It’s an odd phenomenon that older workers are being pushed out of employment at the same time they’re living longer and could add value for years to come.
The idea that you should just slow down and take it easy because you're ageing is guaranteed to reduce your mental capacity, according to Henry Oliver, author of Second Act, What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Reinventing Your Life.
People with a lifetime of experience and knowledge cannot be replaced with recent graduates who are likely to have little understanding or experience of the world. Companies forcing this change should be aware of what they’re losing and recognise that the financial benefits will not compensate for the loss of institutional knowledge.
Henry Oliver says while older memories may no longer be quite what they were this is more than compensated for by the ability to connect all the dots in a way younger people aren’t wired to do.
‘A brain is like a car engine, it charges while running.’
Of course, older people may be grateful to be shoved out of their jobs because it forces them to look at alternatives. And if someone has hankered all their life to work outside when they’ve been stuck in an office for decades, this could be the fillip needed to try a new line of work.
Or they might decide to become an entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs are no longer in the first flush of youth. TiVo founder Michael Ramsey is one example.
Older entrepreneurs are often highly successful because they’re no longer the youngest person in the room. They’ve made mistakes and learned, found out where their interests and expertise lie and by the time they hit late mid-life are perfectly poised to become hit the big time. For many, success is about making more money than they could ever spend, for others it’s becoming a household name. Most of us will never reach this level but that doesn’t mean we can’t be successful in our own way. Helping others is a highly worthwhile late-life occupation.
It's clear then that there are opportunities we can and should be open to if we don’t fancy a lifetime of sitting on the couch day after day.
From my vantage point, I see LinkedIn as a conduit for many people wanting change – no matter their stage of career, but particularly in reinventing themselves or embarking on a new career.
The platform is structured in such a way that we can keep our early life information intact while showcasing new avenues or adventures. Our profiles have no limit (so far as I know) on how many roles we can add. And we can now list up to 100 of our skills. Recommendations are seemingly limitless too. And let’s not forget sections such as Projects, Honors & Awards, Publications, Organisations and Volunteering. By the time we add media (videos, images etc) and skills to each section, our profiles become more a work of art than an extended CV.
A crucial aspect of successful late-life pivoting is having a strong network. And a wide one. Henry Oliver says weak ties are often more instrumental in helping reinvent our professional lives than close ties. That’s a good argument for increasing your LinkedIn follower network. And not losing touch with those you’ve worked with over the years.
Our careers do not need to end when we are made redundant or hit official retirement age. Many people will have a good couple of decades during which they can achieve a great deal.
Last week, for instance, I talked with a couple in their late 70s who have served on the faculty of many prestigious universities in different countries. They are currently working together on revising her 1000-page textbook on nutritional assessment; she collating and editing the content, he putting it online.
It was clear that this work gives their lives meaning and purpose. And who doesn’t want that at nearly 80?