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How Should You Begin Your Job Search as a WisGen?

Research shows meaningful engagements post-retirement can boost your overall happiness, enthusiasm, and motivation for your post-retirement life. So if you find yourself recently retired or about to retire this article is for you. So, how should you begin your job search as a WisGen*?

To find something purposeful and satisfying, it is essential to understand all the steps needed to make a transition into something new, so that you can achieve the goals you have in mind. The tips below can help you with your post-retirement job search.

*We refer to those above the age of 50, as the Wisdom Generation, or the WisGen.

The 5 W’s are your friend while switching or starting jobs after 50:

  • Where is your energy at? Evaluate
  • What sector are you most interested in? Explore
  • Who do you want to project yourself as? Rebrand
  • Why are you the best fit for a job? Research & Strategize
  • Finally, how should you go about your job search? Enter WisdomCircle

Whatever your motivations for getting your first job or changing jobs after 50, the following advice can help:

Where is your energy at? Evaluate

The very first step is to ask yourself, what brings me the most joy and energy? This will help you to identify your desired post-retirement path. Once you have identified what brings you the most joy and energy, other factors you may want to take into account are your fitness levels, retirement goals, networks, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

While income may not be your major motivation for shifting or starting a new job, you may still want to think about what kind of remuneration or honorarium would be right for you and your goals.

What sector are you most interested in? Explore.

After establishing the kind of work that brings you joy and energy, look for sectors whose purposes you most resonate with. This could be a sector that you have the most experience in or it could even be something that you have only recently developed an interest in. Either way, this way you will be one step closer to identifying keywords or phrases to use to search for opportunities or even to just describe yourself in forums of your choice to attract the kind of opportunities you desire.

While thinking of a sector you are interested in, besides resonating with its purpose or having relevant experience, you may also want to consider where the jobs of the future are, the needs of the future are, and the predicted growth for a sector. You might also want to consider the technological savviness required for a job, and whether you are up for it.

If you can’t find a job that matches your passions and abilities, you may want to think about the transferrable skills that you will bring to the table from your prior experiences. Many businesses have overlapping responsibilities. While there may be minor variances, two disciplines frequently adopt the same successful strategies.

If you need even more support in deciding upon a sector of interest, a professional career consultant or consulting firm can help. They tend to be quite expensive. We at WisdomCircle are also always a call away and happy to help you think through this choice!

Who do you want to project yourself as? Rebrand

After you have zeroed in on your “why” and “what”, you need to decide “who” you want to project yourself as. If it’s your existing wealth of experience you want to leverage, choose two or three key terms that best describe your expertise. If it’s a new sector you want to apply yourself to, learn the terminologies and procedures of the sector and identify the ones that would be best suited to describe the value you would be able to bring to a role in that sector.

If you have a web presence, do update it to best reflect your current interests and overall experience as you deem appropriate, because that can help head hunters find you. If you enjoy and are active on social media, you could try to find what social media the companies of your interest are active on, and engage with them via the same. Engaging in discussions on social media may significantly increase your chance to get professionally noticed for an opportunity that may not even have a public job description available yet. Who knows, an organization may just carve out a role that’s tailor-made for you, if they get to know and like you! So, if you are looking for opportunities, let it be known on your online platforms of choice, beyond your personal networks.

It is critical to communicate what you want and what you don’t to help you get the most out of new opportunities that you seek.

Whether you want an easy career post-retirement or a low-stress job, whether you are looking for a thinking job or simply an advisory role, make a decision and communicate the same to the world effectively and clearly to ensure your employer sets clear expectations.

Making friends and letting them know of your accessibility and availability to mentor, guide, or contribute in any other capacity is a great way to rebrand yourself for a new role. Basically, communicate, communicate, communicate, on as many forums as you are comfortable with.

Why are you the best fit for a job? Research & Strategize

When you’ve decided on a vocation, figure out what you’ll need to get started. Investigate the job’s learning needs, credentials, licences, and other compliance standards. Check current job postings for the precise skills and qualifications that businesses in the field are looking for in applicants.

The usual way of finding out more about a job is to observe people in the area and approach them about the information on how to step into the sector. This approach can provide one with an estimate of the efforts of starting a new job. If one wishes to change occupations, one starts with upgrading one’s experience and competencies so that the move is smoother.

All of the above still apply, even if you are changing careers at the age of 50 or 60 for the matter. All the science indicates that humans are definitely lifelong learners and we learn to evolve as we pass through different stages of life. So, picking up a new skill is always possible regardless of age.

In case you are leveraging your lifetime of experience to advise someone or mentor in a similar field, then, well then that’s why you’d best fit because you have been there and done that.

When finding a meaningful engagement at the age of 50 or, for that matter, getting a job after 60, income may not be the most important consideration in your decision. Your wellbeing, time availability, personal pleasure, social effect, and consciousness should all be factored in and are perhaps more critical. Try and ensure that the requirements of the new job match what you are looking for.

Develop a strategy when you’ve established your stance as an expert seeking a job change. It is good to set long and short-term objectives for yourself, taking into account your priorities and constraints.

A smart approach to address possible companies, job listings, applications, interviewing schedules, meet-ups, as well as other initiatives is to keep a folder. It will help you organise job hunting activities and measure your success.

You may have been in control of your previous position, but changing careers around 50 may need you to engage with Gen Z. A few younger co-workers may occupy leadership positions or hold opposing viewpoints. Recognise input from your teammates to learn their points of view to flourish in your new role.

It is understandable that switching occupations or starting to work later in life brings about some amount of anxiety with it for you. That’s absolutely normal, and if you feel a bit confused and lost in the workplaces of today, please know that you are not alone. All generations, GenZ, Millennials, GenX share the same confusions starting out. Not to worry, we’re all in the same boat.

Finally, how should you go about your job search? Enter WisdomCircle

The usual spiel that anyone will tell you is that, to position oneself as an ideal prospect for employment, you must have a polished CV. One that has flawless language and displays an understanding of the structure that employers demand. When producing your CV, it is critical to examine every job post, as well as the business, to find their main strengths and needs. It helps you create applications that showcase your most vital significant talents and demonstrate your suitability for such listings. Not to forget detailed cover letters, with each letter tailored to the specifics of each employment opportunity.

You might remember preparing to apply for jobs in this way yourself, or dismissing candidates if you felt enough work had not gone into a CV or cover letter. Also, you wouldn’t be alone in thinking that making a CV at 50 or 60 is very unappealing, and makes you completely dismiss the idea of applying for a role that otherwise you may have had an interest in. We, at WisdomCircle, completely understand this, which is why if you sign up with our platform, you do not need to make a CV! Just answer a few questions we ask, and based on your answers we will create that polished CV for you, and not just that, we will also recommend opportunities that are best suited to you, based on both your skills and interests.

Of course, we recognize that you might just have established a large group of co-workers, friends, family, and associates by 50. Notifying these folks regarding your desire to switch careers or pursue entirely new career paths might lead to several other opportunities. WisdomCircle is designed specifically for those over 50 looking for meaningful engagements and enables access to opportunities beyond your personal networks. The world is a big, big place but it’s only going to get more connected. So you could be sitting in India, but remotely advising an organization in Australia because it works best for you.

In Conclusion

Finding meaningful engagements post-retirement after the age of 50 or 60 can be tough. However, together with the above framework and the WisdomCircle platform you can access opportunities specifically designed with the WisGen in mind.

Now that you’ve made significant decisions and leaps in your hunt for the right job, you are one step ahead of most in your pursuit. Sign up for early access to the WisdomCircle platform and you will be two steps ahead!

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