This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Israel Garcia, the
principal consultant on digital and AI transformation at Cambridge Experts, a UK-based consultancy company that focuses on tech product strategy. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.
After years of working in technology and AI consulting, I found myself making an unexpected career move: shaving off my beard.
The beard had gone almost completely gray, and as I interviewed for roles in AI and tech, I started to worry it was sending the wrong message. On paper, my experience looked strong. But when I met hiring managers who were often half my age, I couldn’t ignore the contrast.
I wasn’t just trying to look younger. I was trying 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: focus on the message you’re sending with how you look.
My appearance didn’t match the message I wanted to send
I’ve spent years helping companies build AI strategies and systems, and I’ve worked in technology long enough to understand how first impressions work.
When I looked at photos of myself before I shaved, I saw a long beard with gray hair everywhere. I started thinking about the roles I was pursuing and the people interviewing me. Many of them were significantly younger than me.
Before, I thought looking older helped me seem more experienced, more credible, and more like leadership material.
The issue wasn’t age itself. It was perception.
In my view, every interview starts before you say a word. The way you present yourself sends a message. If you’re interviewing for a highly technical 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 for leadership.
It’s the same with age.
It is not about how old I am. I just didn’t want to look old-fashioned or out of touch. I felt the image I was presenting wasn’t aligned with the message I wanted employers to receive.
That’s why my advice is to think less about appearance itself and more about the impression they’re trying to create. Do you want to communicate deep experience? Technical expertise? Energy? Leadership? Your appearance should support that message.
AI companies want experience and adaptability — and that’s a difficult balance
One of the contradictions in tech is that companies want experience, but they also want people who fit into a culture that often skews young.
In AI, especially, companies are looking for people who are adaptable, flexible, and able to move quickly as technology changes. At the same time, they want the benefit of years of experience.
That’s a difficult combination to find.
I’ve worked with people less than half my age, and because I look more senior, people often assume I have credibility before I’ve even spoken. Experience carries weight. But there’s also a perception that older workers may be less flexible or less able to adapt to rapid change.
I think that’s why many experienced professionals who have recently been laid off from large tech companies may struggle when they move into newer AI startups. The culture can feel different, and there can be pressure to prove that you’re still adaptable and aligned with where the industry is heading.
At the same time, younger workers face the opposite problem. They may fit the image companies want, but they don’t yet have the experience employers are asking for.
In many ways, companies want everything at once: experience, flexibility, cultural fit, and long-term commitment.
That’s why I tell people not to obsess over looking 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 wasn’t about hiding my age. It was about making sure my appearance reflected who I am today and where I want to go next.
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