Midlife Career Change

Midlife Career Change – What Can You Do?
By Peter Fisher

In October 2006, a new European Union law set out to secure basic working rights for older workers in the UK and ease the pressures of midlife career change. Previously, however, employers were legally entitled to make people redundant for being too old, or to otherwise discriminate purely on the grounds of age. It is a sad fact that ageism and age discrimination will continue, albeit wrapped up as some other (spurious) reason for the discrimination, so older workers will have to be on the lookout when it comes to midlife career change. But far from becoming defensive about your age, look on it as an accumulation of experience and wisdom. High on the list of your key strengths and accumulated wisdom is likely to be the ability to deal with adversity and deal with difficult people.

Presented in the right way, you can be an asset to any employer.

Although critics argue that legislation is long overdue and that employers need to ditch any prejudice over age sooner rather than later, increased life expectancy coupled with a pensions shortfall, means that many of today’s over 50s are going to have to remain in work for longer than planned in order to fund their retirement.

So what does all this mean for midlife career change? Over the next decade and beyond, not only will older workers be in growing demand, they will increasingly be in need of the work. And this is going to require a major shift in attitudes from employers and employees alike. One of the major challenges facing more mature workers is that after years of discrimination and negative conditioning their confidence and self-belief can suffer.

Midlife career change , then can be an option for most people, but it means you will have to work at it more than younger up-and-coming applicants. You must make more of your network of contacts, along with their contacts. People who know you directly or from a recommendation are more likely to consider your abilities and competence, than simply your age.

Although your skills and experience may be much greater than the person who interviews you, you will be perceived as more of an asset than a threat if you acknowledge their superior position; show how you will support them and help them to further their career. In other words by being the strong underpinning to their career growth, their own self-interest is served.

Have confidence in yourself but don’t oversell or continually talk about how you used to do things; ask how your new firm approaches it’s tasks, then show that you are keen to contribute and support, NOT takeover and lead. Not yet anyway!

You can learn everything you need to know in order to make a successful midlife career change by referring to the material on my website. Find out how to describe your key strengths, to write cover letters and prepare your CV; and how to prepare yourself for interviews.

Peter Fisher is an expert Author and Publisher of Your Career Change. He coaches and writes for people undergoing personal and career change. For retirement resources you can use anytime visit Midlife Career Change

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