Retirement used to mean the end of one chapter in life spent working and the beginning of a new chapter spent with family and friends,
or focusing on hobbies.
Yet for many of today’s mature workers, their picture of retirement looks very different. It no longer means the end of their career; instead, they are either staying longer at their current jobs or getting new jobs once retired.
In fact, a
found that 57 percent of workers age 60 plus surveyed said they would look for a new job after retiring from their current company.
When asked how soon they think they can retire from their current job, 11 percent of workers surveyed said they don’t think they’ll ever be able to retire. Other answers included:
Employers see value mature workers offer
Yet in this sluggish job market, mature workers have to compete with younger workers for jobs. The good news is that employers see the value mature workers can bring to a company, with 43 percent of employers planning to hire workers age 50 plus this year. One concern mature workers may have when going back into the job market is that they may be perceived as overqualified. Yet 75 percent of the employers surveyed would consider an application from an overqualified worker who is 50 plus.
Using your experience to your advantage
Of the employers who said they would consider an application from an overqualified candidate, 59 percent said it’s because mature candidates bring a wealth of knowledge to an organization and can mentor others. When applying and interviewing, mature workers should highlight both their work and life experiences to help sell them as the right candidate for the position.
Rosemary Haefner,
of
at CareerBuilder, offers these tips for mature workers looking to stay working post-retirement:
