Monday, February 20, 2023

The 60 Year Career



A forty year career looks daunting when you first start out. Now try a sixty year career. A recent Wall Street Journal article by one of our favorite journalists, Carol Hymowitz, lays out the rationale for a longer work life. Circling in and out of jobs and careers will become the norm says Carol. We agree. Longevity is the reason.  We are living healthier, longer lives that will permit us to try new careers, sample jobs, and go back to school not once but several times over the course of a sixty year career. You will get to REWIRE early and often as your life unfolds.

The key is to extend a forty year career over a sixty year period. You work the same amount of time spread over an additional twenty years.  In a traditional forty year career, we try to compress too much work in our lives. Families suffer, relationships suffer, and the person working suffers. It's a kind of lose lose for all concerned.  The sixty year career permits us more time with loved ones, being present for important life events.  Important is defined by the individuals involved. It could be a sports or cultural event where your child or grandchild is playing, going on an extended vacation with those you care about, or freeing up time to care for older parents or grandchildren. It also gives you more time for self care.  

The article suspends the traditional straight line career ladder. In its place will be a maze or "jungle gym." The directions will be changing and so will you. In order to prepare we all need to become more adaptable. That includes the worker and the employer. Easier said than done, we know. The aging population and the need to get the job done will force employers to be more embracing of older workers. Older workers will need to reciprocate by keeping up on their skills and learning no ones.  Working in teams with younger workers will be mandatory.  Adjusting to each other will take time, but that is the future.

What will really become essential is knowing your DRIVERS, the emotional rewards you get from work beyond the money. Aligning your DRIVERS to the jobs you select during the sixty year career will make the time go faster and the work a lot more fulfilling.  It should be an adventure not a sentence!