Changing careers at 50 can be daunting. The thought of having to learn new skills, change roles, industry and even organization can be overwhelming.
However, you do need to remember that changing roles is quite common at all ages.
I wouldn’t dwell on age either. Being 50 and over, you have something that many of your younger competitors have. That is experience!
You know more about the world and how it works than the younger generation. Having this experience gives you an advantage both in the interview process and in the workplace.
If you are looking for a new career simply because your old one ended (but you enjoyed the work), you will want to find a career where your skills can easily be transferred.
A similar type of role. If you are looking for a complete change in a career this will take some time to develop new skills.
I have spent some time researching how to start a new career when you are over 50. Here is what I found
So how do you start a new career when you are over 50? Here is a solid plan to start a new career for those over 50:
- Figure out your career path
- Write a career plan
- Speak with your Manager and/or Human resources
- Do some part-time study
- Gain experience through Volunteering
- Update Resume
- Target social networking (LinkedIn)
- Seek out a mentor
So now I have listed the key steps to starting a new career when you’re over 50, let’s discuss these in further detail.
Figure out your career path
If you are still unsure of your next career you will need to figure out the career you want to pursue.
To do this, think about what you don’t enjoy doing, but more importantly, focus on what you do enjoy.
Bounce ideas off your close friends and family. They know you best and will give you constructive feedback.
Check out job ads on the internet, check out the skills required.
Write a career plan
A career plan is something that you have to put all your focus on. Having a good career plan will help you to achieve your career goals.
What you wanted to achieve in your 40s might have changed now you are into your 50s. Write down what your career plan in your 50s.
At the age of 50, you have life and work experience that you can draw upon to help you figure out your career plan.
When writing your career plan think about what you have and haven’t enjoyed over your career.
Also, think about your current role, what is of interest, and the things that are not of interest. Write these down.
Exploring your personality is the key to a good career selection. You have to take some time to think about what you have in your mind, what you want to do, and what best suits you.
Think about building on your personality instead of thinking about how much money you get. It’s is learning, developing, and evolving that matters instead of money.
Speak with your manager and Human Resources
A healthy discussion with your manager and Human resources will help define your future career.
Considering they work closely with you every day, they will be able to provide you constructive feedback and insights.
Your manager’s advice and feedback should help push you in the right direction.
Having a discussion with your boss will let you understand what is stopping you from achieving your goals.
Speak with them, and tell them what you want your plans. What you are interested in doing, and where you want to go.
Do some study (part-time)
A part-time study has become very popular among the people that want to juggle earning with learning.
When you put yourself into a career where you want to extract the best from it, then you must do some study.
As you know, the competition gets tougher and tougher day by day, and to excel in any field, you have to gain more and more relevant knowledge.
An excellent way to stay ahead of others is to study more and more. Study part-time will give a boost to your career development, and you can develop new skills that will make you professionally healthy.
Part-time study will help you to manage your time more efficiently.
It helps you to do multiple tasks within your required due date that will increase your worth in front of others.
Gain experience through Volunteering
Learning new skills is helpful to many. People love to experience new fields. Volunteering helps you to gain experience in different careers without making a long term commitment.
Volunteering provides you a chance to spend time in an organization that best suits you.
It also offers a “try before you buy”, testing out if you will like the new career or organization.
It is a source of getting knowledge with fun and enjoyment. It boosts your career and increases your personal development.
Moreover, it opens up new career opportunities for you that will help you in the future.
Update your resume
An up to date resume will help you get through to the door to the interview stage.
You will need to in effort presenting your skills by developing a well designed, and updated resume that will help you in achieving your goals, and needs.
We have heard advice from people most of the time that updates your resume after some months.
Most of us ignore the advice and update our resume only when there is a need to do.
If there are recruiters in your industry, once you have built rapport, send your resume to them for review and feedback.
Consider their feedback, including where the skills gaps are.
Target Social Networking (Linkedin)
Social networking platforms have become the leading platforms for career building.
Every day we see different organizations finding employees on social networking sites and thus providing an excellent opportunity for people to start or pivot their careers in a certain direction.
For a successful career, building your reputation in front of others is compulsory nowadays.
The online platform, like LinkedIn, is the best choice that increases your reputation and makes a way to boost your career opportunities.
You have to make your profile look attractive if you want to increase the attention of other professional people that are searching for experienced people for their organization.
Seek out a mentor
A good mentor is what provides you with quality of career advice.
Seeking a good mentor will help you to develop your future career.
It is necessary for you to find a good mentor who is trustworthy, has relevant experience in your field, and will help you in leading your way towards your career building.
Final Thoughts
No one wants to sit in his house doing nothing. People want to engage themselves in different activities that will provide them with learning as well as earning.
For people older than 50, a career change can be challenging as well as a daunting task to do.
With the increase in competition, changing a career, and finding a new one isn’t an easy task for most people, especially for the older ones.
No career can become successful if it isn’t managed with a proper plan and action.
Thus, people who want to change their careers, and want a successful new career, must have a career plan.
They must engage themselves in different activities under the guidance of experienced people that will motivate them in developing their personal growth.
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