This article is based on a conversation with Israel Garcia
Principal consultant for digital and AI transformation at Cambridge Experts, a UK-based consultancy focused on technology product strategy. This article has been edited for length and clarity.
After years of working in technology and AI consulting, I made an unexpected career move: I shaved off my beard.
The beard was almost completely gray, and when I interviewed for roles in AI and technology, I began to worry that it was sending the wrong message. On paper, my experience was strong. But when I met hiring managers half my age, I couldn’t ignore the difference.
I’m not trying to be young. I tried to make sure my appearance matched the image I wanted to project in one of the fastest moving industries in the world.
My advice to job seekers is simple: pay attention to the message you’re sending.
My appearance doesn’t match the message I want to send
I’ve spent years helping companies develop AI strategies and systems, and I’ve worked in technology long enough to understand how first impressions work.
When I looked at my photos before I shaved, I saw a long gray beard everywhere. I started thinking about the roles I would pursue and the people who would interview me. Many of them are younger than me.
Before, I thought that looking older helped me appear more experienced, more credible, and more like leadership material.
Age is not the issue. It is perception.
In my view, every interview starts before you speak a word. The way you present yourself sends a message. If you interview for a high-tech role and show up in a suit and tie, people may think you don’t fit the culture. If you’re interviewing for a CEO position in sneakers and a T-shirt, they may question whether you’re ready to lead.
Same with age.
It’s not about how old I am. I don’t want to be old fashioned or out of touch. I felt the image I was presenting didn’t connect with the message employers wanted to get across.
That’s why my advice is to think less about the look and more about the look they’re trying to create. Want to convey an immersive experience? Technical expertise? Energy? Leadership? Your look should support that message.
AI companies want experience and adaptability—it’s a difficult balance
One of the paradoxes in technology is that companies want experience, but they also want people who can fit into a culture that often skews young.
In AI, in particular, companies are looking for people who are adaptable, flexible and can move quickly as technology changes. At the same time, they want the benefit of years of experience.
This is a difficult combination to find.
I’ve worked with people younger than my age, and because I’m so senior, people assume I have credibility before I even speak. Experience carries weight. But there is also the perception that older workers may be less flexible or less adaptable to rapid change.
That’s why I think many experienced professionals who have recently been laid off from large tech companies may struggle when moving to new AI startups. The culture can feel different, and there may be pressure to prove that you’re more adaptable and where the industry is headed.
At the same time, younger workers face the opposite problem. They may fit the image that companies want, but they don’t yet have the experience that employers ask for.
In many ways, companies want it all at once: experience, flexibility, cultural fit and long-term commitment.
That’s why I tell people not to look younger. Instead, think carefully about the message you want to communicate. Your appearance, the language you use and the way you present yourself all work together.
For me, shaving my beard is not to hide my age. It was about making sure my look reflects who I am today and where I want to go next.