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Age 40 and beyond: a frightening frontier to cross. Read on for advice to anyone back on the hunt for a job in mid-life 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?' 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to', said the Cat. 'I don't much care where', said Alice. 'Then it doesn't matter which way you walk'. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. We're living longer and more active lives, and we're being faced with a retirement age of 65. With the prospect of a longer working life, it's natural to expect that more and more employees will be questioning their career at one point or another. There are considerations that the over-40s will keep in mind when contemplating this all-important step. Few are those who stick to one job for their whole life. You sit staring at the computer monitor and think, 'Am I going to be doing this for another 20 years?' That's when the decision to make a career change sets down its roots. It is also a case of re-entry for mothers whose children are fleeing the nest. But is it as difficult to find a new job at age 40, as is the common perception? Older & Wiser Why is age 40 significant? The saying, 'life begins at forty', bears witness to our recognition of 40 as a milestone. Maybe the reason that forty is so often mis-spelled on cheques (along with 'ninety'), is that it is a sore point? It's time to take stock of who we are, what we're doing and where we see ourselves going. Do we have the guts to remove the weeds and change the decisions that are not benefiting us? You may want to make a decision based from your heart's desire. Is this the chance to follow your passion, what you were really meant to do? Maybe you went off to university or accepted a formal job because your family programmed you to, but you really wanted to write, or sing, or run a guesthouse. By 40, you know what you don't want. The middle-age transition is a turning point, both a crisis and an opportunity. Job change and career changes are likely to occur in the mid-life transition that we all go through. However persons may stay within their field but make adjustments either into another area or in another slightly different direction, but building upon already established skills. Some persons may make a full one hundred and twenty degree change, and others may make a forty-five degree change. The emphasis on the shift from mastery to meaningful work becomes clear when we take a look at salary cuts and salary increases. Many who change job, take salary cuts to move to a new job. The acquisition of a more meaningful job, and a more creative and significant one may be the reason for a career change, making this the most frequent factor for a career change in mid-life. Persons are now seeking to answer the questions: what do I really want to do and to be in life? Is what I have been doing for the last twenty years really meaningful, creative and contributing to the health welfare and general good of society? Mid-life transition is truly a time of great opportunity in which the person will hopefully make a self-appraisal, self-assessment, and a re-evaluation of abilities, talents and gifts. In this way the person captures a spirit of confidence and self-renewal that will support him or her as she moves into mature adult life. This is your opportunity to re-assess your skills and identify areas you'd like to improve. The government offers so many evening courses that no one can say they can't afford to upgrade their skills. In order to beat the competition, no matter what their age, you will still have to prove that you are presentable, intelligent, motivated and willing to give 100 per cent. Look into your own skills and your needs, personal, professional and financial. Study the trends to see which industries and fields represent the best future. Use every opportunity you get to keep abreast of technology. In an office environment, employers will want to know that you have the basic computer skills of word processing, dealing with emails and possibly spread sheets too. Your age as such will not work against you, but not keeping up to date with technological advances will make you seem 'old' as well as inefficient. That Half-Full Glass There are several beliefs that stand in the way of confidence for the 40-year-olds contemplating a career change. The first common perception is that labour demand is limited. We also tend to think that employers prefer youth and energy to experience and maturity. Let's take a deep breath and think back to the Eighties. Weren't jobs few and far between then? You still managed to find one. And surely the young are just as likely to lament that employers require experience over eagerness. Yes, many job adverts do specify an age limit. But are these the jobs that you sincerely want to go for? Are you aiming too low? Your experience of twenty years hard slog should never be underestimated. You have learned so much in every job, and it is precisely these skills that can be transferred to a new job. Ultimately, it is confidence and a positive outlook that will not only find you your dream job, but will carry you through the interview experience. Creating Opportunities Take on the job hunt as though you were a warrior, not a victim. Traditional career planning is just about useless. It's not just because we are in an era of rapid change. It's because the old structures and the old rules are being torn down before our eyes. The word 'career' is becoming as outdated as the word 'typewriter'. The traditional path to success was: go to university, get a job, get promoted, and retire. Today's truth is no longer a straight line; it's something on the lines of a connect-the-dots puzzle. You will veer and swoop and possibly even backtrack for a while, but always with your eyes set on your destination. Naturally you will buy the newspapers every day to scour the classified section, and regularly browse through job sites. Networking should always be on your mind. Tell everyone you meet that you are considering a career change, because you never know when the opportunity will arise. A personal recommendation will always work in your favour. Identify where your future will lie. Find out everything about the job that interests you the most. Use your connections to gather the information. Present yourself as a candidate. Motivated individuals do not wait until an advert appears in the paper in order to apply for posts. Instead, they send in their CV directly to the companies they would like to be a part of. This is not the time to be a shrinking violet, but to blow your own trumpet. Keep your CV updated, and re-write it if need be so that your responsibilities are highlighted. Let everything about it, the font, paper and layout, reflect your maturity. A flattering, colour passport photo will also show you in your best light. You can also consider a recruitment company, where you will go through a meeting with the recruitment officer who will then try to match you to positions as they become available. If you're up to it, consider setting up your own business. If a person is 40 and has not set up a one-man band yet, he or she may never do so. In some cases these people may be better off finding a partner, or joining a group of one man bands who share office facilities and marketing ideas. Where possible, find a mentor who will take you under their wing and allow you to learn from their experience. Quo Vadis? Ignore the harbingers of gloom. There are always opportunities out there. But you will find that people will be scared of change, or possibly envious of your courage, and even so-called friends will dissuade you from taking risks. You are not too old for the job market if you are prepared to do the legwork. Stay fast to your goals. And another thing: we're not dogs. It is not true that the older people get, the more difficult it is to learn new tricks. If they really want to do it, they will find a way. The fact that they may be chained in by financial burdens such as a house loan, school fees and so on, may slow them down at first, but should not daunt them if their commitment to their new job is strong. Many of us make transitions into second and third careers as our interests and enthusiasms expand and alter. You are never too old - you're always just old enough. 40s the halfway mark in your career life. So use this time to ensure that the next 20 years and beyond, are your best yet. Since 1987, CSB Group has been servicing the local and international business community with its range of employment/recruitment related services. It has helped thousands of employees improve their job conditions and careers, and employers obtain the ideal staff for their organisations.
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