Summary
- Priorities and preferences can change as you grow older.
- Older workers should look for roles where experience is a crucial asset.
- No matter what the job or what your age, always be ready to learn.
People who want to, or must, keep working at an age when most others are thinking of retirement face at least two important tasks:
- To overcome any negative perceptions of others
- To accept the realities of aging and to make the most of them
This means looking for the best fit between your age and your job. You’re not the same person at 60 that you were at 20. The work that you do best—and that makes you the happiest—probably isn’t the same either.
General differences between older and younger workers
Job fit is highly individual, no matter what your age. No two people, whether in their 20s or 60s, have exactly the same set of skills, knowledge, values, and personality traits. But experts in management and career counseling say there are some common differences between older and younger workers, not just in what they’re able to do, but in what they want from their work.
Some of the differences are clearly connected to age. Older workers are more experienced, in both work and life. This can be a strong selling point, especially when combined with a willingness to learn.
Bahaudin Mujtaba, who teaches management at Florida’s Nova Southwestern University and has written on the aging of the workforce, says older workers are able to create value for employers right away. “You’re not going to waste their time or your time,” he says, “because you’ve already gone through” on-the-job training. The same experience makes older workers well-suited to teach and mentor.
Other differences between old and young are more subtle, but no less crucial. Beyond the need to make a living, the factors that motivate workers and drive job satisfaction can change profoundly over the years. Austin, Texas-based career coach Pat Goodwin says workers at the older end of the spectrum “want to be productive and keep their minds busy.”
The young, by contrast, are looking for recognition from bosses, peers, and the world at large. Nancy Anderson, a San Francisco-based career consultant, says younger workers are “really externally oriented. It’s what’s going on out there that’s really important to them.”
Older workers “are more internally motivated. They’re more after ‘What will make me feel good about me?’” Anderson adds, “They’re not as susceptible to outside influences that will make them sometimes go in the wrong direction to please people.”
How can these insights help you decide if your current job fits who you are at your point in life? And what can you do to make that job a better fit?
Take advantage of your age-related strengths
Take inventory of what you’ve learned over the years and how you’ve changed. You’ll probably find that you’ve gained know-how—along with the patience to teach it—that can make you valuable to your employer.
Even without changing your formal job title, you might be able to change the focus of your work to activities, such as mentoring, that play to your strengths. The key steps are to recognize those strengths and to tell your supervisor that you want to make use of them.
Know your values and follow their lead
It’s important to match your choice of work to the standards and priorities you apply to your life in general. It’s also good to reflect on your values from time to time and notice how they change as you grow older. You may place greater stress on work-life balance now than you did when you were starting out. You may have a deeper understanding of what customers really need—which isn’t necessarily to buy this or that product.
Seek roles where your age and experience give you credibility
There are plenty of roles where age and experience are a plus—or should be recognized as such by employers. Age lends credibility to financial planners and advisors by conveying patience and perspective. In teaching and training, experience is a source of content as well as credibility.
“One of the important things is to have stories,” says Goodwin. In a long career, you’re likely to have picked up some great stories to make your points. With age also comes a certain level of patience, which makes older workers good for mentoring and training roles.
Stay flexible and keep learning
One thing that never changes is the fact of change itself. Old or young, you will always need new skills and knowledge. But older workers may need to make an extra effort here, if only to prove to their supervisor or employer that they are every bit as flexible and willing to learn as younger workers are. Show that you’re a life-long learner, and you just may find that you have a life-long opportunity to do useful and satisfying work.
Resources
Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond by Nancy Anderson. New World Library, 2010.
“Older Workers: Use Your Age to Your Advantage” by recruiter Joe Turner of Swenson Turner Inc., www.jobdig.com/articles/1431/Older_Workers:__Use_Your_Age_to_Your_Advantage.html
Summary
- Priorities and preferences can change as you grow older.
- Older workers should look for roles where experience is a crucial asset.
- No matter what the job or what your age, always be ready to learn.
People who want to, or must, keep working at an age when most others are thinking of retirement face at least two important tasks:
- To overcome any negative perceptions of others
- To accept the realities of aging and to make the most of them
This means looking for the best fit between your age and your job. You’re not the same person at 60 that you were at 20. The work that you do best—and that makes you the happiest—probably isn’t the same either.
General differences between older and younger workers
Job fit is highly individual, no matter what your age. No two people, whether in their 20s or 60s, have exactly the same set of skills, knowledge, values, and personality traits. But experts in management and career counseling say there are some common differences between older and younger workers, not just in what they’re able to do, but in what they want from their work.
Some of the differences are clearly connected to age. Older workers are more experienced, in both work and life. This can be a strong selling point, especially when combined with a willingness to learn.
Bahaudin Mujtaba, who teaches management at Florida’s Nova Southwestern University and has written on the aging of the workforce, says older workers are able to create value for employers right away. “You’re not going to waste their time or your time,” he says, “because you’ve already gone through” on-the-job training. The same experience makes older workers well-suited to teach and mentor.
Other differences between old and young are more subtle, but no less crucial. Beyond the need to make a living, the factors that motivate workers and drive job satisfaction can change profoundly over the years. Austin, Texas-based career coach Pat Goodwin says workers at the older end of the spectrum “want to be productive and keep their minds busy.”
The young, by contrast, are looking for recognition from bosses, peers, and the world at large. Nancy Anderson, a San Francisco-based career consultant, says younger workers are “really externally oriented. It’s what’s going on out there that’s really important to them.”
Older workers “are more internally motivated. They’re more after ‘What will make me feel good about me?’” Anderson adds, “They’re not as susceptible to outside influences that will make them sometimes go in the wrong direction to please people.”
How can these insights help you decide if your current job fits who you are at your point in life? And what can you do to make that job a better fit?
Take advantage of your age-related strengths
Take inventory of what you’ve learned over the years and how you’ve changed. You’ll probably find that you’ve gained know-how—along with the patience to teach it—that can make you valuable to your employer.
Even without changing your formal job title, you might be able to change the focus of your work to activities, such as mentoring, that play to your strengths. The key steps are to recognize those strengths and to tell your supervisor that you want to make use of them.
Know your values and follow their lead
It’s important to match your choice of work to the standards and priorities you apply to your life in general. It’s also good to reflect on your values from time to time and notice how they change as you grow older. You may place greater stress on work-life balance now than you did when you were starting out. You may have a deeper understanding of what customers really need—which isn’t necessarily to buy this or that product.
Seek roles where your age and experience give you credibility
There are plenty of roles where age and experience are a plus—or should be recognized as such by employers. Age lends credibility to financial planners and advisors by conveying patience and perspective. In teaching and training, experience is a source of content as well as credibility.
“One of the important things is to have stories,” says Goodwin. In a long career, you’re likely to have picked up some great stories to make your points. With age also comes a certain level of patience, which makes older workers good for mentoring and training roles.
Stay flexible and keep learning
One thing that never changes is the fact of change itself. Old or young, you will always need new skills and knowledge. But older workers may need to make an extra effort here, if only to prove to their supervisor or employer that they are every bit as flexible and willing to learn as younger workers are. Show that you’re a life-long learner, and you just may find that you have a life-long opportunity to do useful and satisfying work.
Resources
Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond by Nancy Anderson. New World Library, 2010.
“Older Workers: Use Your Age to Your Advantage” by recruiter Joe Turner of Swenson Turner Inc., www.jobdig.com/articles/1431/Older_Workers:__Use_Your_Age_to_Your_Advantage.html
Summary
- Priorities and preferences can change as you grow older.
- Older workers should look for roles where experience is a crucial asset.
- No matter what the job or what your age, always be ready to learn.
People who want to, or must, keep working at an age when most others are thinking of retirement face at least two important tasks:
- To overcome any negative perceptions of others
- To accept the realities of aging and to make the most of them
This means looking for the best fit between your age and your job. You’re not the same person at 60 that you were at 20. The work that you do best—and that makes you the happiest—probably isn’t the same either.
General differences between older and younger workers
Job fit is highly individual, no matter what your age. No two people, whether in their 20s or 60s, have exactly the same set of skills, knowledge, values, and personality traits. But experts in management and career counseling say there are some common differences between older and younger workers, not just in what they’re able to do, but in what they want from their work.
Some of the differences are clearly connected to age. Older workers are more experienced, in both work and life. This can be a strong selling point, especially when combined with a willingness to learn.
Bahaudin Mujtaba, who teaches management at Florida’s Nova Southwestern University and has written on the aging of the workforce, says older workers are able to create value for employers right away. “You’re not going to waste their time or your time,” he says, “because you’ve already gone through” on-the-job training. The same experience makes older workers well-suited to teach and mentor.
Other differences between old and young are more subtle, but no less crucial. Beyond the need to make a living, the factors that motivate workers and drive job satisfaction can change profoundly over the years. Austin, Texas-based career coach Pat Goodwin says workers at the older end of the spectrum “want to be productive and keep their minds busy.”
The young, by contrast, are looking for recognition from bosses, peers, and the world at large. Nancy Anderson, a San Francisco-based career consultant, says younger workers are “really externally oriented. It’s what’s going on out there that’s really important to them.”
Older workers “are more internally motivated. They’re more after ‘What will make me feel good about me?’” Anderson adds, “They’re not as susceptible to outside influences that will make them sometimes go in the wrong direction to please people.”
How can these insights help you decide if your current job fits who you are at your point in life? And what can you do to make that job a better fit?
Take advantage of your age-related strengths
Take inventory of what you’ve learned over the years and how you’ve changed. You’ll probably find that you’ve gained know-how—along with the patience to teach it—that can make you valuable to your employer.
Even without changing your formal job title, you might be able to change the focus of your work to activities, such as mentoring, that play to your strengths. The key steps are to recognize those strengths and to tell your supervisor that you want to make use of them.
Know your values and follow their lead
It’s important to match your choice of work to the standards and priorities you apply to your life in general. It’s also good to reflect on your values from time to time and notice how they change as you grow older. You may place greater stress on work-life balance now than you did when you were starting out. You may have a deeper understanding of what customers really need—which isn’t necessarily to buy this or that product.
Seek roles where your age and experience give you credibility
There are plenty of roles where age and experience are a plus—or should be recognized as such by employers. Age lends credibility to financial planners and advisors by conveying patience and perspective. In teaching and training, experience is a source of content as well as credibility.
“One of the important things is to have stories,” says Goodwin. In a long career, you’re likely to have picked up some great stories to make your points. With age also comes a certain level of patience, which makes older workers good for mentoring and training roles.
Stay flexible and keep learning
One thing that never changes is the fact of change itself. Old or young, you will always need new skills and knowledge. But older workers may need to make an extra effort here, if only to prove to their supervisor or employer that they are every bit as flexible and willing to learn as younger workers are. Show that you’re a life-long learner, and you just may find that you have a life-long opportunity to do useful and satisfying work.
Resources
Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond by Nancy Anderson. New World Library, 2010.
“Older Workers: Use Your Age to Your Advantage” by recruiter Joe Turner of Swenson Turner Inc., www.jobdig.com/articles/1431/Older_Workers:__Use_Your_Age_to_Your_Advantage.html