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Article from The Sunday Times, 28 Jan 2007
Change your job only for the right reasons
I am 50 years old, and have been in Procurement and Supply Chain business for 15 years.
For the past four years, I have been responding to job advertisements without success.
I am still working while searching for a more challenging job. The interviews got along well until we arrived at the issues of salary and family.
Although I was ready to accept a lower pay, the prospective employer always doubted I would ever stay on for long with them. They also doubted I could travel extensively on the job because I have children aged 12 and 13.
What are your views on such perceptions on the part of the employers today? I feel that they are not serious in hiring mature staff.
Were the interviews arranged to get feedback on a specific issue? The hirers were young and having an older person working for them poses a threat to their position.
The human resources policy seems to be to get a cheap and as long as the employee meets basic academic and job requirements. Foreigners meet this criteria.
Do you think pursuing a master's degree at my age will impress employers when there are masses of foreign workers who have master degrees in their early 30s?
I have already started on my master's course.
PH’s response
Before we go into what seems to be the core issue of repeated failures to go beyond the job interview stage, let’s examine the reasons that you are looking for a ‘more challenging job’.
Typically, there could be two sets of reasons why people leave organizations – the ‘push’ and the ‘pull’ factors.
If you had started looking for another job sometime in the past 18 months or so, the ‘pull’ factor could have included the upbeat job market.
However, you shared that you had started four years ago – as far as I can remember, the job market during that period was generally fair to weak.
Hence, my guess is that it could have been ‘push’ factors that led you to consider another job.
Before you continue your job search, may I suggest that you re-visit the reasons for moving.
Only and until you are sure that you are moving for the ‘right’ reasons, should you resume your job search. “Right’ reasons include your ceasing to learn much from your current job, and do not include reasons associated with a problematic boss.
One key point to bear in mind: there are always risks associated with changes in employer.
You will have to proof your mettle all over again, build relationships within the new organization, and get along with your new boss. At this stage of your career, think twice before you move unless the reasons are compelling enough.
The risk factors may not make it worth the while. You did not mention whether your spouse is working or whether you are debt-free but having two young children are reasons enough to be very careful.
Losing your job/income is a very real possibility.
Let’s now deal with your specific issues. The bad news is that the challenges associated with a job search when you are 45 and above will always be there. It’s difficult, and much time is needed to change employers’ perceptions regarding mature employees.
The good news is that with an ageing population, a decline in birth rate, and a shortage of talent in Singapore, employers will have to do two things: *retain the services of matured employees for as long as they want to work and are able to contribution meaningfully; and *hire foreign talent.
On the two ‘employer doubts’ –why are you prepared to accept a lower salary in the first place?
Remember this, there is a certain perceived value to each job.
If you are applying for a similar-level job (vis-a-vis your current job), you ought to be asking for around the same salary level, simply because the value of both jobs is similar.
Only if you are applying for a lower level job should you be stating a lower expected salary.
If you are asked for the reason why you are prepared to accept a lower salary, your response should be anchored on the job value.
Reiterate that you are not taking a pay cut but accepting a salary that commensurates with the job.
On the ‘business travel’ issue, perhaps you can share how you successfully cope with travel demands in your current job, if you are already doing lots of that. If you are not, then you can share work-able household arrangements to demonstrate that you are able to do extensive business travels.
Finally, at this stage of your career, working experience and potential contributions to an employer count more than academic qualifications.
But I am glad that you have decided to do your MBA. The additional knowledge and network of contacts (your course mates) will prove useful in your job.
And you would have set an excellent example to your children, and to others – one should never stop learning. Well done!
Paul Heng is a professionally certified executive/career coach. He is the founder of NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia (www.nextcareer.net) and the author of “Jump Start your Career”.
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