In the last few years of working I attained a condition of not fretting so much about finding work. There was a combination of factors that got me there. Firstly, I realized that I had gotten older. Getting on Medicare meant I did not feel tied to a job for medical coverage. (The Affordable Care Act came into effect after I started on Medicare, so availability of the ACA did not effect me.)
Secondly, after a ten year stretch of employment at one company, I had a series of short term jobs. And I was frequently contacted by headhunters (LinkedIn: a blessing and a curse). This lead me to know I was still employable. I was hired four times over the age of 60. And all four of those jobs ended by my decision and choice, not the employers. And I could have remained on my last job longer if I had not decided to retire.
Which lead me to a realization about jobs: Another one will come along, it always does. That might sound cavalier or flippant, and of course in some economic conditions, no amount of such an attitude will help. But under the circumstances, it helped to feel less powerless regarding employment.
Earlier in my career, I would never have left a job without having something else lined up. But later on, I did do just that. Towards the end of my working career, I left jobs without having another one set up. If a job was not the right one for me, it was best to leave as soon as I could. I trusted that something will come along. And it did.
A ten year stretch at one company ended after it was acquired and started laying off staff, an inevitable result of most acquisitions. When it was my turn, Mrs. SmileIfYouDare confided to me that she was not worried, and that we would do just fine even if I did not find another job.
Her confidence and lack of concern was a relief. Nothing like a wife who tells you she is comfortable. That gave me the confidence to look for the next job with comfort, it took but only a few weeks before I was employed again.
In fact, she continued to be incredulous that I was continually being hired; it is many a person who has a difficult time being hired once they are perceived as “older.”
There were other benefits to not being in “desperation mode.” When going on interviews, I have felt that employers can sometimes smell desperation if it was part of what I was bringing to the table. When I was younger, there were a few times I was in dire straights, and “needed” a job; it was times like that that I was not looked upon favorably.
And employers can also sense other conditions I may be in. As I got older, when I approached interviews as a professional, with enthusiasm for the work, with an egalitarian attitude, and with skills and experiences that would be of benefit to an employer, they were much more receptive.
I should also mention that enthusiasm helps. I don’t mean to be blindly and vapidly enthusiastic, but to express interest and happiness at the opportunity, and professional eagerness. I found it very helpful: interviews turned into job offers.
What do you think? Did you ever voluntarily leave a job without having something else lined up?
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