As we grow older, it’s harder to get a new job.
I have a friend who is currently a senior manager at a retail company and has just got her new job in an established FMCG company. Switching to a new career path could be challenging for a 40-year-old single mum like her.
It ain’t always an easy task to switch to a higher pay job despite having strong expertise in the industry. Most people always think that most of the high exec level talents are choosy in taking up a new role. In fact, the demand or opportunities of high level executive jobs are limited and companies always impose stricter hiring requirements when it comes to recruiting a senior executive.
But my friend did it, even during this time of global crisis.
Here are some of the factors that placed her in the running for the new job opportunity.
Financial Support
She used to have zero savings due to her high expenses. She spent most of her income on luxury bags and fashion most of the time in order to be seen as a successful person. She started to realise that she couldn’t be constrained by financial matters anymore, as of 3 years ago. She started to take her financial planning seriously and finally she was able to save a “career path switching back-up fund” to make her resign with peace of mind and focus on her job seeking journey.
Build up connections
She realized getting a new job at her age relies heavily on word of mouth. She started to attend numerous workshops that related to her industry. She also added a number of high-level executives through her LinkedIn and built rapport from there. Many of them have become her friends now.
Build up portfolio
She paid attention to surveys about the industry that she is planning to venture into. She compiled the information, published a few articles in her social media including LinkedIn, and successfully made herself known as an expert in the industry.
Strategic job searching planning
She stayed connected with trustworthy headhunters and always checked out if there was any opening in her desired position from her desired company through the employers’ websites and LinkedIn. Whenever there was any info about a related opening, she would take the initiative to make use of her connections to get connected with the potential employers.
She confessed that she might not be the top tier candidate for many headhunters by looking at her resume as she might not possess all the required skill sets most of the time. However, she understands that her true asset is her soft skills. And these ‘soft skills’ can only turn into advantage when she has the chance to present herself face-to-face in the interview.
At last, she won herself a new career opportunity through a strong connection and her outstanding ability. The turnaround time for getting a new job for a senior executive is usually long, and in particular, age discrimination is still common in today’s job market. Yes, it sucks. Perhaps this story could be an inspiring one for those who are planning for a career change.
