Too Much Experience

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time in Corporate Land, I applied for a leadership role that fit my résumé like a glove. I had the experience, the track record, the scars, the receipts. I had literally trained people for this exact job.

I made it to round four.

That magical point in the hiring process where they stop pretending the job is new and start asking if you can fix it.

We’re talking real questions now:

“How would you handle a team that’s burned out?”

“What would you do if you inherited a project with no budget, no plan, and a deadline of yesterday?”

My internal monologue:

“Oh good, you want me to clean up the digital equivalent of a five-alarm fire. Got it.”

I answer. I smile. I present slides. I throw in a raccoon metaphor because I’m tired and honest and allergic to corporate buzzwords at this point.

Then comes the email:

“We’ve decided to move forward with candidates whose experience more closely aligns with our culture.”

Translation?

“You know too much. You might question Chad. Also, you cost money.”

Because let’s face it—they didn’t want wisdom.

They wanted someone they could mold.

Someone they could overwork, underpay, and emotionally confuse with vague feedback like “you’re doing great, but we’d love more synergy.”

They wanted the professional equivalent of an IKEA intern: affordable, easy to assemble, looks good in meetings.

And that’s the irony.

We spent years building skills, leading teams, surviving Karen’s team-building exercises and Steve’s 47-slide decks—and now we’re getting passed up for someone whose greatest strength is “vibe adaptability.”

Companies don’t want your wisdom.

Not because it isn’t valuable.

But because it can’t be controlled.

Wisdom doesn’t nod politely in meetings where nonsense is being presented like strategy.

Wisdom doesn’t download the team-building app just to smile in Slack.

Wisdom says, “That’s not sustainable,” and suddenly HR marks you as a risk.

But here’s the thing:

Wisdom remembers.

Wisdom rebuilds.

Wisdom can see a red flag through a tinted job post from six tabs away.

So yeah, maybe they’ll pass.

Maybe they’ll hire someone who uses the word “disrupt” unironically and doesn’t flinch at unpaid overtime.

Maybe they’ll mold them into the perfect culture fit.

But when the project collapses, the client bails, and the vibe turns into panic?

They’ll look for someone who can lead—not someone who just “stays hungry.”

And guess what?

We’ll still be here.

Wiser. Sharper. A little salty. But absolutely unshakable.

Because wisdom may cost more—but it always pays off.