Old, but not Ancient…

Facebook has decided I'm officially old…. 

I'm not sure when it made the call, but the ads it now serves me are range between: 

- You're fat, but this man-spanx t-shirt will make your gut less obvious. 

- Sign up to Chair Tai Chi - you're too old for stand-up exercise, try doing it sitting down. 

- We'll teach you AI in 60 days - because you obviously a buffoon who can't work a TV remote let alone understand Claude. 

I'm almost wistful for when Facebook thought I was young and pushed protein shakes, opportunities to meet local singles and base jumping. I’m equally fearful of the day it upgrades me to pushing incontinence pads and pre-paid funerals on me. Officially old, then. But not ancient. 

In recruitment, "old but not ancient" exists too. Redundancies have disproportionately hit this end of the market, while cost-of-living pressures keep people working who'd normally be winding down. It leaves a lot of good candidates in a purgatory not unlike my Facebook one — no longer chasing the next rung on the corporate ladder but still wanting to contribute meaningfully. The good news: there are roles built for exactly that.. 

- Interim roles - Helping an employer to solve a specific problem that the candidate has usually already solved before, bringing lessons of direct relevance rather than learning on the job. 

- Give-back roles - a move into the public sector to serve the community or industry bodies, lifting standards in the fields they built their careers in. 

- Training the next generation - steadying the ship in a senior role while mentoring a fast-tracked up-and-comer as a natural successor. 

My best advice if you're after one of these roles: find a recruiter you trust, ideally one with a reputation in your sector. So much hinges on their ability to build a narrative around your motivations; why interim, why the public sector, why you're the right person to mentor. It matters on the employer side too: companies rarely air their dirty laundry, so interim roles get vaguely advertised rather than spotlighting a weakness -but they'll happily brief a trusted recruiter on what the role actually needs, allowing you to pitch yourself and your experience accordingly. 

Look forward to seeing you all at the next seated Thai-Chi class. For those that don’t recognise me – I’m the guy wearing the man-spanx!!