Ah, the 4th of July is just around the corner and the oldest of the Boomers are busy turning 62 this month and every month through the rest of this year.

The race to find qualified senior talent and to transfer knowledge between generations is beginning to gain speed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be a 15% decline in workers ages 35-54 over the next decade. And "The number of people in the labor force who are 55 years of age or older will increase by 49 percent from 2002 to 2012 according to the National Governors Association's report on the workforce.

Industry after industry and business upon business are beginning to feel the struggle of recruiting and retaining top candidates and many are beginning to seek established, mature talent. Watson Wyatt, who tracks this information, will tell you that for the first time, older (chronologically speaking) talent is already in demand. They state that within the next 12 months virtually all American businesses will find that top-performing professionals will have their choice of opportunities from a variety of work models.

That's the GOOD NEWS!

The bad news is that most of the early Boomers have no idea how to run their mature careers in a different way than they ran their earlier careers.
What's so different? Ah, there's the rub; because the answer is "just about everything."

The Journey to Mature Career Management Begins
"Talent alone won't make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is: 'Are you ready?'"

- Johnny Carson

Getting ready: Select the Career Coach or Counselor

If ever there was a time to hire a coach, that time is now when the career and life moves you make matter and when much more be at stake than at any moment in your past. Slipups hurt, and they hurt more and become harder to overcome as time goes by.

Don't solo; Hire a coach. But, the question is which coach? Will credentials, and a string of undecipherable letters after a coach/counselor's name, designate the best coach for you? Not necessarily. But asking the right questions will help you to quickly distinguish the best coaches from the ordinary for this new time in your work life.

Select any, or all, of the following questions before engaging a coach and ask your questions during the engagement "interview." By the way, highly qualified coaches want a commitment to a partnership from you, just as you do from them. As a result, most will offer the engagement interview on a complimentary basis to serious "shoppers."

During the engagement interview, the coach is learning more about you (bring a written summary of your career experience) just as you are seeking to determine their qualifications to coach you. Realize that it is not to be expected that any one coach will be able to answer all questions in depth in a brief introductory meeting. Other than this note of caution, ask away. It is, after all, your life that you will entrust, in part, to your coach.

Getting ready: "Vet" the Career Coach or Counselor – Ask!

Q. Based on your review of my qualifications and experience, can you tell me from your perspective what might preclude me from being a top level candidate for a similar position in the future? Listen carefully – does the prospective coach grasp your obvious strengths, your obvious weaknesses, or your clearly missing competencies? Seek candor – not platitudes.

Q. In your opinion, is my recent experience (last 5-6 years) aligned with current marketplace need? If so, why? If not, why not? Listen to their understanding of the marketplace as it pertains to your preparedness to meet your direct path career aspirations.

Q. Tell me about appropriate approaches to different industries or sectors and/or new ways to work. Probe their familiarity with all sorts of new ways to work, i.e., full-time vs. interim opportunities; public sector vs. private sector options, global opportunities, etc.

Q. Tell me about some of the barriers I might encounter because of age and how you can help me overcome these barriers. Barriers include age discrimination, being overpaid for the market, other myths and biases that are often associated with older workers.

Q. Tell me what's so different about looking for opportunities in mid (late) career? We remind you that just about everything is different in part because this is the very first time our nation's maturing populations will want to, or need to, work later in life than at any previous time in history. That's a good starting point for a response but other responses might include the impact of technology on careers such as yours, outsourcing of positions like yours, fracturing* of organizations and so forth.

Q. Can you help me to understand all aspects of the latest research, social networking skills and the newest technology tools? For instance, see if they simply dwell on resumes, or if they offer additional ideas about web sites, biographies, the nuances of online networking and the latest advances in research?

Q. Can you give me a few examples of the best job boards and companies in terms of meeting mature workers' needs? There are many; some are positioned at the executive level and others are more generally positioned for all professional careerists.

Q. I know what jobs I don't want but am not sure about what career opportunities I do want. Where should I start to look? What methodology does the coach recommend for drawing out your interests and preferences? Do they emphasize applying your strengths to jobs that are in demand; in other words are they keeping the marketplace in mind while guiding you through the decision-making process for defining the type of work that's the best fit for you?

Q. Give me an example of a client you have recently worked with who has needs and circumstances similar to mine and how you supported their transition. Gain an understanding of the results of a coach's recent assignments. Do they confidently relate examples of their success in helping others?

Carleen MacKay & Brad Taft
info@AgelessInAmerica.com

In response to "popular demand" − The S−AGE SPEAKS, formerly HOT TOPICS, is now published on the 1st and 15th of each month.