Past positions are no guarantee of future employment
➔ One of the great conundrums of the 2020s is the number of people out of work and their difficulties in finding employment, and the lament of businesses regarding staffing shortages and that there are no good workers out there. An obvious disconnect if there ever was one.
And who is caught in the middle? The job seeker, of course. (That’s you.)
Where to turn?
The people who are supposedly in the know keep preaching that, if you’re flexible, there are jobs out there. The push-back from the people who are actually “out there” looking – especially the older job seekers – usually centers around not being able to get what they want.
We’ve seen a lot of discussion recently around the widening gap between job seekers (of all ages) in their expectations for the level of compensation that they are seeking and what employers are willing to pay. Who is right? Who knows?
In case you haven’t noticed, this is not a perfect world. Insofar as it relates to older job seekers, the message remains clear: there are jobs out there but you have be flexible and be more realistic in your expectations. Will you be able to land a position at the same level of the pecking order as before, or will you have to take a step back on the corporate ladder? Should you expect to be paid what you were making before, or might you have to tighten your belt somewhat.
That’s a personal decision. It depends on the job, the compensation package, what your basic needs are, how long you’ve been looking, how badly you want that (or any other) job? Let’s be honest. These are not easy questions and the answers may even be worse. Maybe you should be prepared to have to lower your sights somewhat.