looking older

[Karen]

My son has had a job interview for assistant manager. He is 31 and looks 18 or so. He has all the qualifications and experience but does not look he age and he is affraid that interviewers see him as not being able to do the job because of his youthfull looks. Any suggestions?

[Dick Bruggeman]

What comes to mind is "You can't judge a book by it's cover". First impressions are of course very important. Yet beyond that impression other issues such as maturity, ability to interact with others, prior experiences and the ability to fit into the current culture really matter. People are hired to solve an employers problem / challenge. Rather then worry about looks have your son concentrate on interview preparation and handling himself as a budding manager would during that interview. If he is able to add a youthful appearance to the mix fine. Yet successfully completing the interview is the issue and that must be the target.

Best Wishes,
Dick Bruggeman

[Martin Johnson]

Hi Karen,

I have had the same problem as your son. In my mid 20s I was a substitute teacher for high school and could easily pass as one of the students. In fact many of the students looked older than I did.

Anyway, for job interviews I found it most helpful to address any concerns of the interviewers proactively without them having to ask me. I would say something like, "Often times when people first meet me they think I am very young, but I'm between 10-15 years older than what anyone would guess. (This is the good part.) Let me assure you, that no matter how young I look I am an excellent leader. I have accomplished x, y, z with ___years of experience. I have been trained in x, y z, and i am the best person for this position...etc. I have the energy, the determination, and the years of experience to add immediate value to the company etc. "

I have even been interviews where I have said, "I know I look young but I'm actually 35 (or whatever)." Some of the HR experts on this site may tell you why that's a bad idea, but I have done it in an interview because I thought it would help me and I ended up getting the job.

Hope that helps.