I love this phrase. Say it with a smile, and it means you are wise, savvy, and seasoned. You’ve seen how things work. You can’t be fooled easily. You know which shortcuts lead somewhere and which lead nowhere.

But in a hiring room, the same words can turn against you.

To some interviewers, “around the block” sounds like too many laps. Too many years. Too set in your ways. Not for us.

Remember Dale Kleber, the 58-year-old lawyer I wrote about? When he was shut out of a job whose ad capped experience at seven years, he said it plainly: he was rejected because he had “been around the block a few times.”

The same phrase. One meaning honors you. The other dismisses you.

I choose the first.

Here is what every lap around the block gives you.

You know the neighborhood. You can read a room, a client, a contract. You notice what newcomers miss.

You know where the potholes and speed bumps are. You have made mistakes and learned from them, so your team doesn’t have to repeat them.

You know the people. Decades of relationships, trust, and goodwill walk through the door with you.

You know the way home. When a project gets lost, you can calmly find the path back.
None of that is wear and tear. It is wisdom.

I have been around the block more than a few times myself. Actor, headhunter, coach at 58, real estate business at 60, published author at 74. Every lap taught me something I still use today.

So own the phrase. In your next interview, say it with pride and follow it with proof:

“I’ve been around the block a few times, and here is what that means for you. I’ve solved this problem before. I know what to avoid. And I can help your team get there faster.”

That changes the conversation. You are no longer the candidate with too many years. You are the guide who knows the way.

To every hiring manager: when someone tells you they’ve been around the block, don’t hear “too old.” Hear “I know the road.”

And to every maturing reader: keep walking. The block is still yours. There is more to discover around the next corner. You’re a vintage warrior. Lead with wisdom, life experience, expertise, skills, confidence, and dignity.

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

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This also matters – Say No to Age Discrimination.

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