Why do 80% of people over 45 consider changing careers while only 6% actually do?

Because professional mortality is terrifying! Imagine you’ve been cruising along, moving a handful of times in carefully orchestrated moves to get a bigger title and more money when all of a sudden it dawns on you; The world doesn’t favor old people! You’re not old though. Right? Heck, you’re only 49 years old. Phew.

It can feel as though fortune doesn’t favor the old. Some common scenarios that folks of a “certain age” may feel:

• You’ve put feelers out for a few new gigs but absolutely nothing comes of the effort
• You hear from friends or former colleagues who are looking that, despite great experience, nothing pans out
• A recruiter has said “I just want to set expectations”
• Or maybe you’ve even been reorganized out of your company due to downsizing or budget cuts.

For the first time in your professional life, you are feeling vulnerable. You’re thinking that instead of looking for a new job, you’d better double-down on your current job and make yourself indispensable. And that’s a decent short term strategy but Father Time marches on. Who knows if you’ll make it to the finish line with your current company. You might. Or next week because of an acquisition, a downsizing, or new leadership, you might be on the chopping block. The question, really the only question is how are you going to prepare to defend your life, your family and your future from the inevitable?

5 Ways To Make Yourself Less Vulnerable and Build Confidence

1. The Timeless Resume — You may come from a particular industry vertical like packaged goods or retail but the skills you’ve built should transcend that. Make sure they do. Also, remove dates from your resume focusing instead on contributions and accomplishments at each stop. For other tips check out this guide
2. Linkedin Priming — If you are like many folks on the platform, you’ve accumulated many contacts over the years but haven’t actively nurtured those relationships like you should have. Well, that stops now. You need an active engagement plan for all your contacts. Don’t find yourself reaching out for the first time when you are in need of a Hail Mary solution. Engage and find out what you can do to help out all your contacts. If you have many, start in small chunks but make sure to work your way through. If the time comes where you need networking to help you find another job, the audience will be more receptive. Also, start writing. Post about your industry or about areas that are directly related to what you do now or where you’d like to end up in the future. And do it regularly. Maybe some tips direct from Linkedin might prove useful to you.
3. Shake Off Your Dust — If you feel a bit dusty, you might look dusty. Check out what the current corporate fashions are and inject a bit of that into your wardrobe over time. That doesn’t mean a full sell-out to look like a creative agency hipster from Brooklyn, but it does mean that you should look current. Check out this perspective on what business casual means in 2019. Oh and don’t forget hair and for the guys, facial hair. If your beard is greying, think about a shave or God help you, coloring! It’s easy enough to see what’s current and spend a little extra to look every bit the part you wish to audition for. Again, there’s no need to be someone you’re not but first impressions are a big deal so put in the effort.
4. Prep For Interviewing — When was the last time that you sat on the other side of an interview table? That’s what I thought. Make sure that you research common interview questions and how to handle them. Make sure that you research the heck out of any potential company and anyone you might be meeting with so that you are ninja prepared to impress. And for goodness sake, please have a list of 3–5 questions that you want to ask about them individually or the company itself. Practice this before you need the skills because you need to build interview muscles. Listen, you’ve got this, but if you need a bit of guidance on how to prep and ace the interview, check this out.
5. Play The Salary Game — Pride is a real bugger! Try to be open to compensation packages that might deviate from what you’re used to. You should do your homework to find out the scale for various positions within companies like yours, in different categories and be open to “different”. If you do engage the subject with a potential employer, here’s a bit of advice.
6. Get An Agent — No I’m not telling you to call CAA and seek representation for your upcoming role in the blockbuster “Corporate Juggernaut II — The after 50 years”. I mean that you should gather a list of headhunters and begin a dialogue. Been a while and need some guidance finding them, then look here for an assist from WSJ or ask those Linkedin contacts for their lists of recruiters. They’ll ask you all kinds of questions about location, industries, capabilities and yes, salary requirements that should help you shape your vision of the future. Even if you’re not ready, it’s good to be on their radar as opportunities come up. After all, you can always listen.

So maybe you think “Nah, I’m doing fine and I’m valuable to my company.” Well let me put it this way: That may be true but it only takes a leadership change, a couple of bad quarters, a merger or acquisition to show you the way to the street. Want to roll those dice and find out or put in the effort to protect yourself, your family and your life? If it’s the former, I wish you the very best for a long prosperous career and leisurely retirement. If it’s the latter, let’s get to work!

My name’s Mike. I’ve been displaced myself and had to run the gauntlet. It was a sobering, at moments frantic experience, that I got through thanks to opportunities with 3 different companies. Now, I’m committed to helping others defend against, prepare for and lean-in to the Back Nine of their professional careers.

Originally published at https://backninestudios.com on November 26, 2019.