The idea of working till your retirement age and then collecting your gold watch and never working again went out with the last century. The new norm is to leave your career and then move into a life of part time work and part time retirement.
As it’s now common to live another 20 – 30 years past your retirement age and as most people don’t have enough money to fund such a long period, it’s not surprising that many people in their 50s and 60s are looking for some kind of work.
If you’re one of those people, here are a few hints that might help you to find a suitable full or part time job.
If you need some training, do a course. If your computer skills aren’t up to scratch, or your skills in your preferred industry need updating, find a suitable course and do it. There is lots of government support for these courses, so the cost if anything should be modest. This training makes you more employable and demonstrates you’re serious about finding work.
Get a good resume. A list of past employment going back 40 years just emphasises your age. Your resume should be fresh, sharp and relevant. Again there are plenty of subsidised organisations who can assist you in this area.
Stress the benefits of older employees. It’s widely accepted that older workers are reliable, loyal, don’t change jobs and turn up on Mondays. Promote these plusses in your applications and in any interviews.
Build your network. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Get out there and use your networking skills. Let it be known that you’re looking for the “right” job.
Be happy to work with younger people. You’ve had lots of years to develop your people skills and you’ve raised, or been around plenty of young people. It’s probably more difficult for them to relate to you.
Be flexible. While physical limitations may prevent you from doing some jobs, your overall experience should enable you to apply your knowledge to other areas in your current organisation or in a new organisation.
Stay Healthy Your health is critical. If you’re not already doing it, work at getting fit and healthy. You are going to need both physical and mental fitness if you are going to be a productive worker in your late 60s.