Mature age career change
Changing your career at a mature age MUST be carefully managed.
Imagine being frozen in time for 10 years or more, then re-entering society/workforce and not understanding new technologies and career pathways around you. This is what it can feel like for mature-aged workers to change and adapt to a new job in a sophisticated environment when they have been in the same career their entire working life.
Qualified career consultant and Fellow member of the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA), Tony Crosby (ACMA principal), says while it’s difficult for mature-aged people to make a career change, with the right advice and resources it’s achievable.
“Mature-aged workers are wanted and accepted. They just need to develop new skills,” Mr Crosby says.
“People apply for 100s of jobs and get nowhere, but if they had the right advice, they could be more productive and successful in applying.”
He says it’s up to the individual to look at retraining, changing their way of thinking and engage with working in today’s modern world, and Crosby knows all too well what it’s like.
“I had a career change when I was age 47, from working as a business owner to becoming a career consultant. I didn’t have help and made mistakes when looking to change careers. By being a career consultant I hope to prevent others from floundering.”
Crosby says there is a lot of help and study options available for mature-aged workers looking to change direction.
“Don’t just rely on family and friends opinions, get professional guidance. A qualified career development practitioner can work one-on-one with a person to help them achieve their career goals.
“And it’s easier to study now with online courses. Mature-aged people can get recognition of prior learning, including life experiences, and government subsidies to help make studying affordable.”
There are many benefits to changing your career as a mature-aged worker such as increasing self-esteem, learning new skills and gaining knowledge, continuing to feel productive, sharing life skills and topping up your superannuation.
ACMA creates successful career paths through detailed individual assessment, research and job market analysis, combined with expert personalised coaching.
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred that the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
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