Don’t Ask for a Job. Ask What Problem You Can Solve. By Mark Juarez

What if experienced professionals could create new opportunities by helping employers solve problems they may not even recognize?

We often advise job seekers to improve their résumés, update their LinkedIn profiles, and prepare for interviews. These steps matter. But there may be another way to demonstrate value.

Instead of asking, “Do you have a job for me?” imagine asking, “What challenges is your organization facing, and how might my experience help?”

That question changes the conversation.

Look Beyond the Obvious Problem

A company struggling with employee turnover might focus on recruitment or compensation. But other factors—such as management practices, communication, or a lack of recognition—might also contribute.

A business experiencing customer complaints might invest in new systems or additional training without first examining the challenges employees face in serving customers.

The point isn’t to assume we know what’s wrong. It’s to ask better questions, listen carefully, and investigate whether opportunities for improvement exist.

Experienced professionals can bring valuable perspective to this process. Their knowledge, judgment, and experience may help organizations see challenges from a different angle.

Turn Experience Into Opportunity

What if employers and experienced professionals approached one another through small, clearly defined projects?

An employer could identify a business challenge. A professional could help investigate its causes, propose practical improvements, and evaluate the results.

The project would have agreed-upon objectives, measurable outcomes, and fair compensation.

This approach would give employers an opportunity to assess a person’s abilities through actual work rather than relying solely on a résumé or assumptions about age. It would also give experienced professionals a way to demonstrate what they can contribute.

Not every project would lead to a permanent job. Some might lead to additional assignments, consulting opportunities, or employment. Others might simply help an organization address a specific challenge.

The value would be in testing the idea and learning from the results.

From Awareness to Action

Ageism Awareness Day invites us to reconsider assumptions about age and ability. One practical response is to create more opportunities for experienced professionals to demonstrate their value.

We could begin with a small pilot involving five professionals and five employers. Each participant would work on a defined business challenge, with results evaluated against agreed-upon measures.

The pilot could help determine whether this approach benefits employers and professionals—and whether it deserves to be expanded.

The central idea is simple:

Don’t ask an employer to imagine your value. Create an opportunity to demonstrate it.

Perhaps the next opportunity for an experienced professional won’t begin with a job opening.

Perhaps it will begin with a question:

What problem can I help you solve?

Mark Juarez founded The Happy Company in 1992 and is interested in the role human connection, appreciation, and workplace culture can play in helping people and organizations thrive.