Work for those over 45. Unemployed again

What to do for a woman after 40 years of age

40–45 years to find a new job is not yet sunset! IN Western countries The blossoming of a career begins precisely at this age. Not everything is so hopeless here either.

If a woman is left without a livelihood after crossing the forty-year mark, do not despair. Age is not a barrier to building a career. Right now, everyone has such important experience in finding a new job. And the skills and abilities acquired over the years increase the chances of solving the question: where to go to work after 40–45 years for a woman with such a variety of new professions. Job seekers often complain about discrimination based on age, the fact that it is impossible to find a well-paid job, even with two higher education degrees and high level professionalism and significant work experience.

Where can a woman go to work after 40, and what jobs can she be guaranteed to get? There is no clear answer here. It all depends on many factors. In the articles on our website we will try to especially focus on them.

If a woman has a specialty that is in demand on the labor market, she knows a lot about what she was taught, and at the same time she was engaged in self-education, followed modern trends, changes and requirements for her specialty, such a person will find a job painlessly even at 55. And with decent pay.

What if the situation is completely opposite? In this case, where should a woman who wants to earn money go to work after 40–45 years? It is natural and absolutely clear that there is only one thing in the world workplace, created just for you. But how to find it?

First, categorically forbid yourself from thinking that age is an obstacle to acquiring a certain position. Don't hide your age. The deception will soon be revealed, and this fact will play a cruel joke against you. Your chances of finding a job will increase significantly only if you forget about your age.
Secondly, be firmly convinced that you have an excellent education and significant professional training. You are full of strength and energy, you know a lot, you can do it, and, most importantly, you want to work. A woman who is confident in herself and her significant strengths will not be rejected by a smart and self-sufficient employer.
Thirdly, during the interview, tell the honest truth, do not invent unnecessary victories and merits. The fact itself will not go unnoticed, but a lie will only do harm. It's not in your best interest. The employer must be convinced that even if you don’t know something, you are ready to master innovations, since you have high degree learning ability.
Fourth, carefully prepare for a meeting with a potential manager. Choose clothes for an interview wisely and use minimal jewelry. Christmas tree Suitable only for winter corporate events. Be moderately relaxed, friendly, and quite sociable. There is no need to be embarrassed while looking for a job.

Problems await those women who want to radically solve the question: where to work after 40 years. Their eyes are attracted by such newfangled professions as merchandiser or promoter. But this sales job requires most spend the working day on your feet and at high speed, which not everyone can do. Not all women of Balzac's age are suitable for work in the IT, logistics or marketing industries. Although there are exceptions. After all, these specialties are not so complex that you won’t be able to learn them even at 45 years old.

Emphasize your professionalism, knowledge, experience and practice. Look for jobs where these qualities are in demand. These are areas of activity such as medicine, accounting, pedagogy, personnel work, scientific practice, economic and production activity. Employers willingly hire women in adulthood for administrative and organizational positions, as managers, believing that young people cannot cope with such a burden of responsibility due to lack of work experience.

But who to work after 40, if there is no work experience and no higher education? There are factories, bakeries, confectionery shops where specialists are needed. For active women, working as a nanny or maid in the home of wealthy young people who are busy building a career is suitable. You can organize it at home kindergarten and look after several kids at once, which will significantly improve your financial situation. Such jobs pay well, and many ladies after 40–45 years old are happy to take them. You can open your own business if you happen to have an entrepreneurial spirit. Working on the Internet from home is not excluded. The labor market is full of such offers!
Some of our tips will help women find work in...

What to do to always be at a good job

Educate yourself, constantly update your knowledge and professional skills.
Actively monitor the job market and actively search for work.
Try to stand out among other job seekers with a unique and competent resume that demonstrates enormous professional experience.
Learn the latest computer programs, stay up to date with the latest technology trends.
Visit corporate websites, contact the employer directly, send your resume, call, ask your friends and acquaintances about work, present yourself at the interview as a well-rounded person.

Self-confidence, optimism, active life position, positive and friendly energy - and problems with employment will certainly bypass you!

More recently, I consciously joined the ranks of those 64 percent of Russians who, according to VTsIOM surveys, have not changed their main place of work for at least the last eight years. I don’t know the motivation of most of the respondents, but all these years I have been connected with my work by great and reciprocal love. And then, quite unexpectedly, I found myself unemployed - as it seemed, for a month or two. I had to check for myself what the real chances are for those over 45 to find a job, what myths will have to be debunked and what truth to come to terms with.

Myth one

Find decent job possible at any age. The main thing is to adhere to an active life position and not be afraid to reveal your potential.

In the first month, I specifically sent several resumes to those organizations that, in my opinion, should have appreciated my experience, knowledge, achievements and, most importantly, the tireless desire to achieve new heights in a new place. There are zero answers.

In reality, when considering the average 45-50-year-old candidate, the classic stereotype comes into play: they are low-energy, passive, will not work outside of school hours, and besides, you cannot shout at them, you cannot put them in strict limits. There are also arguments about a young team (“he won’t fit into our team”) and a young manager (“it’s difficult to manage an older specialist, I won’t be an authority for him”). Of course, these are largely unjustified fears, but other things being equal, the choice will be made in favor of the young candidate.

We can agree with some of the arguments,” says Alena Zykova, territorial director of the recruitment departments of Kelly Services CIS. - For example, a young specialist will cope better in those positions that require active movement around the city or involve heavy physical exertion. Other compelling arguments: the older generation is more difficult to adapt to new requirements and does not master it quickly enough modern technologies. Most often, preference is given to young people in professions of the “person-to-person” system: sales, marketing and advertising, finance.

Myth two

The employer does not care about the gender and age of the applicant.

Officially, no employer limits the “parameters” of an applicant by age, gender, nationality, because Article 3 Labor Code The Russian Federation prohibits discrimination in the labor sphere.

In fact, every time a telephone conversation with a potential employer threatened to end as soon as it began. As soon as I said: “I’m calling for a vacancy...”, I was immediately interrupted with a counter question: “How old are you?” And only thanks to professional persistence I was able to get more or less detailed answers.

A representative of the tour operator dispassionately conveyed the management’s order: “We don’t hire people over 30 years old. Sorry, we don’t take into account any achievements.” The conversation with the personnel officer of one of the hotels was the longest, about a minute and a half. At first, with a cold voice: “We are not considering anyone over 45 years old.” In response to my assurance that I am nimble, stress-resistant, resilient, and that you can be convinced of this upon meeting, the interlocutor, herself, it seems, a lady well over 45, answered with slight irritation: “No one is inviting you for an interview.” Then something sympathetically instructive appeared in the intonation, as if at the other end of the line they felt that they had slightly gone too far: “Understand, we are worried about your health.” But what a life-giving balm the surprised exclamations of school head teachers were like: “49 years old? Your age doesn’t bother you at all. You’ve also seen 80-year-old teachers, come!”

To be fair, I note: if initially you just need a “runner” or a “whipping pillow,” as one of the companies honestly determined in a private conversation job responsibilities applicant, then in this case I myself would indicate the age in large numbers in the vacancy.

A man aged 50 came to us to get a job,” says a lawyer from one of the large retail chains Yekaterinburg. - Personnel department, apparently, accidentally omitted his age from the resume, because there was immediately a directive: accept no older than 30-35 years. He showed up for an interview with his future boss, who was 35, and he, of course, refused him. And the applicant recorded the conversation on a voice recorder. True, he still failed to defend his rights in court - he could not prove that he had exceptional professional advantages as an applicant for this position. In practice, Article 3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation is meaningless: even if the court takes the side of the applicant, it will limit itself to only requiring the employer to eliminate the discriminatory violation. In practice, the court is unlikely to oblige the employer to hire the plaintiff, pay him a salary for all the time he could work for him, and even compensate for moral damage.

Recipe for success

Those specialists whose knowledge and skills are not just in demand in the market, but are in short supply, have a greater chance of successfully finding a job.

Of course, there are industries for which the advanced age of applicants is not a hindrance, but an advantage. Doctors, teachers, engineers and technicians, highly qualified workers - their competitive positions in the labor market are becoming more and more working year only stronger. The same cannot be said about office and sales workers: by the age of 30, they, as a rule, already hit the qualification ceiling. But even in this area, not everything is so simple.

It happens that a person masters the intricacies of a trade profession in two months, while for others it will take years. Everything is very individual. For me, as a manager, the age of the applicant is not of decisive importance, although youth is certainly welcomed in trade,” says Eduard Menshikov, director of Euronics in Yekaterinburg. - By the way, in Europe there are many older salespeople working in stores, especially private ones. And we have a stereotype that only young people go into trade. In my opinion, this is a profession of passionate, passionate people who are capable and able not only to work with people, but to do it efficiently and effectively.

People with a serious set of competencies have an advantage over young specialists, Alena Zykova is convinced. - Many technical professions traditionally fall into the category of scarce ones, ranging from blue-collar workers to highly qualified engineering personnel and specialists in high-tech industries. Today in the labor market there are generally more vacancies than applicants, and for some industries it is extremely difficult to find qualified specialists. Thus, by setting an age limit, the employer complicates the search for the necessary candidates, falling into the trap of its own requirements.

For example, as the press service of one of the machine-building plants, the average age of employees at the enterprise is 46 years. The plant is interested in attracting young people and training them. The problem of shortage of personnel workers is getting worse every year. But it should be noted that over the past 10-15 years the qualification requirements to them. To work on modern equipment knowledge in the field of programming is required, so the plant is interested in hiring young people with a technical education. “However, we cannot do without workers who have extensive practical experience,” the plant emphasized. “It is they who form the basis of the personnel structure and ensure the implementation production program and teach the young."

The entire management team of my company are people over fifty,” says Nikita Popov, CEO ARK Development Group. - The construction market has a very difficult situation with personnel. Dozens of interviews that I conducted gave one depressing result: young guys, ambitious, self-confident, expected a salary of 60-100 thousand, but to all my questions about the specifics of their future activities they answered: “I don’t know, I don’t know how...” . But those who are about 50 and older have vast experience, qualifications, they understand the matter, remember the standards by heart, and know SNIPs. Of course, there are problems with them too: they are conservative, they don’t know how to do many things on computers, and they are used to paper the old fashioned way. But many of them are young in soul and mind, they want and are able to learn, unlike young people, by the way. Unfortunately, I don’t see any factors that would indicate that the personnel situation will change in the near future.

The last myth

If a person at 45-50 years old is looking for a job, it means that he has not succeeded as a specialist and is capable of little.

In Western countries, a person’s professional prime is between 50 and 55 years old. It is at this age that one can open up to the maximum due to the fact that mental functions are under conditions of optimal load and increased motivation. Psychologists say that only by the age of 40 do we develop a metaphorical, associative memory; by the age of 42, connections are established between the right and left hemispheres, thanks to which a person is able to fully develop intellectual, creative, and professional abilities.

It is not surprising that many mature people are trying to fully realize themselves and creatively adapt to new conditions. We must also take into account the fact that the quality and life expectancy are rapidly changing, and the level of medicine is growing. 45 years is by no means a decline in modern times human life, and flourishing.

Of course, we are not talking about all 50-year-olds. And about the category of people who have sufficient resources of education, intelligence, have professional skills and are convinced that their potential is far from being exhausted. They are ready, if necessary, to change their profession, acquire an additional specialty, change their place of work, or start a business.

Summary

Of course, having years of successful work and invaluable professional experience behind you, it is quite offensive to listen to refusals, sometimes not too polite. And not only for myself personally. Employers who abandon mature workers in favor of young ones simply strive to squeeze out the energy potential as much as possible. With this attitude, society is programmed for elementary, primitive functioning. A person who demands to be treated with respect, who knows his worth, who approaches business responsibly and can give a lot to his company, does not tolerate primitive, manipulative methods of management. In this case, a qualitatively different method of leadership is required.

But let top managers think about this. And the practical and theoretical study of the topic, oddly enough, brought me into emotional balance.

Firstly, I have something to say to today's 30-year-olds who don't think about the fact that their "here and now" will not last forever. In 10-15 years, many of them will also hear: “We have a young team, you are not suitable for us.”

Secondly, getting a decent job is certainly possible: many companies and entire industries are experiencing a shortage of personnel. True, it is possible that you will have to start in a new place with a deliberately low salary level, as one of my friends did. But, finding herself in the usual professional element, she quickly rose to the career Olympus in the new company. An inspiring example. It is important to just decide and be honest with yourself: what is the priority now - just making money for life and future retirement or continuing to look for yourself, your new place in life? This choice will determine further tactics.

Thirdly, I always have an “alternate airfield” in the form of the teaching profession.

And, finally, you can dare to take one of two daring options that a mature person can do - freelancing or your own “candle factory”. Where did ours go?!

competently

Galina Ovchinnikova, Head of the Department of Personality Psychology and psychological counseling Humanitarian University:

Traditional basic education does not keep up with changes in society and therefore fundamentally cannot provide a person with the knowledge, abilities, skills, and qualities necessary for effective implementation for the rest of his life. social roles. New type economic development dictates the need to constantly improve qualifications or change professions - sometimes several times throughout life.

In today's world, professional knowledge is updated on average every five to six years, so great importance In addition to formal education, acquires additional training. However, a third of the adult population of Russia has not improved the level of their knowledge and qualifications for at least the last three years. Consequently, in the very near future these are candidates for unemployed status. Additional education turns out to be almost the only way to compensate for insufficient opportunities professional growth, which are provided by the state or employer.

Advice from recruiting portal specialists will help middle-aged applicants feel no worse than their younger competitors.

On a positive wave
Before you start your job search, set yourself up for success. Do not allow yourself to think that your endeavors are futile. Remember that the reasons why the job search may take longer can appear at any age: university graduates are hampered by a lack of experience, young employees are hampered by the presence of small children, etc. Your trump card is professionalism and many years of work experience. And if you are confident in yourself, then your age will easily turn from a disadvantage into a plus.

Find your niche
There are, of course, areas in the labor market where the age limit remains strict, although the age limit contradicts the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. This is sales, public relations, information Technology. Employers set the upper age limit because they consider young employees to be more capable of learning, more resilient and active. Hence the conclusion: you should look for work where your knowledge and experience are primarily needed. Age “over 40” is not a hindrance for those seeking new job accountants, medical workers, lawyers and engineers. But don’t forget to keep your finger on the pulse, that is, refresh your professional knowledge, master new programs needed in your work.

One step higher
As a rule, job seekers aged 40-45 and older, trying to find a job as quickly as possible, significantly lower their expectations, agreeing to a low salary and an inconspicuous position. This strategy often leads to failure, so we advise you to try a completely different move by sending your resume to leadership position. Employers understand that the energy and creativity of young people must be channeled in the right direction, and this requires a person with life and professional experience, attentiveness and organizational skills.

Summary: place emphasis
So that the employer understands how much you valuable employee, you should pay more attention to writing your resume. You don't have to describe your last three to five jobs. It is enough to indicate one or two last places (name of organization, field of activity, years of work) and distribute all your rich experience into blocks (for example, “ Management activities", "Teaching activities", etc.). This type of resume is called functional and allows the employer to see your strengths, without focusing on your long years of work experience, and therefore your age. Do not forget to indicate advanced training courses if they took place in last years. It should be clear: you keep up with the times and constantly monitor changes in the professional environment, and are ready to learn and learn new things.

Deception will not work
Why shouldn't you change your age downward on your resume? When applying for a job, you will still be asked for a passport. Do not spoil your relationship with your employer by trying to deceive him, this will nullify all your efforts.

Interview: confidence, style, tact
Finally, you have received an invitation for an interview. How to dress? A win-win option would be business style- a suit of a classic cut, discreet colors, a minimum of accessories. But at the same time, you should look youthful and energetic, demonstrating with all your appearance that in this place you are not going to wait until retirement, but to actively work, benefiting yourself and the company. When talking with a recruiter, be tactful; under no circumstances complain about how difficult it is for you to find a job: “You know your age.” Remember that you are perceived the way you feel about yourself. Go to the interview with the mindset of a winner – and the result will pleasantly surprise you!

Happy employment!

I’ll start in the style of Alcoholics Anonymous: I’m now 42, I worked as an accountant for 19 years. This was not my dream profession, but at that time I didn’t have much choice, but a stable place of work and good salary They don’t lie on the road. As the years passed, dissatisfaction grew. One day the moment came when I realized: I can’t live like this anymore, I need to look for something new.

Why did I decide to change my profession after 40?

Until that time, I hadn’t even really thought about my purpose. First there was college, then attempts to get a job somewhere, then marriage and my first permanent job. It seemed that there was a lot of time ahead, and I would have time to decide what I really wanted to devote myself to. And then, as is usually the case with many women, she went into maternity leave, after a while a second time. All thoughts about myself somehow faded into the background, because I had to raise children.

At 31, I got a job at a large holding company, where I worked as chief accountant for almost 11 years.

The work is, in principle, not bad. And the team is wonderful. But the feeling of my own unfulfillment intensified every year.

I always hated these numbers, and the phrase “cash discipline” gave me an itch. And even financial stability and respect from colleagues could not compensate for this.

I was suffocated by the enormous responsibility entrusted to me, even though I didn’t launch ships into space. However, I wanted something more free and creative, or something. My dreams were to be realized in a completely different area, far from the endless reporting and documentation that brought me a green melancholy.

And since the children had already grown up, some calm had reigned in life, I decided to correct this and began to look for adventures on my own “Madame Sitting”. I quit my job. Fortunately, for this case there was a stash under the mattress. I set out to find my destiny.

First of all, I went to the career guidance center, where, after a two-hour test, they announced to me the professions that suited me: sales manager, dog handler, director and logistician. Not a bad spread, right? What a versatile personality I am, it turns out!

I must admit, the pictures seemed most rosy to me (well, gray hair in a beard, a demon in a rib - you understand). But as soon as I started surfing the labor market in search of possible vacancies, all the illusions about my brilliant future in new field disintegrated in an instant. And the most important stumbling block was the point “requirements for applicants”.

How to find a good job when you are over 40?

After watching, my self-esteem fell through the roof. Everywhere you look, everyone is looking for 25-year-olds with a profile higher education and eight years of work experience in a similar position, unencumbered by family ties. However, I’m not sure that such people even exist. But I care about these demands as much as I care about the equator on horseback.

After 35, even experienced specialists are very reluctant to hire. What can we say about me, who has neither experience nor appropriate education. But getting a job in a field of interest in order to advance in the future is beyond my strength and beyond my age.

I must admit, at first I was very upset when I realized the real state of affairs on Russian market labor. Indeed, if they tried to refuse in Europe because of the age limit, they would sue immediately. And our retraining system is not very smart. Of course, there are many courses, and they are not cheap. But how can you distinguish something really worthwhile from props when you yourself are completely clueless in this area?

The decision came completely by accident, and not at all from the direction I expected. But I’ll talk about this a little later, but for now I’ll tell you what other difficulties I encountered, and what you should think about before deciding to radically change your profession.

What job should you not look for after 40?

1. Don't throw everything away, take a time out . Sometimes it’s not the chosen profession that makes you sick, but the work in general. Well, you're tired! So the most the best option There will be a vacation, and you will be able to have a good rest and think about everything soberly. Maybe after lying on the beach for two weeks, you will want to skip to work and you will no longer have any desire to change anything.
2. If thoughts about change still haunt you, think about it. Maybe you are not satisfied with the type of activity, but with your team or pay? You should not engage in self-deception, otherwise you will simply exchange an awl for soap. Who knows, what if it’s best to change companies rather than change professions?
3. Decide what you want to do , and find out about everyone pitfalls. Otherwise, difficulties may discourage any desire to continue doing something. At this age, defeat is much harder to deal with, I know from myself.
4. Look for some educational courses in this profession , they will help you gain basic skills. In addition, as far as I remember, many employers really value certificates for completing such courses, since they provide the knowledge that is really necessary for work.
5. It would be great if the chosen area is related to your previous activities . This way you will learn a new job much faster, and your experience will become a beneficial advantage over young people.
6. Be prepared for the fact that retraining will take a lot of time and Money, so take care of your financial cushion in advance. Also an important factor will be whether your loved ones are ready to support you, since changing a profession is a very difficult step, and you may need help.

How I changed my profession at 40

As I already said, the decision came completely spontaneously and unexpectedly. I made my favorite “ministerial” poppy seed cake (I love baking, to be honest) and invited my friend over for tea to chat and complain about what kind of creeps employers are and how hard it is to find a job at 42 years old.

In a leisurely conversation over some goodies, it turned out that my guest’s daughter would be getting married in a week. So she asked me to bake a birthday cake, since they both simply adore my flour “masterpieces.”

Of course, I happily agreed! It was very exciting. I pulled out a notebook with the most proven recipes from the bins. I spent a long time surfing the Internet. And on the eve of the celebration, I created something three-tiered, covered in fragrant glaze and decorated with my signature candied flowers. To be honest, I was shocked by myself.

At the wedding, all the guests were delighted with the cake. But imagine my surprise when within a week 3 people called me asking me to bake something similar to order! So my love for sweets turned into a source of income.

My husband supported me very much in my endeavors, for which I am immensely grateful to him.

True, after a couple of months I felt that my skills were still not enough, and therefore I signed up for special confectionery courses. So now I can make chiffon sponge cake, mascarpone cream, and even make mastic figures with my own hands.

Now I have an appointment for a month in advance. I finally feel like I'm just enjoying what I'm doing. The income, however, is still a little less than at my previous job. But no amount of money can buy happiness!