There is something about turning 50 which changes your career perspective. Often the truth hits that you have reached the plateau and you can only see more of the same in the next decade. Or you have been quietly left behind in the pyramid stakes. And you finally accept that your impact even within your company is more illusionary than real. This is also the point when Money doesn’t motivate you anymore. 24*7, 9 to 9 jobs have lost their appeal.
But the energy levels are still very high. You still have atleast twenty years of productive life ahead of you and you have truckloads of experience which you know could be very valuable to the right folks. And unlike the earlier generation there is no pre-decided “retirement” age.
So what are the options? How do you make the best of your final leg of working life? How do you balance your work life better while continuing to pursue your career? What should be your priority?
There are folks who have moved to teaching. But teaching may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Then there are the usual suspects the NGO’s –could be exciting but to figure out which one would leverage your skills is not easy.
In the recent past new options have been thrown up especially in India thanks to the changing landscape of the economy. There are many more new ventures started by first gen entrepreneurs who often are in their 30’s. The Governments both at the center and at states are seeking corporate skills actively for strategizing and implementing large programs.
So now there is opportunity to participate in the next phase of growth by perhaps getting onto Advisory Boards of start-ups. Here again the challenge is to find ventures where your wavelength and the founder/investor wavelength matches. Where you can see a good fit in terms of skills you bring and the gap in the team. Where there is a genuine desire to take “advise” and act on it.
Government jobs are harder to come by unless you have built a network within the babudom already. But you can always start to build them now and perhaps wait for them to mature and get you on the radar for the right opportunities.
The good thing is the numbers of options have increased but the challenge still is one of awareness and accessibility!!
