By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
“I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done.” —Robert Downey Jr.I h
I completed radiation treatment on Friday– 3 weeks of treatment for a non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I met the oncologist on Thursday. We had a good conversation and will meet again in January. Like in the quote above, I have been moving forward with discipline since receiving the diagnosis. Although it was true I felt off and a bit tired after treatment, it was never so debilitating that I wasn’t able to function. Thank goodness!
Things Change. You Will Have to Change, Too.
A story about a restaurant closing in NYC brought up my sentimental side. It had a cameo in the movie Taxi Driver and several TV shows during its existence, and now was being forced to close because the group that operated the property the restaurant was on agreed to vacate it for new housing and common areas.
New York City is a city of constant turmoil. Yankee Stadium was built on land where I played Little League baseball. Restaurants I went to for years are long gone, as am I. I now live in North Carolina in a more pleasant climate.
Since moving to Asheville, several world-class restaurants have come and gone. Open land is disappearing to developers, and friends have moved elsewhere.
When I started in tech recruiting, the hot skill that would guarantee someone would get a job was COBOL. Some of you reading this will wonder wtf that is. It is legacy technology that few use today, just as there are other dinosaur skills that few people care about anymore.
Change Is Relentless
Here’s the truth: change isn’t optional. It doesn’t ask for your approval or wait for you to be ready. It just shows up—whether in the form of new technology, shifting industries, changing demographics, or personal life moves.
Think about it. The world you entered the workforce in—whenever that was—is not the world you’re working in now. Industries rise and fall. The careers of yesterday become irrelevant. At one point, people were terrified that ATMs would kill banking jobs. They didn’t. They just changed them. The same is happening with AI today.
The Choice You Really Have
You don’t get to stop change. The only choice you have is how you respond. You either adapt—or you slowly fade out, insisting things should be “the way they used to be.”
I’ve seen both. The professionals who invested in continuous learning, who retooled their skills, who stayed flexible—they thrived. The ones who didn’t… well, let’s just say they wound up bitter, unemployed, and confused about why no one wanted to pay for what they had to offer anymore.
Adapting Without Losing Yourself
Adapting doesn’t mean abandoning who you are. It means translating your value into today’s language.
If your industry shifts, you reskill or pivot.
If your company downsizes, you rethink your career strategy.
If your life circumstances change, you adjust your priorities.
The people who succeed are not necessarily the smartest or the most talented. They’re the ones who accept reality quickly and take action while others are still in denial.
A Personal Example
When I left recruiting and moved into coaching full time, it wasn’t because the old work was “bad.” It was because the market had changed—and I had changed. Holding onto the past would have been a slow death. Instead, I built something new that still leverages what I know, but meets the needs of professionals navigating the modern job market.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to like change. You don’t have to cheer for it. But you do have to respect it—and adjust your life, your career, and your mindset accordingly.
Change will roll over the people who stand still. But those who adapt? They don’t just survive. They thrive.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2025
The Over 50 Professional’s Guide to Job Search Success: Proven Techniques to Overcome Age Bias, and Thrive in Today’s Job Market is exactly that. Most job-search advice treats you like a blank-slate new graduate without experience. You come with decades of expertise, office politics scar tissue, and hard-won success instincts. Every chapter speaks your language—fast, practical, no fluff. It is available for Kindle, paperback and as an audiobook.
I also released new content last week including:
Speak to Your References https://wp.me/p4aIk1-6d
Secret Executive Networking and Branding Hack https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nEk
Tell Me About a Time in the Last Week When You Felt Energized at Work https://wp.me/p4aIk1-bRm
They Let You Go. Now What? Master Life After a Layoff https://youtu.be/fWDMxNmbRFA
Some People https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gHN
What Recruiters Know That You Don’t: They Are Going to Backchannel Reference Check https://wp.me/p4aIk1-jjy
How Recruiters Steal Your Best People: People Take Credit for Their Work https://wp.me/p4aIk1-iY5
What Is an Effective Negotiating Strategy When Receiving an Offer That’s a Little Low? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-m8M
Why Have You Had So Many Jobs? https://youtu.be/iRzk_0OmuwQ
What Success Does Not Consist of https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gIv
Bouncing Back from a Rejection https://wp.me/p4aIk1-maS
How to Connect With The Hidden Job Market https://wp.me/p4aIk1-m9k
Become “The Solution” https://wp.me/p4aIk1-lXS
Who Gets Your Attention? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-81V
Why Interviews Die https://youtu.be/8OIFDl1Ek3E
What’s Working in Job Search https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nF4
No BS Career Advice: August 24 2025 https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nFe
The Two Most Important Steps You MUST Take Before You Start Negotiating https://wp.me/p4aIk1-6p
How and When to Follow Up After an Interview https://wp.me/p4aIk1-2kV
You Will Not Always Win https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gv0
Quitting Your Job Without a Backup Plan https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nFu
Stop Aging Yourself on Your Resume https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nFA
Why Should I Hire You When I Could Promote Someone? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-cWH
When It Comes To LinkedIn, Recommendations, Skills And Endorsements Matter https://wp.me/p4aIk1-ebk
The Layoff Journey https://youtu.be/v8m8EAa4CHM
Together https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gJl
Are You Playing By Someone Else’s Rules? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-iJu
Interview Like the #1 Choice: Win Interviews at Any Age https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nFY
How to Answer “The Secret Illegal Question” https://wp.me/p4aIk1-cGf
How Proactive Networking Will Prepare You For The Inevitable https://wp.me/p4aIk1-6E7
The Two Magic Words to Use in an Interview & The Story Behind The Story https://youtu.be/UUSmJmt5caw
Suffer Now https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gJN
Job Search Lessons From 15+ Years & 3000+ Episodes https://wp.me/p4aIk1-dJI
Don’t Wait to Be Laid Off! (Do This Now) https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nGb
One Mile South, One Mile East, One Mile North and Are Back in the Same Place https://wp.me/p4aIk1-1MS
Starting Your Career Change Journey https://wp.me/p4aIk1-8su
So Why Should I Hire You? https://youtu.be/-1rzPS5m50s
Schedule a free discovery call with me at www.TheBigGameHunter.us/schedule to discuss my coaching you.
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#BeGreat
Jeff Altman
The Game Hunter
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