Q. I'm in my fifties and have never enjoyed my career. I realize I'm going to work longer than I had thought and am dreading the years ahead. I'd love to something I like but figure I'm too old. Is there any successful way to job transition when you're over 50?
A. Yes, don't give up your day job but get serious about finding out what you innately enjoy. If you haven't had the basic career tests, get yourself to a career center and have them test your aptitudes and interests.
Many of my clients who struggle to find a job they like are shocked to get the results of their career tests back. You may think you're a loner but find out you need lots of social interaction. You may think you're a people person but find out you're a computer geek. You may think you're a detail person but find out you're a big picture thinker.
I find one of the biggest roadblocks for my clients to find career satisfaction is lack of self-knowledge. When we don't know who we really are, it's hard to figure out where we want to go, who we want to travel with, and what we want to do.
When we know ourselves deeply and accurately, many thorny career questions nearly solve themselves.
Once you're armed with better information about your talents and interests, look for opportunities to interact with people who have professions that fascinate you. Volunteer, write articles, join professional associations, or take classes.
Consider your new hobby to be gathering data about your dream job. Anything that lets you think, learn or connect with the industry you like is a good idea.
The good news about your age is being keenly aware of your mortality. If scientific advances continue, your chances of living to 100 are good, but there's no guarantee.
So if you don't know if you have 50 years or 50 days, do you really want to sentence yourself to a meaningless march toward death?
Contemplate instead, that 50 may be the beginning of being a real grown-up. A mature person who knows that a good job fits your personality rather than forcing your personality to fit your job.
Before you start making money doing what you love, you will at least make your current job bearable. Moreover, you increase your chances of many years doing what brings you joy by making your hobby the pursuit of your dreams.
The last word(s)
Q. My coworker is a "super pouter." I end up getting punished on a regular basis when I have committed some imaginary offense. How can I handle the silent treatment?
A. Go to her privately and say: "If you want something, you need to tell me. If you don't, you will not get what you need." Then let her chose between silence and results.