Jennifer Ritchie
If you have joined the ranks of one of the growing brigade of over fifties who was retrenched or who resigned of your own accord because working conditions became difficult to bear, there is not much you can do to change what has happened.
Bemoaning your fate, reflecting on the unfairness of it all and complaining about the difficult job market, will only immobilise and disempower you further. You will need to work through the traumatic process, but it’s time to try something new and move beyond your comfort zone. As your own biggest career resource, the onus is on you, to process your emotions, to choose to recover and to move forward positively and purposefully in building a new career. For this, a specific set of techniques and approaches are required.
Emotional spin-offs from your experience are likely to include humiliation, anger, resentment, dread and fear and processing these and moving forward is a focus area on its own. You shouldn’t ignore these emotions and writing, exercise or talking to a person qualified to put these in perspective will help. Write a list of things to do and take action to move forward.
It is also likely you will need to eradicate the career and work related perceptions you are imbued with. The first is that working for a company in a formal job is the only employment option, the second is that job security exists. Both are no longer valid and a more flexible and entrepeneurial approach is called for.
To find suitable means of earning income, you need to grasp the following principles and pointers:
Your skills and experience are invaluable - you are your own biggest resource and marketing yourself effectively is critical.
A structured analysis of your skills and expertise is the starting point for analysing career options.
Without self-worth and self- belief, the best laid plans are likely to fail.
Advertising your age is inadvisable, so avoid including your ID number on a CV.
A well drafted professional profile is a great marketing and connecting tool.
Your hobbies and passions could translate into a career option.
Entrepreneurial opportunities abound if you are able to identify them and develop a sound business plan.
Referrals and networking reap greater rewards than conventional approaches.
You can do two jobs concurrently and you can have a formal Plan A and an entrepreneurial Plan B.
Adapting to change is vital - a flexible and fluid approach is required. The overriding purpose is to avoid a stagnant and debilitating period of sitting around being unemployed. Look at gaps in the market and services that are needed, and while you are getting organised commence with interim work on a part time basis. A short course may be required to bridge the gap but au pairing, a tour guide course, teaching English as a foreign language, counselling, tutoring, helping an NGO or doing handyman work or errands are all interim options while you do some thorough career analysis and planning.
Becoming a consultant, trainer, moderator or assessor in your field of expertise is a viable career for those with specialist or technical expertise. Starting your own business might also work provided you have done thorough market research and business planning. A retired nurse for example, may identify a gap for reasonable 24 hour flexible home nursing services for the elderly. If this seems too daunting, start by marketing yourself as a nursing home assistant. You are unlikely to be short of work.
The bigger picture is important. Work on your own well-being by doing a lifestyle audit, scaling down your living expenses and eradicating debt. Have a serious talk to your family and friends and enlist their understanding and support while you are in this transition. Work on your mental well-being by consciously eliminating doubt and self-defeating thoughts. For positive things to happen, a disciplined and structured approach is vital. Plan your approach, allocate daily time and track and document your progress.
If you are providing a service or selling products, do competitor and market research, work on what differentiates you, look at branding, develop a website, and work on costs, your budget and pricing. Be very clear on who your target market is and plot approaches and marketing strategies. Put your plan in writing, consult a coach or mentor and ensure professional documentation. If necessary, start small and use networks and friends as an initial sample client base.
The bottom line is that you are your own biggest resource and there are many more options and opportunities available than expected, if you consciously plan them and follow through with a layered and integrated approach, knowing that you have what it takes to make a difference. Re-script your story, choose to see this, a beginning rather than an ending and you will find that you never look back.
l Ritchie is a career coach and retrenchment re-invention specialist. Call 084 5112258 or email [email protected].