Myth #4: The only type of work available to older applicants is part-time.
This is so not true! And oddly enough, younger workers who would prefer to work part-time rather than full-time for various reasons, including child-rearing, are convinced that there are no part-time jobs available! Both are invalid assumptions. Actually, since 1995, the number of people 65 and older working full-time has more than tripled. Research regarding full-time and part-time positions after retirement indicates that full-time or part-time work is determined by choice, not economic need.
Why the shift to full-time employment after retirement? The answer appears to come down to experience. “Older individuals may find that their job skills continue to be valuable in the service and that white-collar work is becoming more prevalent, thereby enabling them to extend their work lives.”, according to Michael Giandrea, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics research economist.
Myth #5: The chance to be an entrepreneur has passed me by.
Ms. Tergesen goes on to report, “According to the nonprofit Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 represented 24.3% of the entrepreneurs who launched businesses in 2015, up from 14.8% in 1996. In contrast, despite their reputation for having an entrepreneurial bent, Americans ages 20 to 24 launched 25% of the startups in 2015, down from 34% in 1996.
According to a 2015 Gallup Inc. poll, 32% of the baby boomers who launched businesses said that they did so because it allowed them to be more independent. Another 27% said they did it to “pursue their interests and passions. . . .24% said they launched their own business to supplement their income. “
Whatever your age, a lesson to take from this article is: beware of your own preconceived notions (myths) about the marketplace. They could be blocking your career success as much as anything else. When my clients make these sorts of assumptions during the job search, I make sure they find out for hemselves what is actually true. The marketplace is full of plain old gossip, so beware.
Our dear Bonnie Bonetti-Bell was the force behind our Career/Life Coaching services, until her passing in 2019. As a principal of our firm, Bonnie had an innate talent for seeing the best in people. Moreover, she helped others see the best in themselves. Bonnie is fondly remembered and deeply missed.