Recruitment, Education & BusinessBusinessSupport & TrainingDon’t let age get in the way of a new career Don’t let age get in the way of a new career
10/11/2008
Many of us believe that when we get to a certain age we are unemployable. These are outdated thoughts; the world has moved on from when our parents were at that age.
Two factors are working in our favour. One is the new EU legislation which outlaws discrimination on the basis of age. So your age shouldn’t be a problem anymore. The other is that there will not be enough young people to fill all the job vacancies if all the early baby boomers take retirement. So they need you! It may have been true years ago that anyone over 50 was thought of as too old to learn and develop, but it’s a myth.
Organisations will no longer be able to ask on the application form for your date of birth or your educational and work history in a chronological order.
Changing a law doesn’t mean people’s attitudes and values automatically change. I also know that, as I write this, cases are being prepared by lawyers and that, once age discrimination cases start to reach the courts, organisations will start to take it all seriously.
We are often our own worst enemy because we lack self-confidence. We hold ourselves back by limiting beliefs; in other words, something that you hold to be true – rightly or wrongly – and that affects how you think and behave. Those that believe in themselves and that they can get a job whatever their age find themselves succeeding, whilst those that think they are too old find themselves proved right by not succeeding.
We all have something to offer that is unique – nobody else will do it like you. We often forget this and therefore offer a rather bland version of ourselves, which works against potential success. At times we need someone to help us to remember what we can do and what we are capable of, and so regain our self-confidence.
So here is our four-stage plan to help you find the job you’ve always been looking for. Follow this for your dream job!
Stage 1
1. What are your skills and talents? Write them all down. Even if you think they’re unimportant or so simple that everyone has them.
Gather these skills from all parts of your life – home, social and work. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow instructions. If you find you always add a variation, you’re creative! What are the skills you used to have and have forgotten about? And remember the basics like reading, writing and arithmetic!
2. Divide your skills list into Basic, Special and Personality skills – for example, honest, trustworthy, and logical. If you’re stuck on this one, think about how others would describe you. You can always ask them.
3. Now organise your skills and talents into clusters. The best way to do this is to take your skills and look at what you can do with them – for example, problem-solve, teach, manage people (remember not everything has to come from your working life).
Stage 2
1. Where do you want to do use your abilities and qualities? The next step is to put your attributes into priority order. Which ones are the most important to you?
2. If you want to move into a new field of work, you’ll need to be able to show that you have the relevant competence to undertake the tasks you’ll have to tackle and evidence to prove your capabilities.
Make a list of these.
Stage 3
1. Next, identify what you want to do. We often bury our desires. One way to overcome this is to daydream, allowing yourself to remember early dreams right from when you were a child.
2. Make a list of your interests – fishing, baking, fashion, animals and so on. Brainstorm all the careers where these interests could be pursued. While doing this, think (as they say) ‘out of the box’ – in other words, more broadly than you normally would. Don’t restrict yourself, even if your ideas seem a bit implausible.
Stage 4
1. The next and final stage is now to go and get the ideal job that uses your skills and meets your desires. You’ve probably got a lot of possible avenues in front of you, which need to be prioritised. Some may be areas you know little about so do some research. Make an appointment to talk to someone in that field. Find out everything you can so you can make an informed choice. Ask if you can do a day’s work shadowing. Many organisations are delighted that someone is interested enough to want to come to visit.
2. Having gathered all the information, you’re ready to decide where you want to focus your attention and what kind of post you want to apply for. Armed with all this knowledge about yourself, your skills and the post, and coupled this with enthusiasm (easy when you’ve chosen your career), there’ll be no stopping you!
Experience Matters specialises in motivating and energising the 50+.
They offer coaching and advice, workshops, consultancy for organisations, publications and support. You can contact them on 020
8347 6260 or via the website linked below. Mention MT or use the code ‘maturetimes1’ if you use their website and they will offer a £20 discount on their early 2009 coaching courses.