You know you’re getting old when the cops start looking like kids!

All joking aside, a similar sentiment occurs to a lot of mature job seekers during interviews.
There’s a moment when they walk into the room, look the interviewer in the eye, and realize that he or she is young enough to be one of their kids’ friends. Then they feel like turning around and walking right back out the door because they’re worried that they won’t be able to connect, or that they’re going to be judged for their age instead of their skills.

If you’ve ever felt this way, take heart because it’s a natural reaction.

Similarly, the interviewer is often feeling the same thing – only in reverse. They wonder if they’ll be able to connect because you’re older. However, the difference between the two of you is this:

The younger interviewer doesn’t have your decades of life and work experience. As a result, regardless of the job title for which you’re interviewing, the natural leader in this scenario isn’t the younger interviewer – it’s you.

This is a tricky social dynamic that every experienced job seeker must be able to navigate because it’s very different from the “traditional” job interview setting and chances are high that you’ll encounter this from time to time.

To help you navigate tricky situations like this more effectively, Check out the Interview Success Formula.