Do you have marketable skills that you can't use on your present job that can be transferred to another company? Are you willing to risk changing careers-and failing? If you do fail, do you have a backup plan? If not, do you have the psychological stamina to leave failure behind and pursue something new?
Have you diligently researched your target field in terms of the kind of work you want to do and the companies that may employ a person of your talents?
Nella G. Barkley, president of New York City-based Crystal-Barkley Association, specializing in Life/Work consulting, leads her clients through a process that recounts their life histories. The result: They identify 100 or more qualities that relate to their working and nonworking lives.
"What you find," says Barkley, "is that they sometimes de liver a relatively pedestrian performance in their firms but hit home runs in overseeing United Way campaigns in their offices or working in political campaigns. They discover that some of their most important skills are used outside of the workplace."
These skills are just as important as your on-the-job skills, because they can be invaluable in helping you change careers. Barkley emphasizes that when you are looking for a job or seriously thinking about changing careers, you have to act like an entrepreneur, taking matters into your own hands and considering what you have to offer.
For example, she points out that a person over 50 brings experience and judgment to the marketplace, two "priceless commodities" that can help you compete in the job market.
Define Your Objectives
What kind of job do you want when you change careers? Do you want to stay in the same industry, which can be an advantage because of your knowledge and contacts? Or do you want to do something completely different?
For example, a fund-raiser who has dealt with people on the telephone or face-to-face should be able to make a relatively easy transition to telemarketing, a booming profession today. An English teacher, on the other hand, would have a difficult time teaching a computer science course without ex pensive and additional time-consuming training.
Another important aspect to consider is your lifestyle. The over-50 professional is more selective about his or her career, and lifestyle is a major consideration. What you valued at 50-plus is different from what you consider important at age 35 or 40. That's why it's helpful to put your objectives on paper. It gives you a balance sheet and forces you to think realistically about what you want to do.
This is the time to daydream and outline the kinds of jobs you'd like. For example, would you prefer working in a large or small company? Do you enjoy working with people on a team? Do you prefer supervision or are you more comfortable working on your own? Perhaps you would be better in an entrepreneurial enterprise, running your own business.
Consider Long-Range Goals
Although it may seem irrelevant to talk about long-range goals at this point, it is not. Consider that at 50 years of age you have at least another 20 years of your work life if you continue in your chosen profession until you are 70 or be yond. Even if you are 60, you have 10 years or more to go if you're not planning to retire in the near future. Another point to consider is that people are healthier and living longer, and they can make important contributions in the job market.
With the changing demographics, a smaller work force, and the growing need for trained employees, the opportunities for the 50-plus professional should blossom in this decade.
Even though companies are running lean today they can't always hire employees with the skills they need. The result is that many more companies are hiring mature workers on either a full- or part-time basis, which gives the person who wants to switch careers more options in the marketplace. Thus it becomes important not only to pursue that new career, but to choose a company that can use your talents, one that offers on-the-job training, and provides the opportunity to learn new skills.
Consequently you should be searching for potential companies that value and seek the talents of the 50-pIus worker in or near your community. Target such companies, research them, and approach them with specific contributions you can make to their businesses. The result can be a career change and the job of your choice.
