When an employee reaches his or her 50s, a lot of changes usually occur in his or her career. Some changes can be good, some bad, while others will have no effect. To avoid the negative changes, there are helpful things that employees can do in their careers.
According to Monster, one of the most glaring difference when an employee turns 50 is the need to constantly make adjustments. As one advances in age, simple things like remembering, doing physical tasks or juggling several workloads become daunting.
So in order for employees who are already in their 50s to keep up, they need to be able to adjust. Aside from adjusting, it's also important that these older employees know how to prove their worth.
Time reports that one of the negative things that employees in the age of 50s experience is that they are being viewed as someone who is already close to retiring. Being a seasoned veteran also means they are likely earning higher salaries, which makes them a target for cost cutting.
So what do you need to do in your career, if you're already in your 50s or is close to reaching it? Here are five helpful things that you can do.
The first and probably most important is to know yourself, especially since you're already a decade away from retirement. Explore yourself, know what are your personality, your strengths, and weaknesses, and what makes you happy. Doing this will help you make better career decisions and choices as you move forward.
Next is to tap your connections. At this age, it's more likely that you've already established a good network of connections, so use them. Use them to see how these connections can be used to benefit the company, to show your employers your worth, or you can use these connections to provide you with other opportunities that can be good for you.
The third thing is to be flexible and not be afraid to take on high-profile tasks. There's a big possibility that you're already someone who is knowledgeable and well versed in the career or field you are in, so even if you haven't done any high-profile work, be flexible and courageous when your company gives you a high-profile project. Understand that in the current landscape, flexibility will help you more than trying to cling to tradition.
The fourth is don't be envious of younger employees, cooperate with them instead. It's natural for young and new employees to be excited and enthusiastic about their work, so don't be jealous if they are being noticed more. What you can instead is to mentor them about the ways and politics of the company, and in exchange, learn from them the latest trends in technology, social media, and so on, to help you keep up with what's the latest in this world.
The last thing that you can do to help you in your career is to plan ahead and consider all your options. Think about the career plans that you want to be doing in the next 10 - 15 years, whether it be retiring, doing part-time work, starting a business, and so on. Also, don't limit your option to employment only, as there are other viable options for you to take as well.
Doing these things can help employees who are already in their 50s be prepared for whatever changes that might come in their respective careers. To know which industries will be hot in 2017, visit Job&Hire's report.
