Changing Jobs at 50+

By Denise Taylor

50+ and in our prime.

We’re not ready to settle down we want to make the move to do something that makes us happy. Not settle for what has gone before.

But talk with friends, and they may try and talk us out of it. They tell us we already have a good job, and it’s pretty safe. So what are some of the things we need to consider?

Here are 7 things we can do to help us make a choice.

 1. Know our skills:

If we think about changing jobs, we may wonder what we could do. We should not feel constrained by our CV, but unpick it and see all the underlying skills, and not just those gained from work, what about the ones gained from home, hobbies and other interests?  These are probably not on our CV so we need to take time to review our life and

2. Understand what is important:

Possibly with the mortgage nearly paid off, and the children left home, we could manage on less money. So making career decisions based on salary may not be the priority, it’s much more about doing something that we really want to do – living a life in line with our values.  So we need to take some time to clarify what our key values are.

3. Putting yourself first:

For many people, our children have been our priority, but now they are working they’re adults and so they will be responsible for their own lives. This gives us more time and energy to do more of what is right for us. So we can now make decisions on the basis of what we want not what others want. Also when our children and friends see us take bold decisions, it might encourage them to do so as well.

4. Being mature is a plus:

So much in the media worships the cult of youth, but as we get older we have much more experience, and can often stay calm when dealing with problems and can draw on our knowledge. This means that we are less likely to be affected by setbacks, we know we have come through these before and will be able to do so again.

5. Using our friends and contacts:

Over the years we will have got to know many people, some we will class as friends, others are more like business associates, but these people know people and can help give us the contact we need to both find out more about new careers and also to help us get an introduction to that important contact.

6. Let’s not forget that you may face some challenges but these can be overcome!

We may be interviewed by someone who really is young enough to be our son or daughter, and frankly they can find it difficult both recruiting and also managing someone more mature, so we need to make it clear that we are certainly young in outlook and give examples of ’embracing change’. We need to let them know that it’s not a problem for us, but we also need to be careful not to be too assertive in our views on how things can be done, we can always learn from others.

7. However, once we decide to move into a new area, we are likely to get through the learning curve quicker

We can use our transferable skills and knowledge that will help us to solve many problems and deal with challenges. If we’ve done our research we will also be much clearer on why we’ve applied for work in this new area, be keen to make a success and thus focus our energy there.

Brought to you by Denise Taylor, chartered psychologist and award winning career coach. Denise  is the author of "Find Work at 50+".  If you want help in understanding your values, making a career choice or any aspects of job search you can contact Denise at http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk

 

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