According to a recent survey amongst people aged 50 and over, many claimed that they only found their dream job once they reached their half-century, give or take a few years. This shows that more and more people aged 50 and over are feeling like they are in the prime of their lives and even though they are actually only 10-15 years away from retirement age that fact couldn’t be further from their minds.
Over 61% of those surveyed were still very keen to acquire new skills and this is such an important thing to remember, that you are never too old to learn, especially at this time, where in the face of recession, many people aged 50 and over might be facing redundancy. People must remember that they don’t have to give up and retire, as there are a number of appropriate opportunities out there waiting to be filled by the right person.
At 50, people will be at a stage in their lives where they will have learnt so much from life, both personally and through work and will have gained many skills and a lot of valuable knowledge. You would expect that they have a stable job and a solid, reasonable income that allows them to live comfortably.
However, at this age many people can find that despite all the benefits that they might have in their current career, they still need more. This need for more and the desire to change careers can often result from there not being any more opportunity for growth and promotion or even the fear of redundancy itself.
People who have been working in the same career for 15-20 years or more can also feel like they have outgrown their current career, or that their career is not helping them to meet their life goals so they want to move in a different direction, which a new career would give them. At 50 plus, you might also find that your values have shifted and no longer suit those held by your current employer, so you need to find a new career where all values can align.
However, looking for a career change at 50 is never easy and you might find that you have doubts about whether you can do it. Feelings of fear are common though when making a career change, no matter what your age is, so if you have these feelings then you must work on your confidence and really research the kind of career that you want to do. You’ll definitely be able to match many of the skills that you have attained over the years to your new career choice, which will most certainly make you more confident.
You’re never too old to learn new things and you should never let age stand in the way of doing something that you have either always wanted, or have recently decided, you want to do. With the majority of those aged 50 and over having more life goals than they did at 30, it is vital that you do all you can to achieve those career goals, whether it means retraining or even taking a pay cut if it means that you get to do something that you really enjoy and love doing.
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