More seniors are going back to school
More seniors are going back to school. “I thought I was a mature student when I entered university at age 40, until I met a woman who was just starting university at 76!” Kristi Nielsen
10 Questions for Mature Job Seekers
Is there a silver ceiling? Is it more difficult to change careers later in life? What are the differences between people who get jobs and those who don’t even get the interview? Knowing the answers to these questions can make the difference!
Increasing numbers of retirees are deciding to work full or part-time. Sometimes out of necessity – others choose to work as it gives a greater sense of meaning and satisfaction to their lives.
Most people who choose to return to work after retiring - choose a career based on time flexibility and their interests. Whether a person is working out of necessity or as a way of continuing to contribute, it is advantage to brush up on your job search and interview skills. It is also advantageous to seek out an employer who honors and respects the qualities and skills that maturity brings.
Mature workers 45+ or 50+, have job skills that enable them to compete with younger people. Often they lack some of the job search strategies and interview skills they need.
10 work questions to ask yourself
The following Ten Questions are good questions to ask yourself, as you embark on your search for the ideal opportunity:
- Do you have an up-to-date resumé relevant to the type of work you are seeking?
- Have you done your homework and research to determine who the mature-friendly employers are in your area and the industry you are interested in pursuing?
- Is work that merges your interests and having fun preferable to taking work which is merely a continuation of your main life-career?
- How important is time flexibility and do the employers you are negotiating with allow you the flexibility you want?
- What is the most important role of work in your life at this point?
- Is it social interaction, personal fulfillment, meaningful work, source of structure, sense of personal identity or financial compensation?
- Have you taken the time to explore non-traditional forms of income generation?
- Do you want seasonal work, temporary work? How important is job security?
- Will the work you are doing enable you to feel good about your contributions to society and what are the emotional paybacks from working?
- What is the corporate culture of the employer and will the political dynamics of the workplace escalate stress levels, or support your well-being?
