Stop looking for a job, and create an income: advice for mature job seekers
With the rapid changes in the structure of the employment market, mature job seekers need to be more agile in their thinking about work, Hunter Leonard of Silver & Wise explains.
Experts around the world are predicting that the majority of organisations around the world will move to more flexible freelance workforces in the next decade.
On top of age related discrimination that has been foiling job searches for mature workers in the past ten years, this latest trend isn’t great news.
Research already shows that mature workers can take up to twice as long to find a job.
The solution isn’t in banging your head against the brick wall that is the traditional job market.
It is about thinking about your experience, skills and what you loving doing and matching that to customers who need what you have to offer.
This is taking more of a ‘business owner’ viewpoint to your skill set and experience and looking at the market for your services.
There is no doubt that in the future, it is likely more mature workers will be freelance consultants, or in the popular jargon – ‘gigsters’. This term means someone who hires out their time and experience to multiple buyers instead of one employer. They may operate through a ‘portal’ like UBER for example that does the marketing of the service, or they may approach potential customers themselves.
Either way, the financials security you are looking for as a mature worker may well come from multiple sources in the future, rather than one job, one company, one pay cheque.
Here’s three things you can do right now to start your plan for the future:
- Research the trends in your market for your job or skill set – which industries are using more of what you know and do and which are using less. It will also pay to know how technology is changing your profession.
- Research if there is indeed an existing marketplace you can tap into. For example for professionals there are sites like Expert360 where you can create a profile and start searching for opportunities. There are also recruitment firms like Watermark Search who help place skilled professionals in short term ‘gigs’ or contracts as opposed to full time employment.
- Do a personal skills audit. Whilst you may not need to update your technical skills in the career you’ve been in, becoming a freelancer might mean you need to develop some skills in marketing or selling yourself to potential customers. And perhaps some other business skills like managing cashflow or client service.
According to the research I’ve done – which is extensive – the Future of Work is actually here right now, so your financial security depends on you taking a broader view of how to earn an income rather than thinking of the narrow option of apply for a job, send a resume, do an interview and get a job.
Good luck on the journey. Reach out to www.silverandwise.com.au if you need some more help.
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Hunter Leonard is a business owner, author and speaker who has developed a significant reputation for outstanding marketing and strategic growth through his first business – Blue Frog Marketing. Hunter founded Silver & Wise in 2016 with the aim of combating ageism and discrimination. He is achieving this through positive and practical solutions helping mature Aussies with smart business ownership training and work transition programs. His aim is to change the world one mature age Aussie at a time.
Hunter has authored nine books including the Amazon best sellers – The Experience Equation and Generation Experience. His organisations have won six major awards for marketing excellence as well as being listed in both the Smart 100 and Cool 100 Awards in 2018. Hunter has just launched his new book – Maturity Blues – which aims to help governments, organisations and individuals embrace a more mature world at work. He has developed partnerships with some of Australia’s largest corporations and is on track to create billions of dollars of economic benefit for the Australian economy through these partnerships.
