Smart Job Changes In Midlife
Can You Handle A Midlife Job Change?
Do you want a midlife career change, or has one been forced onto you? This can be a very stressful experience for many older workers. Lots of older workers have been forced out of their past jobs, and may actually have to change careers in order to find employment. Consider some tips to make the transition as quick and painless as possible.
It is very important to be realistic about a midlife career change. This may be a hard time to go after a totally different type of job. At 55, you may not be able or willing to return to school for several years in order to get an advanced degree. Since you have been working for many years, you can bring a lot of experience to a new career.
What sort of career changes could you manage without having to sacrifice a big investment in retraining? Can you find something that does use a lot ofyour past experiences?
For example, I know a lot of technical workers who have turned to teaching. Quote a few former teachers found that they could learn to be good managers. If you teacher can manage a classroom of unruly middle school aged students, she should have no trouble supervising adult workers!
Your task will be to convincce hiring managers that your past skills and experience will enable you to perform a new job well. One thing you may need to accomplish, before you can even speak to a hiring manager, is to produce an updated resume and cover letter. Hiring managers look for different things than they did several years ago. Have you been at your old job for decades. If so, you may want to learn how to produce a resume that will impress current employers.
Networking is a good way to hear about new jobs. Many people get frustrated with large job posting websites, classified ads, and traditional headhunters. Finding a job through people you know is usually the fastest, least painful, and most efficient route. You do not have to go out and meet a lot of new people in person to do this. You may have good luck with online social networking. If you want to grow your network quickly, these websites are great tools. If you let your offline and online friends know that you are job hunting, they can be a great resource.
It is not impossible to make a midlife career change. You will probably have to be realistic about your possible limitations as you search for a job.