Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
I’m a 50-something career coach, and perilously close to the age my father retired. Dad relished his new-found freedom, a well-earned reward for his loyalty to King and country. But like many other boomer women, I’m not ready to quit just yet.
Collectively, we have buckets of expertise and wisdom to give a multi-generational workforce. Yet when redundancy is imposed upon my contemporaries, many of them dissolve into a puddle of insecurities. Their lack of confidence and self-worth are palpable. Learning and development has often been neglected, and performance reviews overlooked. While our coaching sessions offer a temporary safe harbour, these women aren’t always ready for the job market. They’re their own worst publicist.
If you’re a woman over 50 who wants and/or needs to continue working for the foreseeable future, audit your employability and take steps to build career resilience. Seize on free training and update your skills. Identify and articulate your strengths, and keep a journal of the projects, accomplishments and other contributions you make on the job. Consider a ‘side-gig’ – something you enjoy, you’re good at, and offers a secondary cash-flow stream. Become both mentor and mentee to keep abreast of trends and technology. And watch your language – self-deprecating ageist remarks should be avoided at all costs!
While conscious career management takes time and energy, the investment will help us to ride the workplace rollercoaster, and make career moves on our terms, until we decide to glide to retirement.
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