Is Ageism a thing? Any seasoned sales guys get the feeling you are being passed up because of your age?
1000%. I got bounced out of an org at 85 days for "culture fit". Two other guys did shortly behind me. Oddly, we were all 45+ and replaced with ppl 10+ yrs our junior.
Definitely is, If your track record is good you'll probably get hired quickly , but when lay offs happens, and they will happen, unfortunately we are top of list , Thats why I selected a private company this go around ;)
Years ago, I got some advice to put my hair half up and wear chunky earrings for the goal of “always looking 36”. Give it a go! It works nicely, especially in a field where image matters.
Based on your question only being addressed to guys it looks like sexism is definitely a thing!
I wasn’t looking to spark a DEI debate. I asked a legitimate question. That said, fair point: I could’ve said “seasoned sellers” instead of “guys.” Where I come from, “you guys” was a catch-all for everyone in the room—no offense ever intended. It seems to me that once you’ve got 20+ years under your belt, you’re suddenly labeled “too senior,” “overqualified,” or the all-time favorite—“not the right cultural fit.” Translation? Companies would rather roll the dice on someone junior who’ll grind for peanuts and light up LinkedIn with hustle posts than bring in a proven operator who’s built a pipeline, carried a quota, and knows how to close at the enterprise level. This isn’t bitterness—it’s reality. It seems you don’t age out of talent. You age out of being cheap.
Unfortunately I think it's definitely a thing. I've seen it a lot in the last few years (as I've considered myself more "seasoned" than a lot of my peers. I'm in SaaS and there's no question that a lot of companies are very biased towards hiring people in their 20's/30's for SDR roles. For AEs it's a little bit better but unless you have a solid enterprise track record it can be tough to be successful as an outside hire if you're over 40. Sucks but that's what it seems like. I would guess that it's different in some different industries maybe?