Careers after 50-Learn how important it is to build your career options
Career changes are a later day phenomenon. Gone are the days when you started working for one employee and stayed with that employer you entire working life. Many times the long-term employee stayed in the same career or a closely allied career.
If you are over age 50 now is the time to consider building up your career options. You are likely to change careers so why not take action and build your job choices on your own time. Career development takes many forms but to find and work in the best career for you takes some analysis and some career planning.
Career change after 50 starts with the understanding that many over 50 are making job changes. The question is how you take action to build up your career options to help you find the best career consistent with your interests, your strengths and your experience and education.
What are your strengths? What would others that know you well say about your strengths? Do you have interests or hobbies-interests that would translate into a new career?
What are your weaknesses? This is a more difficult trait to identify. What do you not want to do? Why?
Career Options and Career Development
Don’t worry if a proposed career path does not immediately jump out to you. Do some research. Talk to others working in the suggested field. Do some self-study. Search the internet for appropriate on-line education. Find career information by joining appropriate associations, local and national.
Don’t forget a financial assessment; consider possible future income, if you have to relocate and other financial factors so you reduce surprises when you change careers.
Developing career options will normally require added education. This does not necessarily require added formal education. Seminars and workshops are offered in a wide variety of venues. Working with someone in your network so they can coach you in acquiring the proper education is another career option.
How do you get the required work experience to qualify for a new career? Break the new career down to required functions. You’ll be surprised that in your work experience that you have performed many of these functions.
Creative Ways to Adding Required Experience
If there are gaps in experience, for example, and the new job requires you have a working knowledge of a body of federal law and regulations there are a number of ways you can bridge this gap. Self-study, reading the latest decisions, contacting others who are experts and asking them questions, commenting on relevant blogs, and perhaps starting your own blog on the subject are all ways to demonstrate you are skilled in this required experience.
If currently unemployed you can still build your career options. Experience is still experience even if not paid. So work for non-profits or volunteer work can help you close and explain the gaps in employment. Also, added formal education, relevant self-study can add weight to your resume demonstrating you goal to remain current and expand on your skills.
Keep positive on your journey. There will be fits and starts, but keep your eye on the overall goal as you build your options.
Benefits of Developing a Range of Career Options
Developing a range of career options will make you more valuable in your current career, and will direct you to your new career choice. Bottom line; don’t be defined by your career or perhaps your employment status but rather keep building on your career options so when the time is right you will be prepared to change careers.
