If you lost your job after age 50, or see a bleak future in your current job or industry, now may be the time to consider planning a career change.
After you’ve researched possible new careers after 50, and discover you had little or no experience in the field, what do you do?
What job skills are you really good at? Start at this point. Do a full assessment of all your job skills and competencies.
Now use LinkedIn.com and other sources, such as alumni groups and trade associations, to secure informative interviews with others working in your planned career. Keep the interview short, you are not looking for a job, you are looking for information. Get information about the career, educational requirements, special experience, where the jobs are, specific employers, and references to others who can help you in your search.
The next step is to transition to the potential new career after 50. Become a member of the appropriate professional associations. Join committees, work events, and get noticed in your planned field.
If you need specific education or certifications, make arrangements to do so. Educational requirements can sometimes be completed through self-study or online learning.
Now redo your resume to focus on your career change after 50, to include additional self-study and education, and possible relevant non-profit experience. You now have a better idea of what is required in the new career so that you can highlight it in your cover letter and search for potential employers.
For example, if in your planned new career after 50 many of the jobs require working and managing multi-million dollar budgets and your experience is in the $250,000 level, how do you close the gap? Highlight your results in saving money, being more efficient, getting by with less, getting jobs done on time and on budget, these accomplishments are more important than the amounts of money handled.
If you worked in industry A and are now looking for work in industry B, what are the similar problems that each industry faces? How do you find this out? By using your network, by finding people who work in industry B through LinkedIn, by researching industry publications, and by researching the Internet, are some of the sources of the required information.
Another key factor to highlight your work experience is that the new career required working a high percentage of the time doing a particular activity. In his past career, he only did this activity occasionally; however, you did this for a relatively long period of time. Who has more experience? You who negotiated a variety of real estate leases, one or two a year for 20 years and spent less than 2% of your time or someone who spent 30% of your time for three years doing 5 a year? With the knowledge of what is required in the new career, you can tailor your resume and answer interview questions appropriately. Remember, you are selling achievements, a steep learning curve, the willingness to solve new challenges and not your age.
By reworking your presentation, your years of work experience will now be better matched to the employer’s requirements, your career change after 50 will be successful, and by continuing to work on your career plan, you will now be on your way to a rewarding new career.
