What happens when decades of communications experience still aren’t enough to get noticed? Michael Keegan shares what he has learned during a nearly two-year job search, including the challenges of ageism, being considered overqualified, ATS filters, ghosting, and a difficult Washington, DC employment market. The conversation also explores how AI is changing communications careers, why experienced professionals need to adapt without discounting their expertise, and why human judgment, messaging, and real-world experience remain valuable skills that AI cannot replace.
Michael’s profile
linkedin.com/in/michael-keegan
Key Takeaways
Long-term unemployment can make even highly experienced professionals question their skills, resume, and career strategy.
Experienced candidates can face assumptions about age, adaptability, digital skills, salary expectations, and being overqualified.
AI is changing communications by automating tasks such as first drafts and press releases, but it cannot replace strategic judgment and message development.
Learning to use AI as a tool can help experienced professionals remain competitive without abandoning the expertise they have built throughout their careers.
Long career histories can create resume challenges when candidates must decide how much experience to include without highlighting their age.
ATS keyword filtering can make it difficult for qualified candidates to demonstrate the full value of their experience.
Being willing to accept a more junior position does not necessarily eliminate employer concerns about overqualification or age.
Ghosting becomes especially frustrating after candidates invest significant time in multiple interviews.
Experienced professionals bring judgment, context, crisis experience, and an understanding of audiences that cannot easily be replicated by technology.
Hiring managers should consider the talent and experience a candidate brings, not simply how closely that person matches a job description.
Timestamps
00:00 Michael’s two-year job search
02:50 Why the job market became harder
03:55 How AI is changing communications
05:39 Learning to use AI
06:28 Second-guessing after hundreds of applications
08:36 Ageism and experienced candidates
10:46 ATS filters and overqualification
14:37 Ghosting after job interviews
18:07 Signs the job market may improve
19:56 Why experience still matters
Keywords
long-term unemployment
experienced candidates
ageism in hiring
AI in communications
job search
candidate ghosting
overqualified candidates
Applicant Tracking Systems
communications careers
hiring experienced workers
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