At 61, Loren Greiff has no desire to quietly fade to the periphery of the workforce. Instead, the executive career coach is fighting back against ageism and outdated myths about work that often prevent those over 40 from taking their next really big step.
Greiff, who is based in Asheville, North Carolina, founded her firm, PortfolioRocket, in 2020 after two decades working in executive search and recruitment.
Her timing was deliberate. At 54, she had spent her life working inside one of the planet’s most esteemed executive search firms and moving through corporate life as a veteran executive herself.
She observed a trend: brilliant prospects beyond 40 were being cast aside by corporations and by their own second thoughts.
Rather than accept that older workers were destined to be passed over, Greiff decided to build a platform to fight back. Since then, she has helped clients land roles at major organizations.
The secret obstacle: self-undermining
“The first belief, and also the biggest lie, is that they’re powerless against ageism,” Greiff said to Business Insider.
She contends that internalized bias can be equally destructive as outward prejudice. Older job hunters frequently accept expressions like “overqualified,” “too pricey,” or “not a culture fit” at face value.
In truth, she noted, those terms frequently double as code for some deeper structural flaw, or are simply cop-outs. She has devised five strategies she believes 40+ prospects can use to rethink their value, showcase their relevance, and ultimately overcome age bias.
1. Experience is not always worth it
One of Greiff’s most common observations is the fallacy that years working equal being relevant.
Twenty years of work can sound great, but unless applicants can show evidence that they’ve grown and evolved over time, it is likely less desirable than someone with a few years of fresh, high-impact work.
“Experience is time; relevance speaks to the impact to lead and drive for now and what’s next,” she said.
But managers are looking for more than a résumé and seniority. They are looking for evidence of flexibility and troubleshooting, and adaptability in the moment. “Decision makers seek agility and willingness to learn outside of what you already know,” Greiff said.
Do not wait for the tenure of your career to speak for itself. You have to show how you are relevant today.
2. Don’t speak in the past tense
Another subtle but significant trap, according to Greiff, is how candidates describe their work.
“The market cares less about what you’ve done. It cares more for what you’re doing.”
Resumes and LinkedIn Profiles are commonly formatted like obituaries with past accomplishments stated in the past tense. However, Greiff warns that this produces “has-beens” and not vision-driven professionals.
She suggests reframing in the present tense. Revenue and partnership growth expander, and systematically advancing global brand health from bottom-tier to near-leadership status.
The change might seem insignificant, but it signals to hiring managers that you’re active, engaged, and still relevant.
3. Publish “tomorrow stories,” never “yesterday stories”.
Greiff urges applicants to steer clear of stories that present them as yesterday’s news and instead suggests combining past success with data indicating future worth.
For instance, rather than stating 20 years of experience in technology, reframe it to Company transformer by integrating AI, most recently cutting costs by 40%.
This type of framing puts employers at ease by letting them know you’re not simply dwelling upon past greatness, you’re still producing quantifiable outcomes and are capable of doing it going forward.
4. Demonstrate you’re continuing to learn
Another useful way to overcome age bias is to demonstrate you are committed to lifelong learning. The majority of occupations are changing radically and are eager to discover that applicants, regardless of age, can adapt to them.
Greiff suggests it is not necessarily a case of formal courses or certifications. Achievements can equally serve by being personal.
She remembered once having a 50-year-old client who was seeking to go for C-suite jobs. Rather than using only her CV to showcase her qualifications, the client told her she had recently trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro.
“In every networking conversation, her mountain stories became a metaphor for her agility and capabilities,” Greiff said. “Anyone can take a course, but it takes a unique character to train and climb a serious mountain like Mount Kilimanjaro.”
These kinds of illustrations can help older applicants stand out by revealing grit, curiosity, and flexibility, all things employers want.
5. Emphasize career advancement
Also, Greiff insists older applicants should present their working life as a work in progress and not a done chapter. That means accepting so-called “patchwork” activities like freelancing, consulting, or project work.
She told of a technology customer who thought he had aged out of technology. Rather than concealing freelance activities, he proudly displayed all 22 gigs on his profile at LinkedIn.
“Most older workers think job-hopping makes you look like you’re inconsistent or can’t hold down a job,” said Greiff. “But he made it look like he wasn’t bouncing around, he was building.”
That repositioning paid off. Interviewers perceived him as an innovative expert who was always learning and growing, and not as someone who had maximized years back. He walked out with an offer from a Big Tech firm.
Reframing the Narrative of Work Aging
With Greiff, those strategies aren’t only about the next move. They’re about rewriting the entire narrative involving aging and being an older executive.
And though ageism has by no means disappeared, she feels employees have more power than they believe to determine how they are perceived.
“Energy beats experience when packaged right,” Greiff explained. “Age becomes irrelevant when your value becomes undeniable.”
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