"YOU DON'T STOP PLAYING BECAUSE YOU GROW OLD. YOU GROW OLD BECAUSE YOU STOP PLAYING" THIS APPLIES...

This concept also applies to recruiting. At least it does for me, now going on 40 years in the discipline.

Do you youngsters, I mean, younger professionals in the business see yourselves doing this kind of work for a few more years, or until the phone is removed from your cold, dead hand?

Comment by Valentino Martinez on June 20, 2011 at 12:53pm: Footnote: I regularly compete in Track & Field (T&F) competitions, when time and funds allow, throughout the country during the T&F season.

These competitions either invite all ages, or are structured for older athletes, e.g., Masters T&F meets require athletes to be 30 years of age and older; or Senior Olympic T&F meets which requires a starting age of 50 and older to compete.

The quote I featured in this blog post, which is one of my favorites, was emblazoned on the back of a T-Shirt issued to all contestants who competed in the Kansas Senior Olympic Games back in 2007...fyi.

By the way, I've managed to win the Gold Medal in the Kansas, California, Missouri, St. Louis, and National Senior Olympics for a number of years...

Comment by Mark Bregman on June 20, 2011 at 4:46pm: Valentino,

As a Sexagenarian (just means in my 60's), after 27 years in recruiting (which was a second career!) I am still active, although I have a team that does first line calls for me. So, I'm not truly recruiting, but qualifying, persuading, coaching etc. I think one can be on the phone with candidates for as long as your mind can stay one step ahead. That isn't a function so much of age as the ability to focus, think quickly, and have a robust tool box at hand.