According to Age UK, there are now more people over the age of 60 than under the age of 18 in the UK and with the phasing out of the default retiring age of 65, we are working longer than we did 20 years ago. But gone are the days of a job for life where you could automatically expect to work 30 even 40 years in the same company. With ever increasing change it is essential to keep yourself marketable at all ages and considering the length of time we work, important to do work that you love.
Once they get to their forties and fifties, many women think it is too late to change career but I can assure you that it is not. My eldest client was in her 60s and made a successful career change following redundancy.
I myself was 44 when I left the organisation that I had worked in for almost 28 years to go to university, do a Masters in Coaching Psychology and start my own business.
If you have been doing your job for many years and would like to make a change but are thinking that you are too old, the following 7 tips will help you make a mid life career change and do work that you love.
Don’t fear being looked over for someone younger as there are many organisations that value the depth of experience that a mature person can bring to the company.
#1 Develop the confidence to take that step
You need to make the decision that yes, you are really going to do something about it and be confident to carry it through. If you are feeling fearful then address your fears. What is it that you are afraid of? Are you thinking that because of your age you will not get another job?
Faced with redundancy and in her 60s, my client felt that she was too old to get another job. Not in a position to retire, she needed to continue working. Because she thought that she was too old to get something else, her confidence had been affected and she was not looking for jobs within her skill set. People all around her were telling her that she wouldn't be able to get anything else because of her age which fuelled her fears.
I helped her to see that she had a wealth of skills and experience to give to an organisation and she developed the confidence to go for the job she really wanted. She also recognised that other peoples’ fears did not have to be her fears and came to the realisation that if an organisation did not want her because of her age, she wouldn't want them anyway.
#2 Be clear about what really matters to you
Research by Maneiro and Sullivan in 2006 found that when a woman gets to her late career she seeks authenticity in her career. I myself have found that to be the case for myself and for the women I work with.
Who are you and what really matters to you? What was important to you in your 20s may have changed now that you’re in your late 30s, 40s or 50s. Your values go to the core of who you are and should be taken in to consideration when making a career change no matter what age you are. For example, if being ethical is important to you, pursuing work in an organisation that has unethical practices is not a wise move.
#3 What are you good at
Identifying their skills and being able to articulate them on a CV or application form is something many women struggle with when they have worked in the same job for many years. Make a list of all the skills that you have and highlight those that you particularly enjoy.
If you are not clear what skills you have, a quick look at your job description will remind you. Identify what skills need developing and how you will do this.
#4 Develop brand you
What do people say about you when you’re not in the room? Is this the kind of image that you want to portray?
What is your vision for your life and career? What are your passions and interests? What are your values? What experience and skills do you bring to the table?
Does what people say about you match your values? If not, identify what it is that you need to do to develop the image that you want to be known for?
Let this be reflected in the things that you do, the things that you say and how you appear and don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk.
#5 Values + skills + passion = your ideal job
Brainstorm roles that match your values and that will enable you to utilise the skills that you are good at and that you enjoy using. Find out more about these roles and what is involved.
If you are tired of working for someone and want to now work for yourself, or you’re finding that you constantly get passed over for someone younger, how can you utilise what you enjoy; what matters to you and what you are good at to something that fills a market need? Research your business idea to determine whether it is viable and if so, get support to put together your plan and get your business started.
I am increasingly working with women starting their own businesses in their 40s and 50s, many of whom start their business whilst still working and then as their business grows, give up their job. In the US (statistic from 2013) it was found that 23.4% of all new businesses were started by people aged 55-64 in 2012, up from 14.3% in 1996.
There is also an increase in women starting businesses worldwide. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor reported that in 2012, an estimated 126 million women were starting or running new businesses in 67 economies around the world. This compares to, 104 million women in 59 economies in 2010
#6 Do your research
Identify vacancies that you are interested in and research the organisations. What are their values? Do their values align with yours? Having completed a values elicitation exercise, one of my clients identified the real reason for her unhappiness at work was that the values of the organisation did not match hers. She was expected to treat customers in a way that did not align with her values.
Does the organisation walk the talk? Are the values that the organisation states evidenced in the forward facing employees? You can often tell the true values of an organisation by the people who are in client facing roles.
#7 Take the plunge
When you know what you want to do, go for it.
If you’re still thinking that because of your age you can’t make a change, remember, I was 44 when I started my business and here is a list of other people that have made a change to their careers at mid life?
- Susan Boyle achieved worldwide recognition for her singing talent at age 48
- Tony Morrison published her first novel The Bluest Eye at age 40
- Laura Ingalls Wilder published the Little House on the Prairie at 65
- Colonel Sanders started the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise at age 65
If we can do it, so can you.
Originally published on LinkedIn
