How can I get back into the workforce?

It is the old “I’m not worthy” or they won’t hire me “I’m too old” mentality that defeats you even before you begin your search. Assumptions are the main ingredient to defeating yourself when it comes to a senior job search. First off you need to decide a number of things. What kind of job am I seeking? Do I want to work full or part time? What kind of income is acceptable? Do I want to work days, evenings or overnight? These may seem like rudimentary questions but remember you are starting all over again so you need to build your new job profile.

When some go through this process they immediately want to plug back into the career from where they came from. That ship has probably sailed. The time to connect with that strategy was when you were putting your exit plan together. A seamless shift into a consulting role at your last workplace has a higher level of success then attempting to do it two or three years later. Your experience is important but what is more important is that you amass your personal job profile and then begin to try and match your profile up with what’s out there.

The key thing is to be honest with yourself about what you want to do. Seek out the islands of opportunity in that vast ocean of vocations. And be open to start thinking of the world of work in a whole different way. Think about this. Over the past few years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 26% of the available workforce left their job for another. That means that 39 million jobs were open for a period of time. You don’t think there may be one for you? That same agency also pointed out that 6 million jobs went unfilled last year so don’t be afraid to go back to school and acquire some new skills that will lead to a whole new career thought process. Just remember that you are not old just adjusting to a different state of your life. You had value before you retired. Now reengage and find your new personal value proposition again.

Finally once you have found it and are ready to reengage put together your elevator speech to sell yourself to the people you want to work for. Market yourself. Isn’t that what you have always done? Don’t take no for an answer. Yes is just around the next corner. This life is all about adjustments. If you don’t walk that last mile you will never reach YES!