Career
Success After 50
If
you think it's too late to start a new career after age 50, think again!
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.
Careers After 50 - Further Reading
Please read the articles below for more specific information
regarding careers for workers over 50:
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