Why Senior Job Seekers Should Lead With the Problems They Solve

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ehsan Ali discusses why generic “Open to Work” announcements can undersell senior professionals. This article reports on Ali’s argument: he says job seekers should present the value they offer, rather than focusing their post on the urgency of finding work.

“A hiring executive can see you need a job. But not why they should hire you.”

From job titles to a clear case for hiring

Ali points to posts that list several target roles—such as project management, delivery leadership and transformation—without specifying what the candidate can accomplish. In his view, that gives a network search terms but little reason to recommend the person. Naming possible jobs, he argues, is not the same as explaining a professional’s value.

His critique is particularly aimed at senior candidates. According to Ali, people with 15 or more years in IT may have led major transformations, reduced risk, saved money or built teams. A broad appeal for “anything suitable” can obscure that record. Ali describes the mismatch as painful because losing a job does not erase the experience behind it.

Make the experience visible

Ali urges senior job seekers to describe the business problems they can solve and support those claims with evidence. He sums up his suggested approach in three parts:

• Problem: Identify an expensive or consequential challenge the candidate can address.
• Proof: Show relevant results or experience.
• Proximity: Reach the people who know about, or influence, the roles in question.

As Ali notes, years spent managing systems that could not fail or delivering organizational change can form a stronger introduction than a list of job titles—provided the candidate makes those contributions concrete.

“So stop asking for a job. Start sharing the expensive problems you solve.”

Positioning without dismissing the difficulty

Ali calls the “begging” comparison harsh, and his post acknowledges the emotional weight of job loss. His central point is about how a public job-search message may be read: a post centered on need communicates urgency, while one centered on demonstrated expertise can help others understand where the candidate might contribute.

That advice does not guarantee a role or replace the practical work of networking and applying. Rather, Ali’s recommendation is to make a referral easier by giving contacts a specific problem, proof of relevant capability and a clearer sense of who should see the message.

Ali also points readers to his free guide, “Five Career Assets,” which he describes as a resource for senior IT individual contributors and leaders seeking to clarify and show their value. The guide is part of the post’s call to action; the broader argument is that experienced candidates should make their contribution legible before asking their network to help.