Over 50 and think it's too
late to start an exciting new career? Think again!
Older
workers who are considering a career change, or have been
displaced from their jobs, or who are re-entering the workforce after a
long layoff, face unique opportunities--and challenges--in today's
employment market. With the large Baby Boom
generation moving into their 50s and 60s, more and more older
workers are deciding to work well past traditional retirement age. In
fact, studies indicate that this will become the fastest growing segment
of the workforce in coming years. Some will continue working for
economic reasons, while others simply enjoy working, or decide to start
their own business, or want to volunteer at a charity or nonprofit
organization they're passionate about. Whatever the
reason, these mature workers are finding themselves back on the job
market, often competing with workers half their age. While this might
seem like an daunting challenge at first glance, workers making a
mid-life career change actually have more opportunities today than ever
before. Seasoned workers generally have an impressive array of skills, plus
wisdom and perspective not found in younger employees. Older men and
women are often more dependable then their younger counterparts,
complain less, are more productive, and normally don't have the
distractions of dating, partying, and starting families. Some
older workers consider themselves "pre-retirees," meaning that
they intend to retire in the next 5 to 10 years. Others are "working
retirees," people who've retired from full-time work but
choose to work part-time to supplement their income. Still others intend
to work full-time until they reach the point when they simply can't do
the work anymore, like professional athletes who are forced to retire
because they just can't "cut it" any longer. It's
been shown that people who stay active--both physically and
mentally--tend to age better than their sedentary
counterparts. People who retire and have no hobbies or other
creative outlets often see a rapid decline in their health, or find
themselves trying to fill their days by watching countless hours
of television or reading books and magazines. Some
mid-life career changers are intimidated by starting over and having to
learn a new set of skills, but this can be one of the pleasures of
starting a new business or career. And you can shorten the
learning curve by choosing a career that takes advantage of your current
strengths and interests. As far as learning new skills, just be
aware that there will be some initial difficulties and frustrations, but
overcoming these challenges is part of the satisfaction of making a
successful career change. Some things that are
important to older workers include:
Flexibility and autonomy in their work Desire to have their opinions heard and valued Ability to take time off to care for family members Work that contributes to society or helps people
So if you're over 50 and you've decided to make a career
change, and you're finding that it's taking some time to find a new
job, don't be discouraged. There are plenty of opportunities
out there, you just have to be patient and go looking for them.
Please
read the articles below for more information on this career topic.
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