Over 50 and out of work? Reinvent yourself!

It has become increasingly difficult for older workers to find meaningful employment.  You would think that an older worker willing to accept a lower wage than in the past would beat out a younger and less experienced worker for the job.  But it doesn’t seem to be true.  Why?

Are the hiring managers also young and they would be uncomfortable managing an older worker?  Is it simply age discrimination?  Do companies want young workers because they are cheaper and present less risk of changing jobs for a higher salary should an opportunity come along?

It is generally a combination of reasons.  So how does a senior worker create an income for him/herself?  The older worker can reinvent themselves!  By this I mean they can take all the knowledge and experience they have, evaluate what companies would be interested in this combination of skills, and package themselves as a consultant or contractor who will perform project work.

One area often overlooked is “mentoring” younger workers.  This is they way the unwritten policies and protocols of the business or industry are passed onto the next generation.  The senior workers were the employees who did the informal training and grooming of talent.  But now that companies have reduced these ranks of experienced workers, the job of mentoring goes undone.

If you have significant years experience with a company, you need to build relationships with key executives and the HR personnel.  That is how you can find out about the “friction” in the ranks.  Knowing there is “sand in the company gears” in an area, you can create a proposal to work with the opposing groups and help them build a solid working relationship.

For more insight on this subject, send a comment.

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