Over 50? - Pongo Resume

You were born in a time of prosperity amid a heightened fear of nuclear war. You came of age in the turbulent ‘60s and the disco era of the 1970s, before you began to mature in the economic boom of the 1980s. Along came the onslaught of the Information Age, which dramatically changed the work world (and maybe cost you a job) and placed you in a technological backseat to your younger Generation X and Millennial peers.

You’re a Baby Boomer, and unless you’re on the cusp of retirement and biding your time until you can file for Social Security, you’re probably restless and believe you have a lot to contribute to society before you decide to hang it up and hit the golf course or travel.

On the other hand, do you feel you’re in the twilight of your career? That every job search might take longer than expected because employers are looking for someone younger and more technologically savvy who won’t command as much in salary as you would?

Chin up, bunky! There may still be plenty of opportunities to make a difference before you walk off into the sunset – even if you want to change careers.

While it’s true you could be beyond your peak earning years, you’re probably also beyond your peak spending years. So now is a good time to think of what would make you feel happy and fulfilled.

For instance:

If you’re an executive, have you reached your leadership peak? Is it time to pursue that C-level position you’ve coveted? Or is it time to de-stress your life and take a step down the ladder?
If you have a passion for teaching, but not the money that usually came with it as you were raising a family, would a late-career switch to the classroom help you fulfill that passion, assuming there are fewer financial pressures now?
Have you ever entertained the thought of giving back to your community by taking on a key role with a nonprofit?
Unemployed and finding it tough to find a new job? Consider contract work. It could lead to a full-time role, but many companies foresee a “skills gap” – even a temporary one – that could open short-term contract opportunities. You may find the uncertainty a bit unnerving, but if you don’t like the 9-to-5, 5-day-a-week routine every week, being a “hired gun” is a plausible option.

But with the Baby Boomers inching toward retirement, it will become increasingly important for companies to hang onto key talent. Don’t be surprised, then, if your current employer creates incentives for you to stay, such as monetary bonuses, extra personal time off, or even higher employer matches for your 401(k). You just might be able to have some control over your work destiny before you decide to pack it in.

What about you? If you’re in your 50s or 60s, what do you want to do before you retire? Share your thoughts with us.

I'm in the IT field and in my mid 40's. I'm beginning to think that my career is starting to fade away as I see kids coming out of college having skills that are well beyond mine. Not to say my skills are outdated - they're just lacking in what colleges are teaching kids these days.

As I get older I've been pondering my next move. Do I go back to school to update my skills? Do I even want to continue in IT? Should I go back to school and learn the skills needed to do what I really WANT to do for a living?

The bottom line for me is that no matter which avenue I choose to follow as I work toward riding off into that golden sunset, schooling is at the root. Now that I'm older and on solid financial ground, I can afford to take part in some community education three nights a week for a year.

But one thing is for sure - we all get to a point in our lives where we need to take stock and decide if what we're doing for a living is really what we want to do. If we decide it isn't, there are ways to get the skills needed so we can finish our working lives doing more of what we enjoy rather than being stuck in some profession that doesn't give us joy at the end of the day.

Something that has always intrigued me about working in America is that we spend so much of our lives working toward an enjoyable retirement, but we have to work for so many years that by the time we retire we're too old to do what we've always wanted to do when we retire!

I see getting older in the work force more as an opportunity than a problem. You're already established (hopefully) and that gives you more options as to what your later work life can be.

Hi,

I am 49 years old. Just sold my portion of a business back to my ex in 2007. Worked in corporate America for 12 years in Mid Management before joining my husband for the next 14 years to build a company from 100,000 to 3.5 million in gross revenues in the communications arena.

I spent the first couple of years multitasking in accounting and marketing but soon moved in the sales area as support role. By time I left I was running the company. I have a consultant agreement with the new partnership but as one could imagine with an ex and girlfriend, I am not consulting.

I can't start another business or be in a competitive business.

I have lots experience, but it is not in the particulars of the technical aspects of the job. My education was in Special Education however I lack the degree.

Any suggestions? I am willing to transfer.

And how do I compete in the non profit arena with no experience there.

Thanks
SC

Hi SC!

Thanks for writing! As to your situation:

You have a wealth of experience that I believe would be highly valuable, especially in having helped build a business with the rate of growth you specified. Focus on what YOU did that had a direct impact on that growth. Before you do that, however, you need to figure out what you want to do and where you want to go (that is, what type of company and what geographic region). To start this process, answer these questions:

(1) What kind of roles would I be best suited for depending on my skills and what I like to do?
(2) Where would those roles lead to within two or three years? An executive role? Mid-level management? A professional-level role outside of management?
(3) If I want to relocate, where would I fare best at landing the kind of role I want? Is the quality of life there good? What about the cost of living, especially housing?

I think you have a strong track record that can – without the degree – lead to a good job. But given that you’ve traveled a non-traditional career path, it might help if you had some professional assistance in putting together a resume. A career coach or a professional resume writer might be able to see and illustrate transferable skills that might not seem immediately obvious to you. Pongo actually works with a professional resume writing service, if you'd like to explore that option. Here's a link where you can learn more about that: http://www.pongoresume.com/knowledgebasecategories/14/professional-resume-writing-service.cfm

Hope this helps!
- Rick

Over 50? Your Time May Have Just Begun