Can my professional “experience” really work against me?

In Part 3 of our 3-part series on Career Search Frustration we tackle the double standard and traps surrounding the word “experience”.

“No Experience Required” Jobs

When first entering the work force the number of jobs that can be applied to is large.  There is a seemingly endless array of jobs that are “Entry Level” or “No Experience Required”.  No one dreams of these positions.  They are merely a stepping stone – a rite of passage if you will.  It is the first, of what we assume will be many, steps up the corporate ladder.  No sooner than we have that first position, we are counting the days until we have gained enough “experience” for the next position.

As more and more experience is gained, the opportunities for advancement present themselves.  More experience. More opportunities.  More responsibilities.  More money!  The corporate climb to this point has been a positive…dare we say…”experience”.

When Work Experience Turns Negative

But seemingly out of nowhere, something changes.  All the experience we have worked so hard to gain is now a negative.

How did this happen?

How is this even possible?

The sad reality of today’s corporate culture is there are so many ways in which all the experience turns negative.

Why Are Those with Experience Looking for Jobs to Begin With?

First, the reason many people are in a career search and transition is in fact because of all their experience; when corporations need to make cuts to stop the bottom line bleeding where do they start?  Entry level positions making the least amount of money?  Sure, this happens but for those it is so much easier to find a replacement job somewhere else.

For the middle to upper level executives, it is their experience, and more accurately their salary, that is the first to go.

Recently we worked with a client who was one of 3 VPs from their office let go.  There were five VPs who kept their jobs.  However, part of their good fortune of retaining their jobs was the fact they had to absorb the work load of the three who were just let go.  An argument could be made for which set of individuals had the better end of the deal.

Hiring Someone with “Experience” Could Be Expensive

Now once an executive is on the hunt the dreaded “experience” word oftentimes works against them yet again.  While searching for a new candidate, a company may view decades of experience in a negative light.  Is this candidate too old?  Will this candidate cost too much for health care?  Will this candidate have salary demands that are too high?  Will this candidate be happy at this level job or will they want to continuing climbing the ladder…and possibly try to take the position of the person making the final decision on who to hire?

You Can’t Change Industries, Not the “Right” Experience

Want to try to change industries?  Good luck on having your experience transfer with you.  15 years as Director of Sales in health care and want to apply for Director of Sales in manufacturing that requires only 10 years of director level experience?  We are sorry, you don’t have the RIGHT experience.  Again, the experience works against us rather than for us.

The Franchise Experts at FranCoach Step In

FranCoach works with clients every day who have experienced the pain of too much experience.  The good news is, the franchisors we work with focus on just this…experience.  It does not matter what one’s experience is in, how much they have, or in what industry it is in.  All that matters, is our clients have a desire to take control of their career and life through business ownership.  The FranCoach process is designed to determine what the best franchise would be for everyone’s unique experience.

In short, if you are frustrated over how your experience is viewed in the corporate world, then let the experienced professionals at FranCoach help.  Reach out today to schedule an introductory call to learn more.