Years ahead: Interviewing for a job with someone younger than you can be a challenge

If you’re clearly much older than your interviewer, fight any urge to treat them like a child. It’s likely that the person you’re interviewing with has enough confidence to handle your occasional sneer or misguided question but that doesn’t mean they have to accept it. If you come across as the TV-dad-type, there’s a good chance you won’t get called back for a second interview.

First, don’t condescend. As difficult as it may be to avoid coming off as skeptical or all-knowing, it’s important for older job seekers to keep their expert opinions in check. No one wants to be told — directly or indirectly — that their potential hires are surprised their likely boss is so young. The more you talk down to an interviewer, the less likely your chances of ever getting hired. While it’s one thing to subtly stress your potential value as a sounding board for ideas and strategies, it’s another to make the person conducting the job interview feel inferior in any way. Your goal is to make your interviewer comfortable. There are plenty of younger managers who value someone with experience on their staff. They just don’t want that someone to be a condescending knowit-all.

Too often, older workers show mild disdain for companies even as they seek to be hired by them and they let their interviewer know it — whether they mean to or not. Candidates may discredit a company’s online success, fret over their emphasis on social media and question their long-term loyalty to their clients. While you may offer some strategic tips once hired, you’ll want to keep those eye rolls on the inside of your head. You should know as much as possible about a particular company. If you’re interviewing with a start-up and are having trouble learning specifics about the company itself, study its industry and react accordingly.

While no one expects you to jump on a desk, be enthusiastic. One of the bigger concerns that younger managers have with older employees is that as new members of a team, they won’t be able to maintain the same level of energy as others on staff. And not just in physical terms. Managers want to know that their new hires are able to communicate well with others, maintain relationships in the office and can have an engaging presence on social media.

Finally, despite the urge to talk about every job you’ve ever had, don’t. Keep your experience limited to your most recent jobs unless asked. There’s a fine line between experience and nostalgia when presenting your work backstory. While it may seem interesting to you, your potential manager is much more interested in what you’ve accomplished in recent months. Remember, you’re getting hired to do a particular job.

It’s a given that your experiences have contributed to who you are and how you work so there’s no need to bring up the old stuff.