Ageless Careers

I help Gen X and Baby Boomer job seekers to thrive in their careers through:
* 1:1 Coaching (Resumes, LinkedIn profile recommendations, Executive Bios)
* Ageless Careers Toolkit (courses designed to help you land a job faster)
* Ageless Careers Insider Weekly (weekly newsletter with actionable tips)

I've delivered webinars and in-person presentations on resume and LinkedIn best practices to corporations and universities including Asurion, the Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Association, and Point Park University.

I've been cited as a Top Resume Writing Voice on LinkedIn and a Career Expert in online and print resources including Fast Company, Forbes, LinkedIn News, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Businessweek, FlexJobs, and Best Colleges.

I've also delivered customized career coaching as part of the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

Partnership opportunities: I also partner with companies looking to hire Gen X and Baby Boomer talent. Feel free to reach out if you have opportunities that you would like to share with the Ageless Careers community.

Sponsorship opportunities: Are you looking to gain awareness with Gen X/Baby Boomer executives? Reach out to discuss opportunities to sponsor the Ageless Careers Insider Weekly newsletter and/or reach my 65K+ LinkedIn followers through sponsored posts.

Founder | Executive Resume Writer | LinkedIn Profile Upgrades | Executive Bios

Colleen Paulson Consulting

I have generated 32M+ LinkedIn impressions since January 2023, adding 60,000+ LinkedIn followers, and was named one of the Top 200 LinkedIn Creators in the US and Top 200 Female LinkedIn Creators in the World.

I use the same strategies to help clients grow their presence on LinkedIn, optimizing client LinkedIn profiles, ghostwriting posts, and introduce posting strategies to maximize reach.

LinkedIn Consultant for Businesses & Executives

I've helped 1000+ executives and job seekers advance in their careers through insightful resumes, executive bios, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters with a 99.9% client satisfaction rate.

I've delivered webinars and in-person presentations on resume and LinkedIn best practices to groups including the Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Association and Point Park University.

I've been cited as a Top Resume Writing Voice on LinkedIn and a Career Expert in online and print resources including Forbes, LinkedIn News, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Businessweek, FlexJobs, and Best Colleges.

I've also delivered customized career coaching as part of the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.

Career Consultant | Resumes, LinkedIn, Cover Letters, Interviewing Expertise

I have published work in a variety of newspapers, magazines, and online resources including The Motley Fool, Investopedia, Businessweek.com, Ivy Exec, Thrive Global, Ellevate, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Multichannel Merchant magazine, and Woman Engineer magazine.

I've been cited for my career advice and investment analysis in top websites including Yahoo Finance, LinkedIn News, MSN, CBS News, and The Australian.

I've also delivered ghostwriting expertise to small businesses across topics including finance, investing, and career/workforce development.

Freelance Writer | Business Ghostwriter

The ABplatform

The ABplatform is a suite of services that help companies and industry experts find each other and create high performing Advisory Boards.  We offer recruiting, onboarding, coaching, tools, and templates that you can use to build your Advisory Board, and build your business.

Advisory Board Member

Glassdoor

I wrote weekly posts for Glassdoor's Technology Bowl, sharing market trends and discussing current events with tech professionals.

Content Creator

Randstad USA

Randstad RiseSmart is the leading provider of outplacement and talent mobility services for organizations in more than 40 industries and 80 countries. 

As a Randstad RiseSmart Career Coach, I expertly coached clients on their job search strategy and provide mock interviews, interview preparation, video interviewing, offer evaluation, salary negotiation coaching, as well as information on networking best practices and LinkedIn. Coaching was provided through a customized 1:1 approach with full support throughout their job search journey.

Career Coach | Job Search Consultant

CEO Connection

I built relationships with Mid-Market CEOs, understanding their goals and connecting them with potential board roles. I also curated networking opportunities including Board Connection Receptions, and cultivated strategic alliances with Private Equity firms, start-ups, and other advisory contacts.

Board Connection Director

Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business

I evaluated 1000+ applicants on 6 continents for a Top 20 MBA program, reviewing resumes, work experience, test scores, undergraduate grades, and essays to identify top candidates and forecast student success. I interviewed global candidates remotely and in-person utilizing behavioral interviewing techniques.

I was also part of the team establishing admissions standards for MSPM (Master of Science in Product Management) degree offering.

External Reader / Interviewer

The Motley Fool

I contributed 175+ articles with a focus on the consumer products industry, predicting trends and conducting in-depth financial analysis of top companies.

Contributor / Analyst

FedEx

I served as an instrumental part of the team driving global air/ground transportation revenue and volume growth through strategic pricing programs for Fortune 500 customers with shipping revenues exceeding $100 million.  Key accomplishments include:​

* Established price points and created cost-based analysis model for new FedEx Express (Last Mile) product offering

* Developed strategic pricing programs for current and potential customers, evaluating shipping metrics of customers and determining margins for pricing programs using excel-based models

* Elevated corporate revenues and profits, collaborating with sales directors to develop customer prospects and pricing strategies for 20+ Fortune 500 customers

* Owned major intranet-based pricing system, enhancing level and quality of pricing data in corporate databases, and expanding system capabilities to include new business units

* Recipient of FedEx Global Marketing Rising Star award and two Bravo Zulu awards for outstanding contributions

* Proficient in various pricing methodologies, including market and cost-based pricing methods

Senior Marketing Analyst, Strategic Pricing & Business Analysis

Procter & Gamble

I directed all aspects of production for 2 manufacturing lines making over 1.5 million cases of consumer products per year, leading a team of 30. Accomplishments include:

* Improved overall profit margin by 10% through increasing line production speed while concurrently reducing maintenance and personnel expenses, with an emphasis on lean manufacturing principles

* Generated cost savings of $1 million through improving existing processes and consolidating product manufacturing to one North American site. 

* Reduced level of quality defects by 50% while increasing equipment speed by 30%

* Increased brand production capacity by 10% through directing installation and start-up of production equipment

Manager/Technical Engineer

Want to up your game on LinkedIn?
Need an new resume or executive bio?
How about an expert presentation on ageism in the workplace?

I can help with all of that!

I deliver a wide range of services including:
* Executive resumes, executive bios, and LinkedIn profile upgrades
* LinkedIn strategies for small businesses and executives
* Business writing about ageism, workforce trends, and job search strategies
* Presentations/webinars on a variety of topics including ageism and LinkedIn/resume best practices

A little about me: I'm a 5x career changer who has skill-stacked my way from engineering into career consulting.

I started my career with Procter & Gamble as an Engineer/Production Manager, learning not only about consumer products, but also gaining key insights into leadership and career development. 

In my early 20s, I helped P&G move its manufacturing operations from Greenville, NC to Belleville, Ontario. I lived in Canada for 3 years and managed multi-million dollar projects and operations, managing a team of 30 in my Production Manager role. After earning my MBA, I worked in strategic marketing for FedEx, setting prices and forecasting profits for Fortune 500 customers and establishing price points for a new transportation product offering.

After my time in Corporate America, I pivoted and launched my own writing/consulting business. I served as a Contributor/Analyst for The Motley Fool for 4 years and have been cited as an industry expert by major news organizations and job search sites including Fast Company, Forbes, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, MSN, LinkedIn News, and FlexJobs. 

I have remained on-trend for career development best practices through my additional consulting work including:

* External Reader / Interviewer for Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business for 7 application seasons, evaluating 1000+ applicants on 6 continents

* Board Connection Director for CEO Connection, connecting Mid-Market CEOs with board seats and participating in our "How to Get on a Board" Workshop

* Career coaching/outplacement services with Randstad RiseSmart

* Advisory board member for TheABplatform

* Glassdoor Expert/Content Creator Program Manager

My proudest professional accomplishment is my involvement in saving our local pool. As Board President of the Brook Park Swim Club, I worked with our community to turn a projected $70K deficit into a surplus within 12 months, protecting this community asset for our children. 

Reach out (colleen@agelesscareers.com) and let me know how I can help you to reach your goals.

Colleen Paulson

"I'm 62 & have at least 5 good years of work left."

I've heard from 1000s of job seekers in their 50s, 60s, and beyond within the past few years. Folks often lead with their age when they reach out, as if they should apologize for wanting to work.

Listen, you don't have to apologize to anyone if you want (or need) to keep working into your 60s and beyond.

Most of us don't have a guaranteed pension and won't be retiring in our 50s. My data shows that 90% of us plan to work into our 60s and 25% of us plan to never retire.

However, if you're 50+ and navigating the job market, you’re not imagining it: ageism is real. 66% of workers have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace according to a 2025 AARP survey.

With that said, I'm seeing folks in their 50s and 60s land great jobs (even in this challenging market). I recently had a client in his late 60s land his "dream job" as an IT analyst, countering the ageism that can be so prevalent in tech - so yes, you can position yourself as the leading candidate, regardless of age.

Here's how to get started:
* Keep networking (let people know you are looking)
* Write an "ageless" resume (with quantified results)
* Build a LinkedIn presence (so recruiters find you)
* Stay confident (you can do this - I promise)

Focus on what you can control. And please, don't lose that confidence. Any company would be lucky to have you.

ps: If you are hiring, please review your practices. Are you interviewing candidates over the age of 60? How about candidates over the age of 50? If not, why?

#ageism

Advising 50-plus executives on career & LinkedIn strategy | 87K+ going ageless | Ex-P&G, FedEx | Featured by CNBC, Business Insider, Forbes, & Fast Company

Workers ages 65+ spend an average of 7 more weeks unemployed than those 25-34, according to recent BLS data. That's nearly 2 extra months of searching based on age alone. 

Why? Ageism and outdated assumptions about experienced workers are still part of the narrative, unfortunately. 

AARP and LinkedIn are trying to bust these myths with real data demonstrating that hiring workers who are 50+ is a true strategic advantage.

Here's what they found: workers who are 50+ have increased their disruptive tech skills by 25% over the last 5 years. So, we're continuing to learn and adapt to all of the new technology that's coming down the road (not a surprise - we've always adapted in the past, why wouldn't we keep doing so?).

When it comes to retention, the data is even more striking. Among employees hired in June 2024, 85.4% of workers 50+ were still with their employer one year later compared with just 70.6% of younger hires. 

Workers who are 50+ also have 20% larger (and more senior) networks, which means more mentorship, expertise, and opportunity flowing into businesses.

Despite all of this, experienced workers still face longer job searches. 

Here's the thing: many of us want (and need) to work into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. My polls here on LinkedIn show that 90% of workers plan to work into their 60s and that 25% plan to never retire. 

So, if you're hiring, you've got to ask yourself: Are you interviewing people older than 60? How about candidates over 50? If not, why?

#ageism #futureofwork

Loren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff

Portfoliorocket.com

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.

President

Career Blast In A Half

Career Blast In A Half zooms past stinky career advice. 
Every Wednesday at 6AM EST a new episode drops covering of the moment career topics with hold nothing back guest like Chris Do, Claude Silver, Will Guidara, Jasmin Alic and loads more. 
Ranked in the TOP 1.5% globally, our mission is to blow past what  doesn't work anymore so you stay relevant, get more than you came for and leave with what you can use right away.

Podcast Host

Fast Company

Fast Company Executive Board is a vetted professional organization of senior executives, founders, business owners, and industry experts who are defining the future of business.

Executive Board Member

Chief

I joined Chief to be a part of this powerful private network built to drive more women into high impact roles and keep them there. Chief is the only organization specifically designed for women leaders to strengthen their journey, cross-collaborate across industries and effect change from the top-down.

Chief Member

d'Skills

I am one of 30 exclusive Leader Allies of the d’Skills Movement. We support, build alongside, and hire Gen Z’rs who are GPT powered humans, and are committed to staying relevant in an AI-driven world.

Parent/Leader Ally

Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm helping clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. 

Specializing in all things digital: digital design and marketing inclusive of:  eCommerce, User Experience & Interface,  Digital Transformation, Digital Products, SEO/SEM, Mobile & Online Gaming, Digital Customer Experience in Retail / Hospitality / Travel / Sports / Media / Entertainment / Consumer Goods / CPG, Digital Shopper Marketing, Digital Advertising, Content Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Personalization, Influencer Marketing, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality / Mixed Reality and more.

Managing Consultant I Digital Specialty Practice

24 Seven Inc.

Chicago's Lead Recruiter responsible for overseeing, training and mentoring Account Managers while consistently delivering the highest value of staffing capabilities to Clients and Talent. 

Performance Successes Include: 
Exceeding GM & revenue goals quarter after quarter achieving record-breaking results while landing and expanding new business. Year-end results for 2018 exceeded annual revenue goal (+120%).

TOP PRODUCER & 2018 President's Club Winner: 
- 2nd Place Company Wide AM with the largest GM $ increase year-over-year
- Awarded "Match Maker" of The Quarter (Q2/2018) For The Person With The Most Internal Referrals 
   Leading To Placements
- Awarded Rookie of The Year I Top Account Manager Company-wide

Sr. Account Manager I Team Lead

Vitamin T

Vitamin T I The talent agency for digital creatives and the design-minded companies who love them.

UX/Mobile/Design Recruiter

Talution Group

Talution Group is a boutique staffing firm focusing on the recruitment & placement of consultants for contract, contract-to-hire, or direct hire engagements.

IT Recruiter

Aquent

Aquent is a digital/creative-staffing agency that focuses on contract and contract-to hire placement for their Fortune 500 Clients.

Lead UX Recruiter

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

You're here because:

╰┈➤This is your first time in job search at this level.
╰┈➤ You’re done with bogus online applications. 
╰┈➤ Your network's gone cold from years being heads down.
 
And

╰┈➤ You’re unclear how to market yourself effectively. 
╰┈➤ You’re overwhelmed by the pace of industry changes.
╰┈➤ You’re struggling to define your unique value proposition.

And

╰┈➤ You feel isolated in your search journey. 
╰┈➤ You know LinkedIn is important but not a fan of social media.
╰┈➤ You feel adrift and unstructured without a game plan that works.

And this

╰┈➤ You’re seeking value alignment, not just a paycheck. 
╰┈➤ You’re done with companies that undervalue your impact.
╰┈➤ You get it, I do too, the hiring market isn't what it used to be.

But here's the truth: 
→ Your experience is invaluable 
→ Your skills are needed. 
→ Your next big role IS out there.

But not how they've shown up before.

How We'll Do It?
- Align your values to your 'why' 
- Leverage your years of experience into an asset, not a liability.
- Address skill gaps like AI, for market relevance,
- Help overcome age-related biases. 
- Position you as a thought leader -- the solution companies need.
- Negotiate your comp to reflect your worth.

What Sets Us Apart?
No cookie-cutter approaches
Strategies tailored to your unique journey
A focus on what truly matters to you.

The Outcome:
✓ A renewed sense of purpose.
✓ Faster landing in a role you're excited about. 
✓ Compensation that honors your expertise 


"Stuck in a sluggish job search, I watched as a friend landed her dream CEO role with Loren's help. Intrigued, I took the leap, and it changed everything. Before Loren, I was passive. But with her team's help something remarkable happened. My energy and focus sharpened.  Suddenly I was in the driver's seat.

The result? In less than three months, I transformed from a hesitant seeker to Chief Medical Officer.
This is beyond a perfect 10. If you're ready to stop waiting and start winning, Loren is your secret weapon." 

H.Beeman, Chief Medical Officer


"Loren passionately offers timely, poignant advice, helping executives in transition navigate the process of finding the role of a lifetime. Her guidance shines like a lighthouse, guiding you through the most challenging career changes.

One of the standouts of Loren’s program is the Hidden Job Market methodology and how to access it effectively. I found a role that was so hidden, I applied after I started! 

Investing in yourself through her program is a decision you won’t regret." 
B.Buehler, EVP ACQUISITIONS | BOARD MEMBER

#ageism

President & Founder

I'm out of office chasing discomfort in Japan.
Back December 15th.

Since I teach the value of stretching ourselves, I too must practice it.

At 61, comfort zones are where growth could come to die.

But two years ago at 59: SPARTAN race in Canada.
Crawled through mud. Jumped fire. Finished dead last.
Worth it.

Last year at 60: Salmon fishing in British Columbia.
Cut fish heads for bait. Caught my first fish.
Still have the scar.

This year: Japan.
The farthest I've ever traveled.

Here's what most executives miss:
Your next breakthrough isn't snug as a bug in a rug. 
It's 7,000 miles away. Or in a mud pit. Or holding a fish head.

Growth doesn't ask permission. It demands you go first.

See you on the other side.
With proof that 61 is just getting started.

What's your discomfort zone this year?
Name it. Book it. Do it.

Save this
Share this to celebrate discomfort

Loren Greiff

Career Coach & Strategist. I Help C-suiters 40+, Land Faster and Earn More. Leverage The Hidden Job Market (now called Quiet Hiring or Opportunity Curation) I Loud Mouth Age Advocate. #Ageism.

Rejected 67 times.
Selected once.

Yes, I am thrilled
But for reasons few ever think about.
Much less consider.

The organizer, Cara Truitt and her team.

In fact as honorable as it is to be selected I’m in it for the larger opportunity to spread my message and mission.

To end career victimization by elevating, accelerating and celebrating one 40+ at a time.  (Tedx title still in shhhh mode)

To do that Cara does 3 things like no other:

1. Goes all out with videographers, press, planning sessions (spa services optional) and easy step by step to do’s.

2. Organization without the angst or sledgehammering.

3. Makes it clear that every emotion, kid, question and tear is welcome. 

This is going to be an epic experience. Two years in the making but once again all worth it. 

We don’t age from living long, but from living small. 

Go big friends!
#playthelonggame

No alternative text description for this image

Let me settle the long standing debate that LinkedIn has become too personal.


I met Ken Mamizuka yesterday. 
He lives in Tokyo, me in Asheville, NC.

I was graciously connected with him by one of my all time favorite personal friends Jevon Thoresen  (who btw facilitated a tour last December for a me and a crew) at HQ in NYC.

Jevon and Ken work together. 
I work with or for neither.

You can ask yourself whether how you show up here is too personal or too professional all day long.

Or you can reconcile the debate right now and accept the fact that force multiplying real connections happens when there is professional <> personal crossover.

#LinkedinTokyo

I shouldn't be giving this away this killer move 
But the gap between job descriptions and the real job is getting out of hand.

Senior job descriptions are 30-40% misaligned with actual expectations (HBR)
That's not noise. It's distortion.

But you can decode the real job before you interview.

Use ChatGPT or Claude:

Copy + paste:
– The job description
– A recent CEO podcast transcript or article  
– The company's 2026 priorities

Prompt 1:
"List the top 5 urgent and expensive problems this role (X title name) for (X compnay) must solve—and why."

Then add your résumé + optimized LinkedIn profile.

Prompt 2:
"Given all this, why do I have the unfair advantage? include metrics."

This cuts through the ambiguity.
Goes beyond the keywords.
Reveals the real mandate.

Most executives guess. 
The smart ones use AI strategically.

Nail your interviews to land faster, and smarter.

Save this.
Share it.

You will be tested. Guaranteed. 

1 canceled flight,  3 airports and that's just the first 24 hrs before the flight to Tokyo.  

But hearing about other people's travel snafus is boring so let me cut to the chase. 

Being tested reveals 3 things:

1.  Not what you know, but who you are when the unforeseen becomes unignorable.

2. How resourceful are you when resources disappear.

3. Where can you find gold in the garbage 

But the real thing is If you don't believe it'll work out, 
You've already failed the test.

Have you ever had to spend the night in the airport? 
Tips?

Before decision-makers even consider interviewing you.
They're looking for these 5 new signals of readiness. 

Let me explain: 

87% of organizations now use AI in hiring
Not for just for efficiency, but to measure influence density.

That's because they want candidates who deliver outsized impact, 
not just fill roles.

Influence density predicts who will innovate, lead, and elevate the room.

That's why companies like Eightfold AI have seen an 843% surge in global interest.

Prooving that high-influence density teams generate
2X more breakthrough ideas and adapt 3X faster.
 
The 5 readiness signal these platforms scan for (behind the scenes) are:

1. Momentum = visible progress, fresh activity, new thinking.
You’ve posted a sharp insight this week, or shared a recent win.

If your profile looks identical to last quarter, you look stalled.

2. Curiosity — deep engagement with frontier ideas.
You comment intelligently on industry shifts—AI, regulation, market changes.
 
Not “Great post!” but “Here’s the implication no one’s talking about…”

3. Clarity — a narrative so sharp it spreads.
Your headline says exactly who you help and how you create value.
 
No jargon. No fluff. Easily repeatable.

4. Connectivity — credible leaders interact with you publicly.
Senior leaders engage with your ideas.
A VP likes your post. A CMO replies to your comment.

That’s social proof money can’t buy.

5. Currency — fluency in innovation, AI, and what’s coming next.
You show you’re current—using AI tools, piloting innovations, or talking about future-facing strategies.

You sound like tomorrow, not yesterday.

These are the signals that say you’re ready to hire.
Not your résumé.

At 61, I uncovered the 3 phrases that make decison makers ghost
40+ executives (and the AI prompts to rewrite them)

Decision makers scan for age before they scan for talent.
That's not bias. It's automation.

Three phrases kill your candidacy in under 5 seconds:

"25+ years of experience"
Translation: Too expensive, too set in their ways.

"Seasoned executive"
Translation: Past their prime, resistant to change.

"Extensive track record"
Translation: Overqualified, won't take direction.

The painful math: 78% of executives 40+ report age discrimination (AARP).
But the real number is higher.
Because most never know they were filtered out.

Here's your AI decoder prompts:

Feed ChatGPT or Claude your resume.

Prompt 1:
"Identify every phrase that signals I'm over 40. 
Replace with impact-focused language that emphasizes current momentum, not historical tenure."

Then add the job description.

Prompt 2:
"Rewrite my experience to mirror the energy and urgency of this role. 
Focus on what I'm building next, not what I built before. Use present-tense action verbs."

Instead of "25+ years leading teams"
Write: "Currently scaling high-performance teams"

Instead of "Seasoned technology executive"
Write: "Digital transformation architect"

Instead of "Extensive M&A experience"
Write: "Executing complex M&A strategies"

The shift is subtle but critical.
You're not hiding your age.
You're highlighting your velocity.

Smart executives don't fight the algorithm.
They decode it.

Shift experience for relevance to leverage your unfair advantage.
Stop letting three phrases erase it.

Save this. 
Share this.

Last night, I got lost.
Not the poetic kind of lost.

The kind where your pulse climbs into your throat and your brain starts telling unhelpful stories.

I lost my mind a little (well, maybe a lot) 
Lost my confidence.
Lost my way.

Google Maps spun me in circles.
No street names. No signs.
Just darkness and the mounting sense I should've figured this out by now.

Three hours in, after retracing my steps until the path felt worn into my shoes, 
I did something that felt strangely radical.

I asked for help.

My Airbnb host didn't hesitate.
She wasn't annoyed.
She wasn't inconvenienced.
She wasn't silently judging my inability to navigate my way, 

Turns out she was glad to pick me up.

"Helpful," she said, is a role she loves playing.

She gently interrupted my excessive thanks:
"Asking for help is what smart people do when they've tried their best."

There it was.

The request isn't a burden.
It's an invitation for someone to step into their usefulness.
Their generosity.
Their humanity.

The world doesn't reward silent struggling.
It rewards connection.

And sometimes the bravest move is the simplest:
Stop circling the same roads and let someone guide you home.

The GPS brought me to a driveway.
The lesson brought me home.

When did asking for help change everything for you?

You don't become who you want to be.
You carve yourself into it.

I spent 30 years performing for love that was never conditional.
Overcompensating. Pushing. Breaking myself for validators that meant nothing.

Here's what no one tells you about becoming:

The losses make you and remake you.
Not the wins.

Loss of the job that defined me.
Loss of the relationships I thought I needed.
Loss of what it was supposed to look like.

Rock bottom isn't failure.
It's raw material.

When every external validator disappears
No title, no applause, no achievement to hide behind
You finally stop performing and start sculpting.

Each loss carved away what wasn't me.
Each failure revealed what was.

The brutal truth: You're not finding yourself.
You're creating yourself.
One deliberate cut at a time.

Stop waiting to be discovered.
Start carving who you're meant to become.

The real you isn't hiding.
It's being built.

You spent 25 years mastering your career
Then someone changed the language with new characters.


The executive job search isn’t hard because you lack skills.

It’s hard because the system changed while you were busy being excellent.

Your resume used to work. Now it doesn’t.

Authority used to come from titles. Now it comes from visibility you haven’t created.

I teach executives the new language.

Not just the words—the idiomatic expressions. The nuances. The fluency that separates leaders from the lost.

Because knowing you’re qualified isn’t enough.

They have to know you exist and can speak their language.

The old system rewarded what you did. 

The new one rewards how quickly you can translate who you are in a new world. 

PS: thank you all for the reminders of how the hella travel would be worth it. Day 1!

Here's the absolute least you can do. 


Just last week a client shared how brutal the job search feels.
The ghosting.
The networking.
The rejections.

But, not one of these discriminates no matter who or where you are professionally.
There's no role or system cruel by intent. 

Everyone’s just trying to do get it done. 

Recruiters are drowning in reqs.
Hiring managers are navigating committee-built processes.
Consultants are juggling shifting priorities.

But there are 3 simple basic things,  you CAN do.

Don’t ghost.
Don’t steal someone’s time or peace.
Don’t leave people hanging because it’s easier.

When you show respect in a system that rarely models it, you rise above the noise and become the signal people remember.

Sadly, this can be your competitive edge. 
Don't let less than honorable behavior influence yours.

93% of job seekers are doing this wrong, and they don’t realize it.

You think you’re hiring probability being evaluated by
Your resume.
Years of experience
How you perform in interviews

But before that even happens.
Five signals speak louder than titles, tenure, or talent alone.

They're not the loud ones.
They're consistent, quiet, undeniable ones that say:

“This person is already becoming the future.”
https://lnkd.in/esZcEJQC

Today companies' are looking through a new lens of influence density. 
Signals that blink for leaders creating lift, energy, and motion—not passengers.

Those signals? 
Momentum.
Curiosity. 
Clarity.
Connectivity.
Currency.

These signals of readiness are not declared but detected.
And even more valuable than experience:

15 truths a loved one needs to tell you
The market is choosing 2026 leaders now.

Skip these and you're playing catch up. 

1. Launch the signal early.
 Visibility creates relevance. Relevance creates opportunity. 
Show up before Q1 shows up.

2. Job postings are the final stop, not the starting line.
By the time it’s public, the decision is halfway made.

3. Wake up your network.
 Your opportunities live in people, not portals. Reconnect and expand before budgets harden.

4. Align every asset.
The urgent and expensive problems you have the unfair advantage to solve, your brand,  LinkedIn, and messaging — one clear direction, not scattered brilliance.

5. Think five-seven years ahead.
At your level, your next role is more than a J.O.B. Choose with intention, not urgency.

6. Build a system that protects you.
 Structure beats willpower. Without it, everything becomes noise.

7. Certainty wins.
 Leaders hire clarity, not “potential.” Be definitive about the value you create.

8. Ship momentum, not perfection.
The executives who move first get seen first.

9. The quiet season is fertile.
Inbox calm = faster access to decision-makers. Use it.

10. Referrals outrun applications.
 One advocate beats 100 cold clicks.

11. Make your story useful.
The market buys outcomes, not origins.

12. Small signals compound.
 One headline shift. One strong post. One comment. Tiny actions, big ripples.

13. You’re being watched.
 Hiring teams observe long before they reach out. Your content is your audition.

14. First movers get the shortlist.
Start now, and you’re early. Start in January, and you’re late.

15. Momentum begins today.
 Waiting is not a strategy. Participation is.

The ladder you spent 20 years climbing just collapsed.


20 years. One vertical. One expertise.
Bub-bye.

Companies want T-shaped leaders now.

From "deep expert who climbed every rung"
To "bridges data, strategy, tech, and communication."

Same skills. 
Different story.

Raina Gandhi breaks down:
https://lnkd.in/etmEwPQm


Skills-based hiring beats ladder progression.
Strategic width beats climbing higher.
Adaptability beats tenure.

Stop showing how high you climbed.
Start showing how wide you reach.

No idea what you’re doing?
I get it.

While gaming is a 2B industry in Japan,
I’m clueless.

Why should you continue reading?
Because here’s what matters

1. Epic fails make for excellent data.

2. Exposure = elasticity (you can always snap back)

3. You can’t elevate in a the same old ecosystem.

What’s your take on gaming?
Just for the cool younger peeps??


PS: The 2nd floor of this place was swarming with 50+ers. (no pics allowed)

Rethink agesim

Most people don’t have a job-search problem.
They have a behave-like-you-want-the-job problem.

The job search exposes this instantly.

Some stay in the loop—waiting, worrying, wishing.
Others take swings, and create momentum.

The ones who land faster aren’t luckier.
They operate like someone already in demand.
They follow through.

They make progress a habit, not a hope.
They install the operating system before they get the title.
That’s the real differentiator.

If the goal is real, the process is the path.
If the process feels impossible, maybe the goal isn’t yours.

Own the process. Change the result.
Let your behavior signal your value.

PS: This post was inspired by James Clear
(see comments)

“Networking doesn’t work.”

I hear it every week.

But the problem isn’t networking -- it’s how we’re doing it.
Too wide.
Too generic.
Too many people who know you… but don’t think of you.

The future isn’t bigger networks.
It’s smarter clusters.

Small circles. Real context. Actual connection.

New episode drops the why, and what to do next. 🎧
https://lnkd.in/ehWsJGDU

taplio

The Battle

Colleen Paulson

Loren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreColleen Paulson's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreLoren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Colleen Paulson

Loren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff

Followers

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

Performance ScoreLoren (Executive Career Strategist) Greiff's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreColleen Paulson's LinkedIn Performance