I changed jobs in my 40s, and just by changing my business card, people's attitudes toward me changed. Is it pathetic? No, it's a strategy.

Hello, this is Ponzu.

The other day, I reunited with a vendor I used to work with at my previous job. A comment they made at that time has stayed with me ever since. Today, I'd like to write about what I thought about after that conversation.

Before changing jobs, I was a 'jack-of-all-trades' at a rural factory.

My previous job was in the IT department of a factory in the countryside.

The network isn't connecting. The printer isn't working. We're out of ink. The handheld terminal is frozen. It was a job like a jack-of-all-trades, picking up every 'trouble' that came along.

I was in a position where people in the company would say, 'Let's just ask Ponzu-san.' It wasn't glamorous at all, but I felt that I was relied upon by the staff on the floor.

In that environment, there was a vendor who had been helping me for years. They would accept even our unreasonable requests without a single complaint, and I truly relied on them. If I didn't know something technical, I would consult them first. That kind of relationship continued for years.

When I changed jobs in my 40s, the vendor's attitude changed.

Some time after I changed jobs, I contacted that vendor for the first time in a while. I said, 'Why don't you come to my new office? How about lunch?'

During our reunion, as we were talking about how things were going while eating, they said this right off the bat:

'Well, at a big company like this, there's nothing we can really propose...'

They looked half-joking and half-serious.

I couldn't help but reply, 'No, no, no, I haven't changed at all from a year ago.'

But the other person's attitude had clearly changed. When I was at my previous job, they would talk to me frankly, saying, 'Ponzu-san, what should we do about this?' but now they were somewhat distant. It was as if they were being overly polite or hesitant.

The only thing that changed was the company name on my business card. The person inside hasn't changed one bit. The same person is saying the same things. Yet, the way the other person perceives it has changed.

I still clearly remember the sense of discomfort I felt at that time.

Just changing my business card changed how I was evaluated. This was 'illusion assets'.

Triggered by this event, a term that had been in the back of my mind surfaced. It's 'illusion assets'.

It's a concept that became famous through Fromda-san's book, 'Life is determined by the power to make people misunderstand, rather than luck or ability'.

Simply put, it refers to assets that make people around you assume you are 'an amazing person' regardless of your actual ability. Educational background, job titles, the company you belong to, and past achievements. Such 'signboards' boost your evaluation independently of your actual capabilities.

This is exactly what happened to me.

I knew about it intellectually. I had read books on it and understood the concept. But when it actually happened to me, it gave me a bit of a chill. I thought, 'Ah, so this is it.'

Pathetic? No, you can use 'how you are perceived' as a strategy.

The important thing here is not to just end it by saying, 'What a sad reality.'

Try thinking about it in reverse. No matter how much ability you have, if your presentation isn't right, you won't be evaluated fairly. That is a huge waste, isn't it?

It takes time to improve your skills. But 'how you are perceived' can be changed starting today.

With just the way you write your resume, the same experience can look different. What you write in your X profile changes how your posts are received. Sometimes, just changing the first sentence of your self-introduction changes how people react to you.

Illusion assets are neither cheating nor bluffing. They are a strategy to properly convey your value to others.

Why a high school graduate who has changed jobs 6 times makes full use of illusion assets

I may sound like I'm preaching, but I myself make good use of illusion assets.

In my X profile, I write 'Listed Prime Company.' I also highlight it in my note self-introduction.

This isn't a bluff; it's a fact. But whether you 'write it or not' completely changes how the reader perceives it.

If I say, 'An IT staff member at a rural factory is talking about AI utilization,' versus 'An AI promotion manager at a listed Prime company is talking about it,' the message is received differently even if the content is the same. Even though it's the same me inside.

Honestly, I feel like it's a bit unfair. But if you have something you want to convey, I believe it's only natural to make an effort to ensure it reaches people.

However, there is one thing I am careful about.

Even if the sign gets bigger, don't start thinking that you have grown along with it.

That feeling I had when I replied to that vendor, 'No, no, no, I haven't changed at all.' I want to hold onto that forever.

You should use illusion assets as much as you can. But if you start having illusions about yourself, that's probably the end.

Is your experience from changing jobs in your 40s properly in a 'visible form'?

I have one question for those who have read this far.

Are your skills and experience being communicated to others in a proper way?

For example, your resume. Are you just listing what you've done? Even with the same experience, the way you write it changes how the other person perceives it.

For example, your profile on X or note. Does it just end with 'I am a company employee'? By writing just a little more specifically, the people you reach might change.

Efforts to improve your skills are, of course, important. But why not also focus on 'polishing how you are perceived' just as much?

And one more thing.

Even if your sign changes, remain the same person. A cost-effective strategy and the important things that have nothing to do with cost-effectiveness. I think having both is probably just right.

Summary of 'When I changed jobs in my 40s, people's attitudes changed'

People's evaluations are not determined by ability alone. The way the same person is treated changes depending on 'where they are' and 'how they appear.' That is the true nature of illusion assets.

That is why polishing how you appear is a sound strategy. But don't let yourself be deceived by the illusion. Even if my sign changes, I want to be the kind of person who can laugh and say, 'No, no, no, I haven't changed at all.'

Well then, I'll be heading out now.