By Tony Lewis, Senior Recruiting Specialist, Insperity
Are you a professional over the age of 50 who is trapped in a job
that doesn’t meet financial needs or is out of sync with your
personality, character or mind? It’s not that you are unappreciated or
taken for granted. You still have dreams, and your current employment
situation is just no longer fulfilling. You are a clever person with
substantial skills, and nothing has stopped you from exploring new paths
in the past. So don’t let anything stop you from refocusing yourself
now.
I am an example of someone who, five years ago, found himself wanting
to change careers. I entered the workforce as a teacher and spent the
next nine years learning and growing in this profession. But after my
wife and I began our family, I decided that I needed to be in a
profession that allowed me to earn more money. So I took the leap and
went into sales. I found that many of my skills as a successful teacher
were easily adaptable to a sales career, thus making my transition
easier than I imagined.
However, after almost 22 years in sales, I found it to not be as
fulfilling as it once was, and I again found myself searching for a new
career path. My efforts to remake myself led me to the career that I
have now — one that I not only enjoy but makes a difference in the world
as well.
I’d like to share the steps I took to find a new career
after 50 for those of you considering a similar change. My suggestions
are separated into four parts, all of which will be shared in the coming
weeks. Here’s part one.
Know yourself: A personal inventory
Take some time to do a self-assessment. If you haven’t picked a
career path yet, look at your personality, character, spiritual needs
and values, skills, achievements and hobbies, and think about how all of
those pluses can best be applied in a new profession. What do you
really want to do with your life? How can you do that and still fulfill
your responsibilities to your family and anyone else who depends on you?
Determine what you’re missing. Once you’ve completed your
self-assessment, ask yourself, what are you missing that will help you
to be more marketable in your new career? Have you talked with anyone in
your network who works in that field to get some pointers? Will you
need to acquire a new certification
or complete any coursework to learn new technology or gain a new skill?
Have you considered joining professional organizations associated with
your chosen career? Have you extended your social and professional
network — especially in the areas that you are targeting? Determine the
“missing pieces” you’ll need to acquire to be considered for your new
role, researching any associated costs, and then go after them.
Talk to your family. Once those first two steps are complete,
you should know yourself fairly well and have a good idea of what you
need in the way of “filling in the blanks” or supplying the “missing
pieces.” Now it’s time to talk seriously with your family — the people
who are most dependent upon you, your well-being and your income — and
let them know what you are thinking. Be ready with a plan about how you
will pull this off and not jeopardize the family’s well-being, whether
it’s taking classes at a community college in the evening while you
continue to work or picking up part-time work on the weekends or
evenings to gain experience. Also explain the cost and time associated
with the change so that they are aware of the challenges and sacrifices
necessary. When you have their blessing, you are ready to begin the next
steps.