11/22/2025
He Built a Top-Ten Dealership in the Nation. Now He Can't Get an Interview.
smart4ce: I’m talking with a highly accomplished GM. Top ten in volume nationally, mid-teens in millions of net profit. After a long, successful run with a major group, you've been looking for over a year. What's going on? I thought you'd land a big gig quickly.
GM: Me too. The reality is, I can't even get an interview, and I've applied to many groups.
smart4ce: What about the job you took six months ago?
GM: I took a job I shouldn't have. They hired me due to poor profitability, but the core problem was staff: family and friends of the owner. I faced major pushback the moment I suggested necessary changes. There was no way to fix the profit without fixing the team.
smart4ce: When did you decide to leave?
GM: I didn't quit. On a Friday, I corrected the service manager—who's related to the owner—for not staffing the service drive. Customers were waiting in a long line, ignored and frustrated. That Monday at 8:01 AM, I was called in and let go. After just 3 months of already improving their profits and CSI, they blew me out.
smart4ce: So, what's the plan now? What's the barrier?
GM: I'm continuing my search, but it's clear many companies aren't looking for a leader like me. They want a GSM with a GM title. I also believe my age is a factor. I started in this business in 1988. They see my experience and make assumptions.
smart4ce: Ageism is real, and I hear this story far too often.
smart4ce's Advice for Seasoned Leaders:
Refresh Your Resume: Your last 20 years of incredible work is enough. Omit your graduation year. Fill your resume with the metrics that prove you're a superstar—net profit, volume, CSI.
Activate Your Network: List top-level references on your resume (CEOs, Factory reps) and personally call them first to let them know you're on the hunt.
Practice Your Pitch: You've interviewed hundreds, but being interviewed is a skill. Practice extensively so you sound polished and prepared, not rusty.
Present Your Best Self: Get back in the gym. Looking unfit can unconsciously confirm the biases you're fighting against.
Be Strategically Flexible: Consider a role one level below. A superstar will be recognized and promoted quickly. The longer you're unemployed, the harder it gets.
This isn't about scandal or poor performance. It's about a broken perception that experience equals obsolescence. We're letting incredible, proven talent slip through the cracks.
Have you experienced or witnessed ageism in hiring? What should companies do to better value proven performance? Share your thoughts below
