Re-inventing Yourself - a necessity for many, especially for those over 50, but it’s vital for others, too.

For many people newly facing job-cuts and company reorganization, reinvention is key for continuing in the work force.  Unemployment is the catalyst for many changes.

It just may not be possible, especially if you are at the top, to do exactly what you have been doing at same level of seniority (and pay, at least in Switzerland).  

It can also be that working has changed in your field and you want to get out before there is no job.  Or maybe the pandemic has shown you that a change is essential for your well-being.  Whatever the reason, you want to change, to “reinvent yourself”.

Yes, we ALL can change 

Based on research, every person is able to change until their life on this earth ends.  

An example from my coaching business

When I had been teaching business students communication for twenty years (ten in Zürich and then ten in Brugg), I decided that I needed a change and found a great school that gave me a real (18 month) coaching training with a European certification.  Since that certification I haven’t stopped learning and have added a few certifications on that, as well, including a supervision certification in May, 2020.  We all need to keep “fresh” and grow.

But not every attempt at a change is successful.  Some are, of course, failures. Those I consider “learning events”.

You can change, too.

The qualification to the “yes, you can”

You can re-invent yourself – with a qualified yes.  We all have our general personality traits and we work from a starting point of where we are at(age, education, skills).  

Yet, we need to challenge ourselves and not use the excuse, “I am x and can’t do y.”  

We are all able to do a lot of activities and jobs we don’t think we can, if we try and learn and try again, and keep trying until we make it.  

But those activities may very well be out of our “normal arena of comfort”.  These new activities may drain us more than other more typical to our personality activities do.  

Change is hard and we all know it.  

Change will not be easy for you, that is true, but if you want to keep working, especially after being made redundant (especially after he age of 50 in Switzerland), change will probably be necessary for your success. 

Re-inventing your career at 50+

When dealing with joblessness over 50, it is vital to re-invent your career and your skills, instead of working only within ones’ experience, training and/or personality borders, you will need a “Career Swing” of some sort.  Lately this topic has become more important for my friends and colleagues as the business and the economic reality of Switzerland’s landscape has been changing.  

Re-inventing and change

Essentially what the issue is, is that you need a good change process plan, based on the environment, your (realistic) expectations, and your abilities and boundaries.  

You may change your type of work, the way you work (perhaps as a consultant), or maybe you will start your own business.  This will, then start even more change processes.  Of course, you may have to learn new things such as more about networking and using social media, too.  

And what about your business, if you have one? Take inventory

Finally, sometimes you need to re-invent or re-vamp your business or business strategies, especially after 2020.  This kind of inventory-taking for business should be done quarterly or twice a year at the least —depending on the business results from the last quarter and/or semester.  

I would love to have an email (or otherwise, perhaps a Skype or coffee, covid-requirements allowing) dialog about this kind of re-invention, whether it’s personal or about your business.  

Maybe you are anticipating a big change, or are in the middle of it, or change has “happened” to you.  No matter what, when dealing with this difficult change process, remember to start by asking yourself what works for others, what has worked for you in the past, and what might work in the future, based on the present situation in your environment. 

When you reflect on these questions you will then be on your way to a different and hopefully better future, and maybe even in a different place! 

Have a great 2021! 

Patricia Jehle                   patricia@jehle-coaching.com

Also, should you be interested you could like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jehle.Coaching/