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Jobs At 40+

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Traditionally, finding a job at 40+ hasn't been easy but it's interesting to see that the information on many careers these days says that there is no upper age limit, whereas not so long ago, age restrictions were often put in writing.

Whilst this is good news, it is likely that difficulties will still be faced if you are trying to start up in an area traditionally reserved for younger people.

If you really want something, you should go for it. But don't despair if your dream seems impossible and you find the obstacles insurmountable - there is a way round this.The secret is to stop thinking in terms of job titles. Ask yourself why you want to enter a particular profession or get a specific job. Keep looking at your reasons until you find the essence behind it. Let's say you always wanted to be a doctor, but were no good at science and know that your chances of getting into medical school are zilch. Ask yourself why you wanted to be a doctor - to help people, heal people, make a difference to people's lives, because you were fascinated with the way in which the human body worked, how it could go wrong and how it could be fixed?

It might be that you wanted to feel important, be at the centre of dramatic events, or being looked up to. Or it could be a combination of these reasons, or something completely different.

Once you've worked out what it is that you are after, find somewhere else where you can create the same thing. So if your main reason was healing people, look at the alternatives - courses in acupuncture, homoeopathy, massage and other forms of complementary medicine all value older students and most can be done on a part-time basis to fit around your other commitments.

Perhaps you wanted standing in the community as well and feel that acupuncturist doesn't quite cut it. So you could consider finding a part time voluntary role that will give you that separately.

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There are some areas where maturity is seen as an advantage: these include teaching, nursing and work in many other caring situations, such as centres for homeless people, the elderly or people with learning difficulties.

These do tend to be fairly traditional "jobs for women" and are not very well paid. So don't go for one of them simply because it's possible, make sure you get a job in which you'll be happy.

With the recent change in legislation in the UK and the realisation that older people will soon outnumber younger workers, many organisations are encouraging older people to apply for work with them. Here is a link to a list of case studies in companies in the UK which operate good practice in terms of older employees:

AgePositive

Don't expect your dream career to fit into one job title. It's unlikely that everything you wish for will come in a box called a job. You may be happier having a portfolio career, which simply means that you earn your living doing more than one thing. You have a unique set of skills and talents and it is possible to find a way to use them all. You could start with a full-time job in one area and start setting up your own business in a completely different field in your spare time. Once this starts to bring in money, you could cut down on the hours in the job. Or you might work in one job whilst training for another and then do both part-time. Having a flexible approach and several potential streams of income is an excellent position to be in, at a time when jobs are insecure and employees are often on short-term contracts.

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If you need help with this, contact us for information on careers guidance.
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