Many people are intimidated by the idea of making a mid-life career change, especially because they buy into the myth that people who are 50 or older will face significant issues with ageism.
Related: Resumes For Job Seekers Over 50
However, experts have indicated that age plays a much smaller role in a candidate's odds of getting a job than is commonly believed. In fact, the majority of hiring managers are much more focused on the particular skills and background experience that each individual will bring to their company. With this in mind, people who have reached the mid-life point should never settle for sticking with a career that they are no longer satisfied with.
How Common Are Mid-Life Career Changes?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average baby boomer will have approximately 11 jobs by the time they turn 46. Although half of these jobs will come earlier in life, it is interesting to note that the baby boomer generation has steered clear of the more traditional path of finding a solid company and sticking with them for several decades.
This is partially caused by the continuously changing economy, but there are also psychological aspects at work. After all, most of the boomer generation grew up watching their parents hold down difficult jobs that did not necessarily satisfy them emotionally.
Therefore, it is natural that baby boomers made the decision to look for more rewarding work, but this also leads to an increase in job changes. Statistics indicate that 56%of all U.S. workers are currently interested in switching to a new career, and it is not surprising that mid-life workers have had a big impact on this number.
Why Should You Consider Changing Careers?
Whether you are unhappy in your current industry or are at risk of being downsized due to economic challenges, it makes sense to consider a mid-life career change to increase your personal satisfaction and ability to make a good living. However, it will be imperative to carefully evaluate all of your options before you make the leap. There are several industries available that will hire people without a specialized college education as long as you have work experience that can be applied to your new field.
For example, if you have been involved in the sales industry, you can easily translate these skills to property management. On the other hand, attempting to break into the science industry at this stage of your life will be much more difficult, especially if you do not have an appropriate degree.
What Are The Best Industries For Mid-Life Workers?
Each person needs to look for a career that they can be passionate about and perform competently, but there are definitely some industries that are easier for a mid-life worker to break into, including these two examples:
1. Teaching
Most people assume that you need a specific educational background in order to become a teacher, but this is not necessarily the case for individuals who have extensive experience in certain industries. You are not going to become an elementary teacher without spending several more years in college, but you could easily teach at the high school or college level with a minimal amount of educational courses under your belt as long as you have a degree in your current field.
2. Business Consulting
Another option for people who still enjoy their industry but want to move onto a new level is becoming a business consultant. This will allow you to utilize all of your experience and knowledge to assist others with filling the type of role that you want to leave behind.
Many mid-life workers also find success branching out into non-profit management, nursing, real estate, and interior design. Ultimately, the path you choose should be based around hitting your financial and emotional needs, and you will need to be prepared for the fact that it could be a difficult transition. After all, it is often very challenging to learn a new field quickly, and you might need to rely on your business contacts to help you get your foot in the door. Fortunately, making the right career change at any age will make the challenges worthwhile.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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