{"id":5007,"date":"2015-11-15T06:59:28","date_gmt":"2015-11-15T10:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5007"},"modified":"2015-11-15T06:59:28","modified_gmt":"2015-11-15T10:59:28","slug":"great-ways-to-find-career-satisfaction-after-50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5007","title":{"rendered":"Great Ways to Find Career Satisfaction After 50"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"next-ave\"<\/a>How can you find career satisfaction after 50? I travel around the country speaking about exactly that and have written motivational books on the subject, including Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness<\/a> and Getting the Job You Want after 50<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are seven ways I think can help you find career satisfaction after 50:<\/p>\n

1. Focus on your \u201cinner job<\/strong>.\u201d When I ask people what they love about their job, they often say it\u2019s the people they work with, the opportunity to learn and to travel and the freedom to work from home. So, for your next job, you may want to accept less pay than what you earned before and even a title with less status in exchange for psychic fulfillment.<\/p>\n

2. Build in flexibility.<\/strong> Talk with enough happy workers over 50 and you\u2019ll find that one of their secrets is the ability to mold the day-to-day job to their specifications. That can mean controlling their work schedules, telecommuting\u00a0when they want to and having opportunities to pursue professional passions.<\/p>\n

Read article on Forbes.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Stepping up as an advocate, or sponsor, for someone younger can pay you back in ways you never imagined.<\/p>\n

3. Add new skills.<\/strong> Drill down and do some soul-searching to figure our how you can get better at what you do and learn how to do things that will make you more marketable at this job or the next one \u2014 or to start a business. Even adding small skills has the potential to deliver big returns.<\/p>\n

A 58-year-old producer at 60 Minutes<\/em> told me that while he loves producing great pieces for a primetime network news show, he\u2019s well aware that his field is in flux. To keep fresh, every year he sets himself a goal \u2014 to learn someone else\u2019s job, add skills or study something new.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s mentally engaging and gets him out of his comfort zone. It also allows him to have a better appreciation of the work his coworkers perform and builds a sense of camaraderie whenever he asks them to teach him. \u201cI guess the best part of it is that I get a kick out of learning something new that helps me do my job better,\u201d he says. \u201cI love that.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0<\/span>7 Tips for Women Who Want to Start a Business<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Raise your hand for new assignments.<\/strong> It\u2019s easy to avoid or turn down new job projects that feel like a stretch. You may worry whether you have the chops to succeed and fear that you\u2019ll fail. Use that fear and anxiety to deliver a rush of adrenaline.<\/p>\n

Shift from thinking \u201cI\u2019m not ready to do that\u201d to thinking \u201cI want<\/em> to do that and I\u2019ll learn<\/em> by doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Find happiness on the edges.<\/strong> You might get involved in an industry group during after-work hours; being valued by peers outside of your office can be rewarding and send a message back to home base that you\u2019re valuable.<\/p>\n

Similarly, stepping up as an advocate, or sponsor, for someone younger can pay you back in ways you never imagined. You could mentor someone who may not even work for your employer but who\u2019s in your line of work. Or you could volunteer along with co-workers.<\/p>\n

These kinds of things will not only make you proud you\u2019re doing good, they could lead to a promotion or raise if word about your activities trickles back to your boss.<\/p>\n

6. Connect more with your colleagues.<\/strong> The human touch provides a genuine happiness boost. So, make a point of stopping by someone\u2019s office just to ask how it\u2019s going. Really listen to others and be present. Celebrate your co-workers\u2019 professional and personal successes.<\/p>\n

Interact with others at work more and chances are that new opportunities will crop up.<\/p>\n

7. Find a purpose.<\/strong> For many people over 50, the heart of job satisfaction is\u00a0purpose. As Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, told me (with genuine passion rippling through her voice): \u201cI love<\/em> the mission of what I am doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little wonder, I say. We all want to do something we\u2019re proud of and feel like we\u2019re helping others (whether they\u2019re people or animals) and contributing to the community.<\/p>\n

When you believe in the mission of your employer \u2014 whether it\u2019s a nonprofit or a for-profit \u2014 your work matters and makes a difference. That\u2019s a win all around.<\/p>\n

To sum it up, I\u2019d say that to truly find satisfaction in your job, you <\/em>have to\u00a0choose<\/em> happiness.<\/p>\n

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