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Never To Old? Business Spotlight Germany & JobsOver50.com

Check out this great international article about JobsOver50. This article appeared in Business Spotlight Germany.

September 1, 2009

Nicht fur jeden, der in die jahre kommt, ist der Ruhestand Das ersehnte Ziel, und auch immer mehr Arbeitgeber wissen die Qualitaten alterer Mitarbeiter zu schatzen. Margaret Davis berichtet.

David Mezzapelle, Director of Marketing & Development. Staff Photo.

Not so long ago, many people dreamed of early retirement. Why wait until you’re 65 when you could quit your job ten years earlier and leave the stress of work behind? The idea even inspired a Canadian insurance company to mane its financial-planning division “Freedom 55”. The financial crash has changed all that, however. Many women and Men in their 50s and early 60s have seen the value of their investments and pension plans radically reduced. Financial necessity means that more and more of them will have to work longer than they had originally hoped.

Those are the people who have said goodbye to a dream. But, for many others, the idea of working longer is exciting, not disappointing. “I don’t plan on ever retiring!” says 54-year0old Barbara Jaworski with a laugh. Jaworski, a consultant and author, is CEO of the Workplace Institute in Canada, which specializes in advising mature workers.
“Baby Boomers want to continue to make an impact on the world and they are very different from their parents,” Jaworski says. “People are living longer. The idea of retiring at the age of 58, or 60, or 65 seems kind of odd now, when people’s life expectancy is close to 80.”

Workers in their 50s and 60s have different needs from those who are just starting out in their careers. But they also have a great deal to offer, according to David Mezzapelle, Director of JobsOver50.com, a website especially for older job-seekers. “Fifty-plus workers bring a lot to the table.” Mezzapelle says, “They are loyal, possess significant interpersonal skills and areflexible in terms of schedules, benefits, and pay.”

Mezzapelle also challenges the popular stereotype that older workers have problems with technology. “They are tech-savvy,” he says, and goes on to explain: “In 1990 the desk of most 40-year-old workers had a PC. Those same workers are now 59, with 19 years of computer experience, and have been online since the advent of the Web.”

What the experts say
Being over 50 doesn’t mean you can’t switch jobs or even start an entirely new career. But there are challenges to watch out for. Here’s what career experts advice:
• “If you know you are going to ne working longer, it’s wise to improve your skills and make changes to the job you have, rather than leaving in the current difficult economic situation. If you are in the new job long enough for it to be worthwhile for an employer to invest in you, “says John Nelson, co-author with Richard Bolles of What Color is Your parachute? For Retirement
• Join networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Many employers check these sites. But be careful what you post online, says Lauren Doliva of Heidrick & Struggles International in San Francisco. “You may not really have control over who sees, reads or shares the information, “Doliva warns.
• “The biggest challenge older workers face is the fact the market is saturated with candidates,” says David Mezzapelle of JobsOer50.com. “This means more competition for each available job.” Mezzapelle advises older workers to keep their CVs up to date and o increase their technological skills to prove their flexibility.

Loss of savings is not the only result of the recession for older workers. The number of jobless people over 50 in the UK was 47% higher this year than in 2008, according to Britain’s National Statistics Office. Michelle Mitchell of the charity Age Concern warns of dark days ahead. “Those who lose their jobs will face significant obstacles to getting back into work, leaving them financially vulnerable as they approach retirement,” Mithcell told The Scotsman.

Starting your own business can be an alternate to unemployment. British entrepreneur Rob Shreeve, 59, worked from home but found he needed to meet clients in London. When he was unable to find a suitable place to hold meetings with clients, he created one – a private business club, One Alfred Place, which opened its doors in 2008.

“London is full of people doing business in hotel lobbies and coffee shops. These are not places to impress clients or have serious business meetings,” Shreeve told The Observer. The recession has actually helped business, he says. “If people need to cut costs they will get rid of their offices, which means they will use the club to work and meet clients. Sacked bankers also needing to start up their own businesses have begun to use the restaurant and the meeting rooms.”

But starting your own business is not for everyone, warns David Mezzapelle. “If someone decides to start their own business they need to gauge the ‘risk versus reward’, as well as the time obligation required. W have seen people 50-plus who have dreamed of opening a restaurant, doing so — and then regretting it.”

A better option for mature workers could be offering their services as consultants, Mezzapelle believes. “This gives them the best of both worlds. They can apply their knowledge from their past experience and offer that for a fee to business or people who need help. This is quite common among lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professions, and we are starting to see it in other sectors, too.”

Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues for the American Association of Retired Persons, says 70 percent of Americans expect to work in retirement – “money health and insurance always being the top two reasons”. Russell notes that healthcare is one area where older workers have opportunities. Many hospitals are changing their recruiting strategies because they can’t attract enough younger nurses. They are therefore brining retired nurses back into the workforce or trying to retain the older nurses they already employ.

In addition to the need for money, boredom often motivates people to go back to work after retirement. This is especially true in North America, were most people are not used to long holidays. “After the initial excitement of not having to go into the office wears off, people crave some kind of structure and routine,” Barbra Jaworski says. “It helps to have a job to keep them connected.” George Gibson, 69, would agree. Gibson retired four years ago but was “bored to tears”. Now he has a full-time job in the flooring department if Home Depot, A DIY chain. “Its great fun, you get to meet a lot of people,” the Toronto resident told Canwest News Service. “Mature workers com from all walks of life and all interests. I met a retired lawyer who was working in the flooring section.”

Gibson adds: “For retirees, just getting out of the house and away from domesticity – if you are driving your spouse crazy – is a good idea, too. It might even save your marriage.”

Although the employment picture for older workers is far from rosy, there are some auspicious signs. One of the top employers of older workers is Cornell University in New York, where 43 percent of employees are over 50. Not only that, but the university says that 22 percent of new employees are over 50. Cornell’s president, David Skorton, says it is important to make use of the talents, loyalty and experience of older workers, “If we’re not going to take care of those people, we’re not going to be successful as a culture and as a society,” Skorton told the online video service Inside E Street.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
JobsOver50.com: the US website will be launching an international version in 2010 and will offer services for job seekers, schools and employers worldwide. www.jobsover50.com

Canadian journalist MARGARET DAVIS edits the careers section of Business Spotlight. Contact details: mdavis@spoghtlight-verlag.de