Why 50 can be the new 20 for you and your career in Facility Management
Reaching your 50s and 60s can sometimes feel like a daunting milestone and a confusing journey towards retirement. People often don't know what career they want to change to or feel stuck in their current career path. Just because you once thought your career path was right for you doesn't mean it's still the best career for you now.
Our values alter over time, and our circumstances certainly do. Maybe we want a better work/life balance, connect with our true selves, be our own boss, and create the life we want. With the average retirement age increasing and people living longer, retraining for a second career is fast becoming the norm worldwide, especially in facilities management.
Almost half of the 50-plus adults in the UK say they are not too old to find their dream job and start a new and exciting career. One in five seriously contemplate a career change to fulfil a lifelong ambition.
Nationally, the number of people aged 50+ in employment has grown by nearly 2 million in the last 10 years; 41% of those are 50+ and employed, accounting for a growing share of the total employment market. The UK government has taken many steps to enable older workers to stay at work by extending the right to flexible working and abolishing the default retirement age. Still, more needs to be done to support those who wish to stay economically active and enjoy or achieve their desired lifestyle.
One strategic driver that govt stresses is to improve employability skills with the growing number of over 50s staying in employment. This can be a real potential to fill skills gaps and capitalise on those who contribute significantly to the economy and who could continue doing so if supported to stay in the workforce longer.
GEN Xers, know they want Change
Research proves that people in their 50s crave change. They're bored with being the cog on the wheel for years. As per the research, starting a new career or training to becoming their boss ticked many boxes. A recent survey conducted by Rest Less, a site that caters to supporting people in their 50s, asked 358 people in their 50s if they're actively looking for a career change, and the result was an astounding YES.
90% of people in their 50s said a new career would rekindle their passion for work. Moreover, Generation Xers aren't ready to retire. In fact, 210 people (59%) said they were actively applying for new roles or enrolling on new courses to train themselves. The key reasons for change included reducing their workload stress, spending time with family /loved ones, learning something new, following their dreams or wanting a calmer, peaceful life. Most of all, they wanted a new sense of fulfilment, even if it meant taking a lower paycheck home for the first few years.
Reconnect with your true self and be confident to create the life you want
Are you considering changing to a new career or starting a business in your 50s? If so, several viable options are available for those who view their fifth decade as an opportunity for a second career or to enrol for a qualification/course to start independently. From accredited learning, apprenticeship, or simply channelling current skills in a new direction- whatever your goal is, retraining can help you gain qualifications and to combat barriers to finding new employment/self-employment.
If you're a seasoned finance guru, you could earn a prestigious ACCA qualification and start your consulting business. Perhaps you're fascinated with organising parties, events, community displays, etc.; an event management course might be a good one to retrain yourself.
All of these were challenged by COVID-19, resulting in a shift in managing hybrid working, hot desking, and safety protocols. A combination of workplace benefits and a proactive approach to ongoing challenges prompts the need for a flexible structured approach to space planning and management.
In one of our recent virtual meetups, we got an opportunity to hear some interesting facts on workspace utilisation from our guest speaker Mr Andrew Smart. He stresses that workplace space utility experience has been a growing sector for them. Andrew Smart feels the workplace utility has been somewhat slowed down due to the pandemic, and for obvious reasons and therefore has effects on the real estate and facilities.
Knowing Your Options & Learning without Limits
Retraining for a new career when you're in your 50s isn't scary as you might think, at least in today's scenario. All you need is to figure out what you want. After all, you don't want to move from one stressful and demanding environment to another.
With the job market dynamics rapidly changing and keeping up with in-demand skills, a caveat to bear, especially for Xers, is the knowledge of modern job search skills and limited IT proficiency which can be barriers to finding new employment. But as suggested above, ample options are available to pursue and retrain yourself. Another critical aspect of getting ahead successfully, whether seeking a new career or starting on your own, is being updated with the aptitudes and skills that play an essential role in late-stage careers.
It's a fact that people in their 50s are on the rise, taking over the workplace and starting more businesses than ever but most of all, they're living life to the fullest. And there’s no reason why you can’t be on of them!
It doesn't have to be an anxious journey into retirement. It can be a new lease on life and promise on your own terms, and not on the terms of an employer or anyone else who might stand in your way. If you want to learn something new that ignites your passion, why not take this opportunity, and go after it? Remember Colonel Sanders, who was 62 when he started his KFC empire! Dictate your golden years happily.
At myfm, we've helped over a dozen professionals follow their dreams and rock their facility management careers. It’s more than possible to have a career founded on doing what you love - and we can help you achieve all this plus so much more. Click here to find out how
