How To Find A New Job In Later Life
When the world hit a financial crisis in 2008, lots of people lost their jobs. For the younger generation, this was difficult, but the older generation struggled a lot more with it. When you’ve been in the same job for decades, it can be a complete culture shock when you come out of it. The application and interview process is completely different to what it was last time they were job hunting, and employers in some areas were reluctant to hire people that were so near to retirement. Younger people also have more time to retrain for another career. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have any options if you’ve been made redundant. While some careers are more geared towards the younger generation, there are plenty of jobs out there that are more suited to older people and you’ll actually be more likely than your younger counterparts to land a job. If you’re struggling to find work in your later years, consider these options.
Health And Social Care
Health and social care is one of the best careers for the older generation. That’s why forty five percent of all of the jobs in health and social care are held by people over the age of forty five, with a significant amount of them being over fifty. The reason that older people are more suited to a career in health and social care is that they are often more empathetic than the younger generation. They also have more life experience which is vital when it comes to understanding people’s needs. Training for a career in health and social care is easy for people in later life because you can take msw degrees online these days. This flexibility means you can train in your own time instead of having to go back to college full time.
Education
Education is another career that benefits from the kind of life experience that the younger generation is often lacking. If kids are being taught by somebody that’s only a few years older than they are, it can be difficult for them to command any respect. That isn’t always the case but it does mean that older people are often better teachers.That’s why fifty two percent of teachers are over the age of forty five. Having your own kids also makes it far easier for you to know how to deal with your students. Lots of people decide to move into teaching later in life, but you will have to go back into full time education before you can get qualified. It’s a fairly safe line of work to get into as well because there will always be demand for teachers. So, if you’re worried about your job security in the future, teaching might be the best option for you.
Public Administration
Public administration doesn’t attract as many younger employees because it’s not a very fashionable area. It’s often perceived as a dull job that involves a lot of form filling and red tape. While it does involve those things, it’s actually a very important job and the country wouldn’t be able to function without it. Perhaps people don’t realize the importance of all the boring stuff until they’re a bit older which is why fifty three percent of all public admin employees are over the age of forty five. There’s a varied range of departments in the civil service so there should be something that suits your skills. There are fasttrack schemes available but they tend to be aimed at the younger generation. Your best route into the civil service is to find an entry level administrator job and work your way up. The pay in the civil service is high and you get lots of great benefits. You also have much better job security than you would in the private sector.
Finance And Insurance
Finance and insurance is another fairly secure industry that pays very well. It is becoming more popular with the younger generation but you’re still more likely to get hired if you’re older. Forty one percent of jobs in the finance industry are held by people over the age of forty five. Getting a degree in finance is the easiest route into the industry but if you are trying to get a job in later life, that’s not really viable. However, you could get a finance job by getting some experience through an internship. You might have to go unpaid for a while, but if you’ve got enough savings to sustain yourself, it can help you to be successful at interview. If you get some experience and network properly, you can land yourself an entry level position.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry is one that is fairly safe from financial difficulties. While there is going to be a bit of a downturn, your job should be fairly safe. Fifty one percent of jobs in manufacturing are held by older people, but that covers a wide range of duties. You could look for more hands on roles on the factory floor if you enjoy more practical work. However, if you have good organizational skills, they could be put to better use at a higher level. Managing a team of team of people in the manufacturing industry is the perfect position for people with good leadership experience. You could also work on the back end in product testing if you’re more creatively minded. This is a great industry for the older generation because younger employees tend to be more drawn towards the sales and marketing side of a business rather than the manufacturing areas.
Transportation
If sales and marketing, or manufacturing don’t suit you, what about transportation. This is another industry that doesn’t attract that many young people because it isn’t always considered that exciting. That’s why forty nine percent of people in transportation jobs are over forty five. If you’re attracted to problem solving roles, then transportation is ideal for you. Planning routes is more difficult than people realize and it involves a lot of critical thinking. If you’re more interested in a more solitary role, you could think about being a driver.
If you find yourself searching for a job in your later years, don’t give up hope. There are plenty of jobs out there for you.