ISSUE 27 DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2011
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Simon North suggests that career changers use the wisdom and experience they’ve amassed over the years as a selling point when targeting potential employers...
Making MidChange Poss It’s not until reaching the mid-point of our lives that many of us realize that we still don’t know what we want to do when we grow up! We may find that, at age 40 or 50, we’re stuck in a career that we’ve fallen out of love with, or were never in love with in the first place.
But are we really ‘stuck?’ We tell ourselves that if we were younger, we would be changing careers—so why not change careers in midlife? It might seem like an impossible task to change careers at this time of life. Employers’ attitudes towards older workers and the financial and familial commitments we often
have at this age are just two reasons not to take the risk. However, the example of many successful mid-life career changers and the fact that each of us has a unique value to offer the right employer at any age proves that mid-life career change is indeed very possible. The key is to be smart about it and to actually use the wisdom and
19 Learn Skills for the Social Network PAGES 30-33
-Life Career sible experience we’ve amassed over the years as a selling point when targeting potential employers. Here are some tips for finding out what you want to do when you grow up—and then finding a way to do it. - Many of us who want to change careers are scared of the very concept of such a major change at this stage in life. Overcome this
fear by making a list of everything you’ve achieved throughout the different phases of your life—everything you’ve achieved at school and work, with your friends, as a member of your family, in relation to parenthood, in your relationships and whilst pursuing your hobbies or charity work. Look at this list whenever you need reminding that you need
Career Change Planning Tips PAGES 16-17
Three Top Tips for your CV PAGES 28-29
not be scared of changeyour achievements show you are more than capable of succeeding on this new adventure. - If you don’t know what you want to do, consider the careers that are aligned with your strengths and preferences. And if you don’t know what your strengths and preferences are, sit down
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Don’t Fear Being Made Redundant PAGES 12-14
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Self Employment
ISSUE 27 DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2011
20
Comment Mid-Life Career Change
➽ “long-term job search goals, a list of shorterterm goals and, finally, a list of daily tasks related to your job search..”
and reflect on what you enjoy doing, what you’re good at doing and what you’ve done a lot of. Think about these things not only in terms of your current job, but in the context of all your previous roles too. Treat it as a brainstorm and make notes on what you come up with. - By our forties, we’ve built a whole life for ourselves, with a number of responsibilities both inside and outside of work. Even if you’re not currently employed, you’ll still need to fit the job search around your family and other commitments. Get organised by making a list of long-term job search goals, a list of shorter-term goals and, finally, a list of daily tasks related to your job search. This will help you stay on course during the career change and will give you an idea of what you’ll need to do every day.
- Do you think you know what you want to do, but you’re not sure what it would be like in everyday reality? The best way to find out what a particular type of work or role is really like is to try it out. You can do this through voluntary work, work shadowing or offering to do pro bono work for people you know. There may also be an opportunity for learning via secondments as well, depending on your role and organisation. - If you don’t want to be seen as an ‘old fogey’, don’t act like one in the job market. Get up to speed with today’s job search culture, as well as technology, services and other tools you can use as weapons in your career-switching arsenal. Do this by taking short courses in career skills such as IT., bookkeeping or public speaking, updating your C.V. with contemporary
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Self Employment