If you’re thinking about career change strategies, the best place to probably start is Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success by Dawn Graham discussed over on the suggested reading page. However, in the meantime here’s a useful new article that might provide some inspiration:
The Intern, a movie starring Robert De Niro as a 70-year-old intern, may come as a bit of a shocker to many. What’s great about this movie isn’t that De Niro’s character goes back to the first rung on the ladder in search of a sense of purpose. The lessons in the film about talent and ageism are quite real. To put it bluntly, we still live in a world where you’ll face hurdles if you’re looking to start a new career or reboot an old one. The HR Digest spoke to a few people who made a career change after 50 in search of a better pay, work-life balance, and a sense of purpose in life.
Most people happily plod along working at a job till they retire. They are the lucky ones. There are many who are actively disengaged from their jobs and wish to do something else. According to a Gallup poll, compared with engaged employees, actively disengaged workers of all ages are far likelier to report stress and physical pain. They have higher cortisol levels and blood pressure, and they are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression or to call in sick.
This disengagement is more noticeable among people in their 50s and above. They feel stuck in a groove. This ennui is more noticeable among the college-educated as they generally have higher expectations from life and jobs. Read the full article at The HR Digest.