“At midlife, a man or woman feels an inner siren call like an old memory.
we suddenly remember our former intuitions for a possible life.”
David Whyte, The Heart Aroused, Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America.
Midlife is a moving target, but it’s more about attitude than chronological age. The market loves youth and each additional birthday candle after age 40 signals decreasing options unless you take control of your career. YOU have to create opportunities, YOU are Director of Sales.
- What are you selling? Anyone at midlife has extensive experience and expertise. What is unique about yours?
- Who are you? What are your values? Cultural fit is the largest determiner of success or failure with an organization.
- What are the consistent outcomes of what you do? How do your stories reflect effective leadership and management?
Five top reasons older job seekers fail to get offers:
- Focused on the past, ingrained biases and ways of doing things
- No evidence of continuous learning; degrees outdated, lack intellectual curiosity
- Try too hard to impress in interviews; talk too much, inquire and listen too little
- Rigid, opinionated, inflexible, know it all
- Lack aura of leadership and professional presence appropriate to field and industry
Five top advantages at midlife:
- Experience and expertise
- Good judgment
- Interpersonal skills
- Credibility with stakeholders
- Work ethics
Five ways to beat the competition!
- Know yourself; believe in yourself. Do the hard work of in-depth self assessment
- Create powerful , consistent, comprehensive marketing materials; resume, brand statements, Linked in profile
- Target your job search; know what you are looking for and where you want to work; bring together your network and keep your eye on the goal
- Learn the marketplace; do your research; look for work that needs doing rather than wasting time applying on-line
- Get a Career Coach; no winning ball team ever did it without a coach, why should you?
It’s your career. It’s your life. Isn’t it time to take control?
