Older workers in the U.K. are, just as in the U.S., targeted for unemployment during the pandemic.
Forbes reports that the U.K. Office of National Statistics documented that, along with predicting a surge in the overall unemployment numbers in October. This week the U.K. will probably officially declare that it is in a recession.
There are all the usual suspects for this kind of bias. At the top of the list are:
Relatively high compensation for the years of experience
Employer perception of a lack of tech savvy - and no willingness to learn new software packages
Anticipation that outdated skills will be difficult to let go of - or overall inflexibility.
The organization's fear of higher medical costs (at least in the U.S.) associated with aging.
The typical mistake the older forced out workers make as well as self-employed whose businesses collapse is this: Chasing after work in that same career path, with anticipation of the same compensation, and the same status. As a result they could be unemployed for years and drift into involuntary retirement or semiretirement.
The smart move is the willingness to start over from scratch. That could mean investing funds in retraining or becoming certified in a growth area.
A classic example is the professional who regears for blue-collar work. One man I coached had been forced out of a middle management position in a research corporation.
Eventually he took the leap across socioeconomic classes. He invested about $7K to train to become licensed as a long-distance truck driver. After the first year on the road he had the experience to negotiate for compensation and the preferred route. Because of what he had suffered financially and emotionally when unemployed he never looked back at the context of his previous worklife. When recession hit the trucking industry he regrouped again. That entailed retraining to be an addiction counselor. That's a growth field and he's still at it.
Experts in the working aged also recommend certification for tech jobs in manufacturing. That can be picked up at the community college in nine months. Tech doesn't necessarily mean a big job in Silicon Valley. A little tech can go a long way.
Meanwhile, while the older displaced worker is figuring out The Next, the bills have to be paid.
In my coaching I hammer: Grab work, any kind. Not only does a job or gig assignment get you another job or gig assignment. Equally important, the socialization of how to go to work and get ahead there doesn't fade. During unemployment, if it goes on too long, it's inevitable that you're off your game. That will show up in interviews.
Here, free to download, is my book on landing, holding onto, and moving toward better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.
Will the displaced older workers ever earn what they had in their previous employment? ProPublica documented that will happen to one out of 10.
Also shift the mindset has to be from career to the ability to pay your bills.
Also, let go of memories of star performance in the former work situation. It's universal: They were hot. Then they were not. Sure, there could be future high-profile accomplishments. But at this stage of earning a living it's become more about simply bringing in income.
Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.
For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.
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