Finished at 50, Job Search in the New Age
Category : change, fifty, job search
There are now over 68.2 million people over the age of 50 in the United States. This comprises one-third of the adult population and this number should reach 115.4 million in the next 25 years.
Many 50-plus adults are in new or renewed stages of family life because people are staying in school longer, delaying marriage and putting off having children. Lifestyle changes such as divorce mean more adults are starting second families in their 40s and 50s. Some adults will not enter the retirement or ‘empty nest’ stage traditionally associated with individuals aged 50 and over until they are in their 70s, if at all.
For many people, they face a mid-life career crisis when they turn 50. At 50, an individual can no longer pretend he/she is young, but if a person is healthy and active, they are most likely not feeling old, either. Even though youth may be in the past, their most productive years may still be ahead.
The days when a person could join an organization and receive automatic job security, benefits, pay raises and promotions are pretty much gone forever. Work is structured differently now. The key today is knowing how to survive and grow in the midst of change. To do that, one must take responsibility for managing their own career.
For many people retirement is not an option for a variety of reasons. Some people keep working because they have to financially. Others want to continue feeling useful or want to continue working to do something that keeps them excited 8-12 hours a day.
So, how do individuals overcome unflattering stereotypes of older workers? Age is often referred to as a subtle bias. Most companies recognize the need to address gender, race, and sexual orientation diversity, but few have done anything but ignore age diversity.
The federal government has already addressed age discrimination with the 1967 Age Discrimination Act. Unfortunately, there are many exceptions to the above rules and a savvy employer can find a way around the rules.
Despite the statues and laws, age discrimination exists. Younger workers are willing to worker longer hours for less pay despite lack of experience. And for organizations this is an effective remedy for the budget blues.
The myths about older workers are outdated and in a society that is now information based, older workers have the knowledge, skills and experience to excel in the work world. For the majority of older workers what they don’t know they can willingly and easily learn.
Age and experience can be a plus if one learns how to value work and life experience. To find a position, an individual must assess their strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. They must also identify skills, experiences, talents, interests, values and personality characteristics. Job hunters from this population must focus on actual work content and not a job title.
Age can also be viewed as a state of mind, one that can be controlled and should be controlled when competing against younger workers for the best jobs. For instance, don’t give clues about age. Avoid discussing age or dates of high school or college graduation or anything that could potentially label a person as “over the hill.”
Using tired phrases like “in my day” is a negative, as well as exhibiting prejudice or relying on outdated business practices. Falling technologically behind is another negative. Learning is a lifelong process and it is never too late to learn what is needed to succeed. Finally, staying fit and healthy is important but keeping one’s wardrobe, hairstyle and grooming fresh and current is even more important in making a good impression.
When interviewing or working with younger people, older individuals should not focus on the differences between them, but should attempt to find what they may have in common. It could be hobbies, shared values or common interests. When the focus is on shared interests, age will matter less and less.
There is no doubt we are in an environment and time of rapid change. Peter Drucker states there now is a transformation or shifting “where society altogether rearranges itself; its world views, its basic values, its social and political structures, its arts, its key institutions.”
William Bridges, author of JobShift and Transitions states “so many people look at change as a disruptive element, as something that takes something away from them.” Some people keep hoping that our society and the world of work will go back to what it used to be where there was more company loyalty and in return, the corporation guaranteed lifetime employment.
Of course, nothing can ever be as it was and so I view change as not taking something away, but as presenting all of us young and old with opportunities and possibilities, both good and bad. Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”