3 Ways To Extend the Work Lifecycle of Older Employees

by Tim Sackett at shrm.org

One of the biggest biases we have as leaders is ageism. If you’re 35 years old and running a department and you are looking to fill a position on your team that will be your righthand person, the last thing you’re looking for is a 55-year-old to fill that spot! That’s just me being real for a second…

    That’s mainly because at 35 you’re still basically stupid. I was. You were. We think 35ish is the pinnacle of all knowledge, but it’s really when we just start learning for real.
 

Canadians of all ages are dealing with the devastating impact of losing their jobs during the pandemic, but changing your career path can be particular challenging when you’re also planning for retirement.

    “It was hard,” Carolyn Eyres told CTV News Wednesday. “I made looking for work into a full-time job”…

    At 51 years old she made a career jump and switched to the non-profit sector. 
 

We’re six months into our pandemic-related statistic gathering and the news on the employment front is sobering — although some parts are open to interpretation.

    On the one hand, the unemployment rate is quite high; on the other hand, it is coming down — but is that because discouraged workers are no longer looking?

    Workers without degrees are struggling, but those with college educations are holding their own — and certain sets of skilled workers are absolutely in demand.
 

Searching for a new job can be stressful. From searching for jobs you are interested in and qualified for, and writing countless cover letters, to preparing for an interview with an intimidating manager, the entire process of acquiring a job can be exhausting and time-consuming. 

    To many, job-searching can feel like a part-time job that you have to manage on top of your current job, course work or family obligations. The worst part? You could spend all this time perfecting an application and then never hear anything back. 

    Although no one is immune to rejection or ghosting, there are things you can do to make your chances of scoring an interview and receiving a job offer much higher.
 

We talked earlier about how looking for a job can be a full-time job, but most job seekers still have time on their hands. We noted that volunteering is an ideal way to spend that time – not just for the obvious community benefits, but the benefits volunteering can provide your job search.

    We noted that, according to AARP, there are any number of things a job seeker can do while waiting to be hired.

    One:  Most everyone touts the benefits of networking to a job search. This Covid-social distancing world makes networking more difficult. But network we must. Now we need to be smarter about it. Using social media – especially LinkedIn – to cast a wider net of contacts is a good place to start. In addition to your new contacts, don’t forget to let your old – or should we say pre-existing – contacts know that you’re looking.

    Two:  Staying on top of the news can be helpful. Not only does it keep you engaged, but there is a lot to learn about the “new” workforce as well as happenings in your chosen industry or profession – or in new areas which you are targeting.

    Three:  If you need to generate income during your job search, working in temporary jobs can meet a number of needs. First and foremost, you’re getting paid. Second, you’re involved on a daily in real world work. You might also be learning new skills or enhancing old ones.

    Of course, there is also another gigantic benefit to working as a temp. Proving your worth may just convince that temp employer that you’re valuable enough to keep you around beyond your temp period and that a regular, full-time position should be in the cards.

    Despite the frustration of these troubling times, there is a lot you can be doing beyond the traditional job search activities.