How long have you been joining in the workforce? When you have been working for more than 20 or 30 years, there are good chances that you have gained enough experiences and acquired copious new skills from the long tenure. While you might have become an expert at this point, does it mean that you should stop discovering new things? The answer is no. Learning is a continuous process and as the old adage says, ‘You are never too old to learn’.
The advancement of internet has made it easier for us to study new knowledge to improve our skills. On the internet, you can find numerous advices about career and job hacks that could help you make progress in our career. However, you often skip such posts you think that those lessons are typically written for fresh-graduates and younger people. Some people might think that they are not young anymore when it comes to career development, while some others are satisfied with their current career achievements and reluctant to explore new things.
Age should not limit one’s step from developing themselves, including in terms of career growth. Here are six important career lessons for people of all ages:
It’s never too late to start
You might have interests in something you have never known before and consider to commit yourself in learning further about it. But once again, you feel that it could be too late to start again as you feel too old already. When such thought comes, it will be better to ignore such feeling and make up your mind to start learning. You might find better opportunities after you take your first step. All you need to remember is that your step should be thought of and planned strategically so it won’t ruin your current career.
Life always offers a second chance
Here is a case: you have a stable job but then decide to switch career. The problem arises when you find yourself more suitable to your old job, but now it is too late to come back. Not to mention, you might think that picking up what you have thrown is a shame. You should get rid of those thoughts, as there is always a second chance. If you left your previous company the right way, there are good chances that will happily welcome you when you want to come back. Or, you can rely on your experience to find new opportunity to pursue the same career in other company.
Network is the key
Most senior employees find it awkward to ask for help from the younger employees, especially when it comes to career matters. In their mind, they believe that veteran workers should be the ones who are ready to help. Owing to this belief, seniors tend to be passive when it comes to making new network. However, you should know that you have the same chance to optimise the use of network. Being active and expanding your network will give you meaningful insights to develop yourself both personally and professionally.
Failure happens to everyone
There is no doubt that success is the final goal everyone aims to, but you should keep in mind that sometimes, failure is an inevitable reality to face. While facing failure sounds like an unfavourable condition, you should not let the fear of failure be your obstacle from pursuing your dream. As long as you have prepared, analysed, planned, and anticipated everything, you should have faith in yourself. Even if in the end you still find failure, it means you are getting more chances to learn.
Always upgrade yourself
Some kinds of skills might have the same basic regardless of time changes, but some others have rapidly altered and developed by the day. As an example, the old-fashioned accounting staff might still work manually on a thick account notebooks and calculator, but nowadays people are turning to use MS Excel and spreadsheet to do all the accounting tasks. It proves that having basic skill will never be enough if you don’t give it an upgrade. It is important to upgrade your skill and adapt yourself so you can survive and thrive in the ever-changing world.
Don’t underestimate work-life balance
People tend to think that growing older means they should be more serious in their career. While such thought is not necessarily wrong, it does not mean you should sacrifice all your life to dedicate for your work. You should make sure that your life outside the working hours is well-balanced. Getting enough sleep, adopting the right dietary habit, taking some time to exercise, and having leisure time with your loved ones are crucial to make you stay healthy both physically and psychologically.
Read also: Tips to Answer Interview Question: “What is Your Biggest Weakness?”
