The belief that older employees are less adaptable and less capable of acquiring new skills is a misconception that needs to be challenged. We continue to see a focus on the “40 under 40” in popular business publications and an emphasis on promoting and showcasing young startup founders and business professionals.
Ageism is a huge thing in the professional world and there are 3 things that seasoned workers can do to stand out:
Seek out professional development opportunities within the company.
Take a look around your organization and see if there are opportunities to get on projects so you can learn a new aspect of the company. See if you can cross-train with someone to do a new job responsibility. There are some opportunities you can take advantage of if you look.
Take online courses or attend workshops to learn new skills.
Experienced workers should continue to add skills to their toolkit to remain relevant and marketable. They should research current topics and take a class or sign up for a training session to learn more. You are never too old to take up a new skill or learn about current marketable skills.
Build a strong professional network and leverage connections for career opportunities.
Definitely learn to network and connect with people inside and outside of your organization. Have coffee with people in different departments at work to learn about their area. Attend meetups and networking groups on a topic you are interested in learning about external opportunities.
I’m sure if you do some of these things you will be able to improve your chances of enhancing your career.