A career at 50: What are the chances?
Many workers over 50 feel stuck. After the career jumps in the past, a certain stagnation has spread in her everyday work. Is that it now? Many older workers ask this question. Many are tired of the daily grind at work and want a change. But is that even possible? The fact is: A promotion at 50 is more difficult to achieve than a promotion at 30. Even those who are looking for a new job at 50 are looking for more difficult conditions than younger applicants.
Many companies prefer younger applicants. This is not a prejudice, but in many cases, a reality – and has various reasons. Younger applicants can often be shaped even better. Those who invest in them through targeted funding often benefit in the long term from their performance and commitment. Older applicants, on the other hand, are often assumed to be mentally more rigid and less adaptable. A lack of digital skills can also be an obstacle.
Why a career change at 50 is not hopeless
That doesn’t mean, however, that even thinking of a career at the age of 50 would be pointless in the first place. Rather, you must assess your chances realistically and make a sound plan to achieve your goals. At 50, there is still no time to give up. You still have too many years of work ahead of you.
How good the chances are for a promotion at 50 or a new job at 50 depends on your individual situation. On the one hand, your professional experience and qualifications play a decisive role. On the other hand, of course, the industry in which you work also has an impact. In areas where there is a shortage of skilled workers, you not only have better chances of advancing professionally at an older age. The lateral entry into such industries is also more promising than anywhere else.
In areas that are already overcrowded, however, career advancement or a change from the age of 50 is more difficult. However, it is not impossible – if you approach the matter realistically, carefully sound out your chances, and create the conditions to achieve your professional goals. Last but not least, your attitude plays an important role in whether you will succeed in making a career change from the age of 50. If you believe in advance that your project is doomed, it is often a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What paths are there for a career at 50?
If you want to change your career at the age of 50 or in your mid-50s, there are various options open to you. The first step, however, is not to apply blindly or to hastily take a completely new direction – according to the motto: Now don’t waste any more time.
How successful you are depending on whether you have realistic goals sets and knows which steps you can take to achieve these goals. To do this, the first thing you have to do is find out what you actually want – and what you don’t. Do you mind the standstill? Or are there any problems that you would like to fix? Are you annoyed or bored now and then – or is your job giving you sleepless nights? What would have to change so that you would probably be happier at work again? What would be the best scenario for your further career? Is it realistic And if not, what are the actually achievable options that can improve your situation?
If you want to advance your career by the age of 50, you have three basic options: You can move up with your current employer, look for a new job or move into a completely different field.
Promotion with your current employer: Promotion at 50
The most obvious option to kickstart your career is to get a promotion with your current employer. This path is associated with the least resistance – and offers some advantages. If you are promoted or move to another department, you already know the structures. You know how things are going in your company. And because you’ve been hired for a long time, you have a good starting position, because in principle you’ve already convinced.
You can work your way up and constantly work to meet the requirements for a promotion or an internal job change. Thanks to your contacts in the company, you can find out more easily than with external job changes what you need to bring with you to have a good chance of the desired position.
Especially if you have been with your employer for a long time and have not been promoted for a long time, the challenge is also to rethink your own behavior patterns and procedures. You may also need to help your manager see you in a new light. Often one is caught in the daily grind and does not even notice how one stands in the way of positive change. A prerequisite for promotion at the age of 50 is therefore that you are open to new things. If necessary, you have to break old patterns to advance in your company.
Compared to external applicants, you have the advantage that the company already knows you. If you appear committed and motivated at work over a longer period of time, bring new ideas, and show that you have not switched to autopilot, you can score with it. Of course, you also have to have the professional qualifications that are essential for the desired position.
Keep your eyes peeled when internal job postings are published. If you don’t find a suitable position, don’t hesitate to talk to your manager. Make it clear to him or her what goals you have and that you meet the requirements for them. If you can already contribute concrete ideas, that’s good. If your boss values you, that’s why he’s interested in helping you keep you in the company. If he knows that you are dreaming of a promotion or a slightly different area of responsibility, but you are denied this path in the company, he can calculate that otherwise, you may quit soon.
New job at 50: New challenges with another employer
If you cannot or do not want to stay with your company for certain reasons, a job change can get your career going again. The hurdles are often a little higher with this option because you are still unknown to the possible future employer. It is all the more important that you proceed purposefully when looking for a job and only pursue realistic options that really correspond to what you want.
There may be moments when you doubt whether such a fundamental change really makes sense. The risk is often low. If you are in a permanent job, you have nothing to lose. In addition to your job, you can look for other positions, hone your qualifications and apply for interesting jobs. If it works, you can still decide if you really want the new job. And if not? Then you still have a secure job and can still keep your eyes open for exciting offers.
If possible, you shouldn’t quit your job until you’ve found something new. Otherwise, the pressure may be so great that you take a job that is not what you had in mind.
Professional new start: Is that also possible at 50?
A new professional start can be a way out if you are fundamentally no longer satisfied with your job and it is not likely that a change of employer will improve the situation. If the idea of working in this job until you retire seems terrible to you, it is a clear sign that something should be changed.
Many workers feel too old to start over. Of course, starting over is risky. If you don’t really want it and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it work, the chances of success are sometimes slim. But it is not impossible. Your prospects are all the better, the sooner skilled workers are sought in the desired field of activity. However, it must be clear to you that you may not be able to avoid further education or training. As a career changer, you will probably only be successful in areas where the requirements are low or which are related to your current field of activity.
A new professional start takes time and solid planning. It doesn’t matter if you’re 35 or 50. Before you take such a serious step, you should weigh up the associated opportunities and risks carefully. How important is the job change to you? How bad would it be to stay in your current job? Are you ready to cut back financially over several years if necessary and to sacrifice your free time to further your education?
In the best case, you can prepare for a new start in your professional life alongside your job. This reduces the financial risk. However, reducing your hours may also be an option. A part-time job gives you more time to deal intensively with the new direction.
Important requirements and competencies for professional advancement from 50
How successful your professional change will be at the age of 50 depends to a large extent on what you are willing to invest. On the one hand, this includes ensuring that you have the necessary professional qualifications. Educate yourself if you lack qualifications. Courses, training, and further education are a great way to do this.
In addition to formal qualifications, soft skills also play an important role. Older applicants are often faced with prejudice. It is said, for example, that they are less adaptable and flexible, that they are not digitally savvy, and that they are not open to new ideas. A lack of communication skills can also be assumed. Your job is to show that this is not the case with you.
You can do this on the one hand through your behavior at work if you are aiming for a promotion. If you keep showing that you have important characteristics, that outweighs any claim in an application. On the other hand, you can demonstrate your willingness to improve by taking courses or taking opportunities that benefit certain soft skills.
New job with 50: Tips for the job search
If you are looking for a new job outside of your current employer, not only job advertisements on online job boards or job boards in newspapers are suitable. It is particularly promising if you can use relationships. Perhaps a previous boss can put in a good word for you with another employer. Or a relative works in a company that you could imagine as an employer. Many jobs are not officially advertised, but are given “under the control”. Even with advertised positions, applicants with personal advocates often have significantly better chances.
It is important for employers that applicants – regardless of age – familiarize themselves with digital processes know. The more credible you can prove that this is the case for you, the better. You can also show that you have arrived in the digital age with applications. By having a presence online, you show that you are not only open to the digital but that you also have relevant knowledge. A meaningful, well-maintained profile on a career network such as Xing or LinkedIn or even your own application homepage can increase your chances of receiving applications.
What makes a good application
If you have found exciting positions that you would like to apply for, or if you are writing an internal application, you should make sure that you are familiar with the current application practices. What was true when you last applied ten years ago may be out of date today. If your application is formally flawed, it throws you in a bad light. See applications as an opportunity to show that you are up to date when it comes to applications.
A good application is a targeted and individual application that includes all important aspects. It shows the employer that you bring what is in demand. You should also give reasons for your motivation. Last but not least, you must appear self-confident. Yes, the employer may be skeptical of older applicants and more inclined to younger applicants. However, if you already assume this point of view and are accordingly cautious, you reduce the likelihood of positive feedback. Be convinced of yourself and your abilities – and make it clear to the potential employer what it will benefit them if they hire you.