleen Paulson

A CEO of a $100M organization recently told me that he felt like he was "aging out" of the workforce.

Ageism is so widespread that it doesn't matter what level you have reached in your career - folks assume that you can't or don't want to work because of where you are in your life.

You would think that his 35+ years of work experience would be seen as a strength. Instead, he's hearing that companies are afraid that he won't stick around for long enough to drive change.

Spoiler alert: Even if he was only with your company for 2 or 3 years, he'd quickly boost your sales or transform your systems because that's what he's always done.

The reality is that CEOs who've built $100M organizations don't just walk away from work because they've reached a certain age. They're driven by impact, not just a paycheck.

But this isn't just about CEOs - workers of all ages will be working into their 60s, 70s, and beyond. Sometimes it's because they financially need to work. Sometimes it's just because they like to work. Either way, it isn't our place to judge.

My data shows that 90% of people plan to work into their 60s. 25% plan to never fully retire.

So, if you are hiring, ask yourself honestly: What assumptions are you making about experienced candidates? 

Are you interviewing candidates in their 50s, 60s, and beyond? And if not, why?

#ageism

"I make $200K/year. My job is comfortable and I'm not in danger of losing it, but I want to set myself up for opportunities to find me."

I wish that all of my client calls were like this one, but they aren't. 

Too many executives wait until they're actively looking to start positioning themselves. They update their LinkedIn profile when they need a job. They reach out to their network when they're desperate. They optimize their resume when they see a posting they want to apply for.

But the best opportunities don't work that way anymore.

The executives who get unexpected recruiter calls, board conversations, or advisory roles aren’t scrambling. They’ve been visible all along.

Their LinkedIn profile reflects what they do now, not what they did 10 years ago. Their expertise is easy to understand.
 
And when someone thinks, “Who do we know who could help with this?” — their name comes up.

If you’re in a stable role today, this is actually the easiest time to do this work since it's low pressure, high reward.

That’s not job searching. That’s career insurance.

#gethired #getahead

A recruiter joked about my 55-year-old client's *neutral* video background during an online screening interview, implying that he was behind the times.

It was literally a beige wall with no pictures. Hard to understand how that would spark a comment one way or another.

When talking on a call or interview, you may be a visitor in people's home. That's why lots of folks choose to blur their backgrounds.

I'm not a fan of the blurring, but I get why folks do it.

I also don't like the idea of "joking" with candidates about having a "boring" backdrop. We're getting into implicit bias here - things that have nothing to do with how well a candidate will do when they come to work for you.

Folks are a little nervous when interviewing anyways, so this comment threw my client off, enough that he was considering whether he should invest money in an upgraded home office.

BTW - if you've seen my background, you know it's souped up with party lights, bright paint, and kids' artwork/pictures. That's my personal preference. But that doesn't mean that I think you should do the same.

What are your thoughts here? Have you put a lot of thought into your background? What is your best practice here?

#virtualinterviews #ageism

What is your personal preference on video backgrounds?

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I keep hearing the following from 50+ job seekers:
"My resume worked fine before. What changed?"

Here's what's changed: Everything, all at once.

First off, this market is challenging: there is more competition for fewer roles due to job hugging, reduced hiring, and layoffs.

You're competing against a large of pool of talent with similar backgrounds to you. Let's say you are looking for a Director/VP/C-Suite role - you’re competing against thousands of equally qualified leaders with similar titles, brands, and experience.

Your resume needs to reflect current expectations.

This means that you need:
* Achievement-focused bullets (not task lists)
* Quantified results that show business impact
* Keywords that match today's job descriptions

The resume that got you your last role was perfect for that moment in time (i.e. a market that was less competitive when you may have been at a lower pay grade).

But that was then. The market has evolved. Your career has evolved. Your positioning and strategy needs to evolve too.

You need to position yourself for today's market, not yesterday's. And I get the frustration, because it feels like what worked before should deliver results again. 

That doesn’t mean your experience is outdated.
It just means it needs to be translated for today.

#gethired #getahead

The networking mistake I see over and over — especially with experienced professionals — is assuming you need a perfect reason to reach out.

You don’t. You just need a shared thread. Recent LinkedIn data shows that applicants are 3.6x more likely to get hired if they are connected to an employee at that company on LinkedIn. 

Building that online network can be the difference in your job search. When I think about expanding my own network, I start with places I’ve already been:

• Procter & Gamble (90,000+ employees on LinkedIn)
• FedEx (195,000+ employees on LinkedIn)
• Carnegie Mellon (118,000+ alumni)
• University of Pittsburgh (189,000+ alumni)

You already have the connections. You just need to activate them.

Look at your own background: where you’ve worked, where you went to school, the organizations you’ve been part of. Those are your starting points.

The people in those networks already know your world. They understand the culture, the language, the challenges.

You don’t need a perfect message.
You don’t need a warm introduction.
You just need a shared starting point.
That’s how most real opportunities begin.

#networking

My client just landed a CIO job after an 11-month search (we started working together halfway through the process).

I asked him for his advice to those that are still looking and he graciously shared his thoughts with me. There’s a lot to unpack here on both sides of the equation.

Let me start with the hiring side: can I just say wow? With all the talk about ghosting and fake jobs, it was honestly refreshing to hear about a candidate being treated with the respect they deserve.

Once the right role came along, the hiring process only took a week - another wow! They didn't string him along or introduce complexity to the process. Again, job well done by this team!

For those looking for work: let's acknowledge that job loss is a Top 5 life stressor. It's so easy to get down on yourself during a long search.

When I met my client in July, he was worn out, understandably. But when he shifted his mindset, he was able to regroup and move forward.

He didn’t stop putting in the work, but he stopped letting the process define his worth. And that shift made all the difference.

If you’re in the midst of a long search, I hope you take this as a reminder: you are not your resume. You are not your number of interviews. You are a highly-capable person with value to offer - and the right team will see that.

Hang in there. Rest when you need to. And don’t settle.

The right job can find you - especially when you remember what you’re worth.

#gethired #getahead

CIO Words of Wisdom

I’ve had several executive clients recently whose companies paid for their LinkedIn profile upgrades. Honestly, every company should be doing this right now.

Why? Because your visibility isn't just about you. It's about how the company is represented externally.

For senior leaders, your LinkedIn profile often functions as:
* a credibility check for clients
* a signal to investors, boards, and recruits
* a way to build trust with strategic partners

Smart companies see LinkedIn the same way they see media training, conference speaking, executive communications, or thought leadership support.

It's not about job searching. It's about professional presence.

This is especially true if you're client-facing, in a leadership role, or being positioned as an internal or external expert.

If your company wants new opportunities to present themselves, they need you to be visible.

If you've never thought to ask, that's normal. Most people don't.

But it's a conversation worth having - especially if visibility is part of your role.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Does your organization see LinkedIn as a personal platform or as part of your leadership role?

#linkedin

AI is here to stay - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I've been experimenting with ChatGPT for a few years now and, if you've done the same, I'm sure that you've seen that the outputs have improved greatly, especially over the past year. 

I trained my own custom GPT based on my best practices for career coaching and LinkedIn - I would never use it to write a resume, but it's great for research or brainstorming. I used it to help me generate the subject line for this email. I even used it to transcribe notes from a recent board meeting - I just took pictures of my handwritten notes and within seconds, ChatGPT delivered typed notes that were about 85% accurate.

Even though those of us who are in our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond have lived through extensive technology transformation, people sometimes assume that we just aren't on trend when it comes to the recent tech trends. It's ridiculous, but it's a real thing.

I recently talked with Fast Company around my thoughts for job seekers, AI, and ageism. We'll dig into the discussion in this week's edition of Creating Your Ageless Career.

View newsletter: Creating Your Ageless Career

AI is here to stay - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've been experimenting with ChatGPT for a few years now and, if you've done the same, I'

Open article: The Surprising Way AI Can Help You Fight Ageism by Colleen Paulson • 5 min read

The Surprising Way AI Can Help You Fight Ageism

"I haven't updated my resume in 15 years and I don't even know how to get started."

I get it. This happens all of the time. 

You've done the hard work (you know, actually delivering results). So let's actually put it in on paper.

I've written 1000+ resumes and reviewed 1000s more, so I get what works and what doesn't. Here are my best practices in getting started:

1. Set your career goals: This sounds very basic but you would be surprised how many people don't do this. Think of it like saying you are going on a trip, but not having a destination in mind - you'll just be driving around aimlessly. 

2. Review job descriptions: You've got to understand the language that the hiring team is speaking, so note the skills and keywords that are most important and focus your resume/LinkedIn in these areas.

3. Brain dump: Rome wasn't built in a day and your resume won't be either. Take 5-10 minutes per day to jog your memory on past accomplishments (pen and paper is fine).

4. Look it up: If you have access to reviews/emails/etc, scan those files and make a note of your biggest highlights and impacts. (And if you think that you may be laid off soon, grab those details now).

5. Google yourself: This might sound silly, but you want to see how you are showing up. This also might help you to jog your memory on presentations, etc that you might not be giving yourself credit for.

6. Give yourself grace: It's going to take a little bit of time to do all of this - especially if it's been awhile since you've updated your career documents.

For bonus points, here are 15 more tips to keep in mind as you start writing. Note that these work for job seekers of all ages and levels.

You’ve done the hard work. Now let’s make sure your resume shows it.

#gethired #getahead

Top 15 Resume Tips (1-26-26)

What does career success look like for you?
For me, it's changed over time.

When I was starting out, success looked like:
* Global travel
* Team leadership
* Competitive salary
* International relocation

Today, success looks a little different:
* Work with awesome clients
* Flexible work schedule
* Independence
* Virtual office

The future of work has been a hot topic.
Some folks thrive in a flexible/WFH environment.
Others actually like to go into the office.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
What is the biggest motivating factor for you?
Has it changed over time?
And where do you think things are going?

#futureofwork

What is most important to you in this stage of your career?

2025 was a bumpy ride for many:
* Layoffs
* Smaller raises
* RTO mandates
* Fewer promotions
* White collar recession
* Extended job searches

I've heard from so many of you who are feeling the weight of this market. The uncertainty is real, and it's taking a toll.

What concerns me most heading into 2026 is the toll this is taking on people's confidence. I'm seeing talented folks start to question their worth because they've been searching for 8, 10, 12+ months.

But here’s the truth: Your value didn’t disappear. The market shifted. You’re still the same skilled, capable, experienced worker and the right company will appreciate what you bring to the table.

Am I seeing improvement? Honestly, it's mixed. Some industries are showing signs of life, but hiring is still very cautious. Companies are taking longer to make decisions, and they're being incredibly selective.

So I want to hear from you: What's your biggest concern for 2026?

Are you seeing any positive signs where you are?

Erica Reckamp

Partner with me to take advantage of job search strategies and 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 that will position you as a top candidate, explore salary potential, create opportunities, and land multiple offers.

My passion is uncovering and highlighting each job seeker's unique value and crafting content to achieve the following: 
➙ Offset common disqualifiers. 
➙ Address stakeholders at all stages of the hiring process.
➙ Guide conversations to constructive talking points.   
➙ Set candidates apart from the competition.  

With years of 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 in multiple top executive outplacement and resume development firms, I understand what works. Let me share it with you!   
_____________________________________________________________________________________

PREMIUM CONTENT 
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LinkedIn Profiles ★ Personal Branding ★ Storytelling 

ACCELERATE TRANSITIONS 
Career Change ★ Career Gap ★  Nontraditional Work History ★ Stalled Search 
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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS / PODCAST GUEST 
Job Search ★ Workplace Topics ★ Career Strategy 
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I welcome conversations. Reach out today! 

 ▪️  C-Suite, Execs, and Board-Level Leaders: https://www.thecaptivators.com/booking-calendar/introductory-consult?referral=service_list_widget

Executive Resume Writer & Job Search Consultant

Several platforms track application attempts and how far you make it in the hiring process. This can burn well-intended applicants, but there is some logic to this tactic.

Hiring authorities place priority on applicants who seem invested in the organization and the role. This can be demonstrated in a number of ways: 

1) Well-targeted Resume and LinkedIn, speaking to hiring priorities and focused topics relevant to the types of roles you are pursuing.
  
 2) Submitting an application through the company website, which indicates you've been seeking out this specific company as opposed to mass applying on job boards. 

3)  Earning the confidence of an internal advocate, whether on the hiring committee or simply an employee referral. 

4) Staying in the conversation even after the formal application. Don't disappear and assume they'll reach out if they need something. It's on you to build confidence and credibility. 

𝗦𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Not if you're applying to highly divergent roles with no theme. This makes you look scattered. The hiring organization is not going to help you figure out what you're looking for next. You need to know before applying. 

You CAN apply to several roles at the same organization if there is a theme to the roles. For example, it makes sense that the same candidate might apply to strategic partner, key accounts, and business development roles. They have overlapping qualifications and skills requirements, so it would be appropriate. This looks targeted. 

Happy hunting!

C-Suite and Executive Resumes that get people talking!🔹LinkedIn🔹Bios🔹Takeaways🔹Advance your career goals with captivating career collateral.

English language readers consistently default to the top left corner of the page. The eyes sweep a document, traveling in predictable patterns. 

On a resume, this means we need to push the eye through the document to create movement and encourage stronger reader reception of priority content. 

During our AI Resume Development Tool Report, we shared output provided by some of the most common AI resume development tools. Take a look at what’s working (and what’s not) in that top left quartile, also known as the primary optical area. 

What stands out? Most often, section headers. 
When we submit a resume, are we selling that? No…

Next most common point of emphasis, company names. 
Are we selling that? No…


Now take a look at your resume. 

What are you selling? 


. . .

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Colleen Paulson

Erica Reckamp

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The Battle

Colleen Paulson

Erica Reckamp

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Colleen Paulson's LinkedIn Performance

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