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?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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?

Loren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff

Career Coach & Strategist > I Help Executives LAND FASTER and EARN MORE. Master The Hidden Job Market to Unlock 80%+ of High Quality, Unposted Positions. 1:1, Group & Bootcamp programs I 🪩 Forever Bee Gees Fan

Most senior roles are decided long before they’re posted.

By the time a job appears online, the outcome is already constrained by internal politics, risk avoidance, and prior relationships.

The market didn’t get harder.
It got faster.
And speed rewards familiarity, not merit.

Senior leaders kept performing.
The hiring system stopped rewarding performance.

That mismatch is where experienced executives lose leverage without realizing it.

When performance is no longer the variable, positioning determines outcomes.

Decision leverage for senior leaders at inflection points.

This is not a job search problem.
It’s a decision-making problem.

I work at senior inflection points.
Moments where an executive has been exited, restructured out, plateaued, or quietly sidelined. Not because they failed, but because the system recalibrated around them.

The risk is not employability.
The risk is mis-positioning.

Most leaders 40+ respond by applying more, networking harder, and waiting longer.
That behavior signals compliance in a market that selects for advantage.

It isn’t personal.
It’s structural.

I don’t help executives job search.
I work on decision leverage when outcomes are being shaped upstream.

That means:
– Reframing experience so it signals relevance, not risk
– Redirecting effort away from visible competition and toward invisible decision paths
– Restoring access before roles are formalized
– Neutralizing age bias by changing where judgment occurs
– Closing credibility gaps that quietly disqualify experienced leaders, including AI literacy
– Negotiating from power, not relief

No templates.
Templates scale average.

No performative networking.
Visibility without leverage is noise.

The outcome is not a new role.
The outcome is control.
Over access, over narrative, over choice, over compensation.

“Within three months, the decision path shifted. I entered conversations that hadn’t been public yet and stepped into a Chief Medical Officer role without competing in a visible search. This work wasn’t about preparation. It changed where decisions were being made.”
H. Beeman, Chief Medical Officer

“The role didn’t exist publicly when conversations began. Formal process followed outcome, not the other way around. That sequencing made all the difference.”
B. Buehler, EVP Acquisitions | Board Member

President & Founder

PortfolioRocket.com is NOT recruiting or headhunting. 

We don't push jobs.
We don't smush you into a position or company.
We don't placate either.

We are proof that your search can be a wildly fun, challenging, successful process.
Sure it requires effort, but the all best rewards do.
And if you're here, you know from hard work that pays off. 

🚀   PortfolioRocket is a proprietary career curriculum to access today and use for life -- enabling you to GET FOUND for 80-85% of the opportunities NOT posted online, in the hidden job market while building your network for your future. 

PortfolioRocket is culmination of 30+ years of torture tested corporate experience -- immersed in the end to end process with candidates while partnering with demanding hiring managers. 

Clients land their next ideal career moves efficiently and effectively. 
❌   Without wasting time sucked in by "easy apply" buttons
❌   Job boards OR
❌   With opportunities that don't meet their deeply personal criteria.  

Best of all they've scored coveted role at top tier companies like Netflix, Instacart, SalesForce, Sega, Kaiser Permanente, Salesforce, FCB & over 100 others with remarkable results superseding compensation alone.  

My promise is that you'll never approach your search the same way ever again.

Time just put "The New Old Age" on its cover.

And buried inside that headline is a truth most hiring managers still haven't caught up to:

The three-stage life is dead.

Learn. Work. Retire.
That's the blueprint everyone over 40 was handed.
And it's obsolete.

The new thinking? Learning and work should be "sprinkled throughout a lifetime." Not front-loaded. Not back-ended. It's continuous.

Here's what that means for you:

You're not "late career."
You're mid-career in a 60-year working life.

Life expectancy in 1950? 68.
Today? 79.

That's 11 extra years the old model never accounted for.

And yet companies still treat 50 like the exit ramp.
Hiring managers still see age as a liability.
The system hasn't caught up to the math.

But you can.

Because transition at 45 or 55 isn't an ending.
It's the halfway mark.

The execs who get this don't see themselves as winding down.
They see themselves as relevant leaders for the next 20 more years.

So the next time someone makes you feel like you're running out of time,
remember this:

The old map was drawn for a shorter trip.
You're on a longer one. Own it.

Bookmark this for the moment doubt creeps in.
Repost for someone still measuring themselves against the wrong clock.

Loren Greiff

Decision leverage for senior leaders at inflection points.

Business Insider asked me why smart executives over 40 get stuck.


My short answer: They're running on an outdated operating system.

Younger workers get hired for potential.
Older workers get evaluated through cost, immediacy, and risk.

When passion leaks into the narrative?
Employers hear "unfocused," "expensive," or "overqualified."

I don't tell clients to abandon passion.
I tell them to sequence it differently.

Passion becomes a byproduct. Not the pitch.

The first thing I ask every executive over 40:
Rank your 3 C's — Culture, Compensation, Challenge.

Not in your head. On paper. In order.

When younger workers lack clarity on their 3 C's, the penalty is inefficiency.
A wrong move early is a detour.

For older job seekers?
A wrong move is a dead end.

Less runway. Less tolerance for experimentation.
Your 3 C's aren't a preference — they're a risk-management tool.

What's your #1 C?

Save this for the day you need to reframe your search.
Repost to help someone leading with passion and wondering why they're stuck.

Full article here:
https://lnkd.in/egPCw8Tq

Career Coach & Strategist. I Help C-suiters 40+, Land Faster and Earn More. Access the 80% of Executlive Roles NOT POSTED in the Hidden Job Market I Loud Mouth Age Advocate. #Ageism.

LinkedIn just dropped its 2025 Jobs on the Rise.
But here's what nobody's breaking down for executives over 40:

AI needs to be your 2026 jam. 
It's not just wearing a hoodie.

Dan Roth (LinkedIn's Editor in Chief) said it plainly:
AI roles are spreading into strategy, operations, planning—even real estate.

You don't need to build the algorithm.
You need to know how to use it.

3 insights for you in your transition:

1. Your experience is the edge—IF and only IF you translate it into relevance.
AI tools are multiplying. 
People who know how to aim them? Scarce.
A 28-year-old can prompt. 

You can strategize.
That's not a liability. That's leverage.

2. Stop thinking "job title." Start thinking "skills."
Roth's advice: Know what you're great at. Then map it to where demand is growing.
The market doesn't care what you were called.
It cares what you can do now.

3. The old playbook expired.
56% of Americans are job hunting this year.
Same number as last year—but in a tighter market.
If you're running 2019 tactics in 2025, you're not competing. You're watching from the sidelines.

The shift isn't about learning to code.
It's about precision positioning.

Your decades of judgment, pattern recognition, and leadership?
Those are the skills AI can't replicate.

But experience alone won't land you.
Relevance will.

What's the one skill you're betting on this year?

Save this for the day you need a reminder that age isn't the obstacle—translation is.

Recruiting has been broken for 200 years.
AI just made it louder.

I sat down with Matt Alder the host of The Recruiting Future Podcast.
He's been spilling the tea there for 11 years +25 years in talent acquisition.

He didn't sugarcoat it.

⤑ Resumes and interviews are the 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 effective way to predict job performance.
⤑ Only 20% of companies use AI strategically—the rest are automating bias.
⤑ Job seekers get blamed for "gaming the system" while employers do the same thing.

AI isn't the problem.
It's just accelerating on a system that was already failing you.

Listen in to find out Matt's take on what actually works:
https://lnkd.in/enyvbzub

Save this if you're tired of being filtered out.
Repost to remind someone the system isn't their fault.

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