Once upon a time, people chose a job that would take them from the start of their career right through until retirement. This rarely happens anymore unless you are extremely lucky to find a job that would fulfill all of your needs: money, career satisfaction and personal fulfillment. And even if you are lucky enough to realise a job that covers all of those, one day you might find yourself on the end of redundancy or retrenchment as more and more businesses are downsizing or closing.
More Meaningful Career Choices
If you have been working for a period of 20+ years, then finding yourself unemployed can be a frightening experience. However for many it actually gives them a life changing clarity that they never expected to receive.
If you have been working for a period of 20+ years, then finding yourself unemployed can be a frightening experience.
Workers in their 40s and 50s are given a second chance to reassess their life and do something that might be more personally meaningful, opting for a completely different career. Steve Campbell, the head of social sciences at the University of Tasmania says that 50% of nursing students are mature age and currently embarking on their second career. In what seems to be an international trend, many individuals are swapping their banking or insurance roles and taking up positions such as nursing because they are looking for more purposeful employment choices.
Turn Your Passion Into a Career
Other individuals are able to turn their passion into a career, backed by over 20+ years of management or leadership experience. Their dream in turn becomes a lucrative business, offering them a more relaxed lifestyle choice, without the stress or tight deadlines often involved in higher management positions. For many, self-employment is the preferred option after years of working for a larger corporation as it gives more flexibility.
New Beginnings
Changing your career at 40 or 50 may be scary but it can also bring much excitement and a renewed sense of purpose to your life. The important thing when you are looking to make a career change as a mature aged worker is to analyse what you know, what your skills are and what you want to do.
Changing your career at 40 or 50 may be scary but it can also bring much excitement and a renewed sense of purpose to your life.
For many the latter is the most important element. Do not rule out training or further education to help you get there; updating your skills may be a necessity in order to enable the career change to come to fruition. Focus on what is preventing you from undertaking a new job and start to look at possible limiting mindsets which come from yourself and other external sources. Research your options, connect with your networks and get advice.
You may still have another 20+ years left in your working career so why not spend time investigating your options and see what is available to you. In reality you are never too old to update your training or switch roles. Older employees can offer much value to their employers; life experience is extremely beneficial in many career choices. Whether the decision to seek a new job is forced upon you or due to careful reflection of your current lifestyle, the ability to take a different path might well be a life defining moment. You may just not realise it until much further down the track.
If you are ready to make a career transition, the support of our professional Career Coaches, will make it easier for you to make the change no matter what your age or stage of career you have reached. Call us TODAY on 1800 155 895 or send us an email to find out more.
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Contact our Career Consultants at Résumés for Results TODAY to discuss how we can assist you. You can call us on 1800 155 895 or send us an email to find out more.
We also provide and specialise in cover letter writing, interview coaching and job search advice.
We offer services across Australia, including all capital cities and regional areas. Resume Writers bring years of experience to the table, with a full range of career services available. Résumés for Results are here to assist you to succeed.
