Is it still possible to change jobs at an older age? This is a question that many people who have just discovered a job that they like or have just found out that the job they are doing is not right for them, causing them to hesitate. On one hand, they want to quit and try the job they want to do, but on the other hand, they are afraid. They are afraid that if they quit, they will not be accepted, or they are afraid that even if they are accepted, they will not be able to survive.
Does age affect changing jobs or changing careers?
Of course, there is some part to some types of work that have an age limit or age affects working conditions, such as work that requires physical abilities, such as work that requires a lot of travel, work that requires hard work, or work that requires continuous strength for a long period of time, such as construction work, sales work that requires a lot of travel to meet customers, or technology work, etc.
Technology jobs often see age as important because technology changes quickly, comes and goes quickly. Older people are often stereotyped as unlikely to have skills in these areas, which may not be entirely correct. Admin has seen many older people who have a lot of ability in technology.
Another problem is that in this era, there is a shortage of skilled labor because the new generation or the new generation of children do not want to work regularly anymore. In addition, labor with the skills and abilities that organizations or companies need are also hard to find.
This may be another opportunity for those looking for new channels.
Why do working people fear not being able to find work as they get older?
“ But why do people in their late 30s or early 40s worry so much about not being able to find a job or having difficulty changing careers? ”
It is caused by our own assumptions – Sometimes we may receive information from people around us that it is difficult to change jobs when we are old, so we believe it without actually trying to find a job. Or we believe it without actually finding out whether the person who told us that jobs are hard to find has actually tried to find one or if they are just as imaginary as us.
Caused by being afraid on your own – This is another problem. When you get older, you get stuck in your comfort zone due to familiar work behaviors. Even though sometimes you want to go out and find new opportunities, another part of you opposes it because you are afraid of change. You are afraid that you will not survive if you go out. So you use your old age and familiarity as an excuse to hide the truth that you are “afraid of change.”
In terms of ability, it is also another important issue for changing jobs at an older age.
The first group of people think that having ordinary skills and working in the same job for a long time, it is definitely difficult to go out and find a new job with only ordinary skills. For example, the words that we often hear are:
“What company would be interested in someone who is old, works in the same old job, holds the same old position, or has only so-so abilities to work with?” It’s like saying that the ability is marketable, but the price is Paragon. Who would buy or choose to work with them?
The second group of people think that they have the ability but are not confident. They are afraid of everything. They are afraid that if they go, it will be difficult or they will not succeed. They are afraid that they will not be able to cope with the new working society or they are afraid of this and that. Many times, these fears are not really irrational and make them unable to move on.
As a result, both groups had to endure and remain in the same place.
If we are old, are there any solutions or alternatives to this?
“Stop asking questions and start finding answers by taking action.”
Don’t ask yourself negative questions. Try applying for a real job first. Because if you want to find a new job, but end up complaining, thinking, or worrying about it first, you won’t know the truth whether you’ll be able to find a new job or not.
And for working people like us, if we want to try looking for a job, how should we try?
First method
You should try to apply for a position that is a bit higher than your current job. Don’t forget that no one wants someone who is old and does basic or repetitive work. We have to dare to challenge our abilities and apply for a higher position.
“Since you’re going to try changing jobs, it’s better to choose a better one.”
But if you choose to change careers, you may have to accept the salary you will receive (if you change jobs) because you may not get a much higher salary. Because our experience and length of employment may not match what they want, they may lower our salary.
The second method
You should try to apply for as many jobs as possible in your target position. If it is the same line of work, you should apply for a higher position, such as a supervisor, team leader, or manager. However, if you are changing your line of work, you should apply to many places that have a need for this position as well.
We should try to apply for jobs, at least not less than 10 places. If we still don’t get it, we have to move on to 20 or 30 places or more. But don’t give up just yet, because you only applied for two places. When they didn’t accept you, you quickly concluded that you were too old. This is too early to conclude. Try first, do your best, try every method until you’ve run out of options, and then accept that you’re too old to find a new job.
The third method
If you have applied for a job in dozens of places and the response is complete silence, silence in this case means no call for an interview, it is possible that there is a problem with your qualifications. You may lack something and are therefore not wanted in the job market.
But what if you have been called for an interview, such as at least 50% of the positions or companies you have applied to, but have not been contacted to say whether you have gotten the job or not?
We recommend that you try calling the company you applied to to check why or what you lack that you did not get the job in that position or the company.
We need to know where we went wrong, what we lacked, so that we can plan to improve and develop ourselves in that area. Then, it is not too late to start looking for a new job.
These three methods are just basic guidelines for changing jobs when you are old.
In the past, the admin also recommended to young people in their early 40s who had asked via Inbox from the New Generation Salaryman page. The admin also recommended to them to use these 3 methods. The result is that many people over 40 years old have been able to change jobs, more than 10 people.
Therefore, being old does not mean that we cannot continue. Don’t rush to conclusions, give up, or give up first.
“Changing jobs at an older age doesn’t mean you can’t find a good job.”
Please try to be open-minded and try it first. Good results will come naturally.
Other related articles can be read at:
What are Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset? And How Do They Affect Us?
9 Ways to Build and Develop a Growth Mindset for Working People
