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Mid 40's and uncertain
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Mid 40's and uncertain
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I am a mid 40's white male who is about to graduate with an associate degree. Is my advancement opportunities clock ticking? It is common knowledge a company cannot consider age as a factor for advanc
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/17/2007 12:18 PM EST
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Posts: 5
First: 12/3/2006 Last: 1/24/2007 |
I am a mid 40's white male who is about to graduate with an associate degree. Is my advancement opportunities clock ticking? It is common knowledge a company cannot consider age as a factor for advancement but is there any data to indicate at what age the opportunities decrease for someone my age. I would consider continuing on to earn my bachelors but I would be approaching 50 at the completion and if the opportunities for advancement are decreasing because of my age I wonder if the effort would be worth the cost and time I must give up with my family to earn my degree. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/22/2007 10:51 PM EST
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Posts: 17
First: 9/27/2005 Last: 7/10/2011 |
There's no single "right" answer. Every individual and situation is different. I'm guessing you mean doing the degree part time while working (it almost certainly is riskier to take it full time, although some do and it can work out if you have a plan). If you can do it without losing a lot of value-add time with your family, if you have a supportive spouse, kids hitting teen years who may not want to spend time with parents, etc., all those factors make a difference. Alternatively some people do well without degrees - yes, even today. But no doubt a degree can help most people, although it isn't the degree as such, but the fact you're continuing to learn, both visibly to your company and personally because you get better at what you're doing... if you take a program that makes sense for your work and clearly adds something you and the company can apply. There may be other ways to accomplish the same learning and visibility - joining professional associations and taking some of their qualifying programs (project management as an example). These may require less time and offer more work-specific benefits. Is the clock ticking - yes, for all of us! Age discriminatin is silently alive and well in many if not most workplaces. But again it depends. In some companies you're too old if you're over 30. In many it's over 50. Promotions tend to come in bursts. I was plateaued between 20 and 30, had two or three promotions by 37, and seven between 37 and 42 because I found my niche and was in a spot where my skills were in high demand. I got nine good years at a highl level. By 51 I found myself working for a 50 year old CEO who "wanted to leave a younger group" behind him in a couple of years. Of course that means "younger than him." I knew the moment he said it I would be getting the boot, but managed to use that informatin to get ready for "early retirement" and my own business by 55 using the inevitable severance package. A lot of succeeding at any age is developing an effective strategy that fits your specific needs and situation... and creating the environment for some luck. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 12:07 AM EST
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Posts: 9
First: 3/9/2006 Last: 6/26/2007 |
I consider myself a lifelong learner so I don't think that someone in their 40's is "too old" to advance in their career. I earned my bachelor's degree at age 50 and I am now enrolled in a master's program. Even if a degree is not required for a particular job, it is value added to your resume. Also, when you retire you may want to teach part-time to share your knowledge and make a difference in the lives of others. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:01 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 11/28/2006 Last: 1/23/2007 |
You didn't say what work you were doing, and what kind of degree you were persuing. Obviously, some degrees matter more to some careers - an accounting degree for an accountant, for example. Whereas a Bachelors in Psychology probably won't help you in your IT career.
Also, is it a requirement within your company, in particular, or are you looking to go outside. If you're in HR, I would argue that years of experience and Certification may be more crucial than a degree, especially as your work history progresses. When I look at resumes, I focus MUCH more on what the person has done, rather than their degree, with the exception of very techincal fields. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:02 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 1/23/2007 Last: 1/23/2007 |
I went back full-time to finish my Bachelors (1.5 yrs)at 44 and believe that learning is growing, especially with the pace today at which we work and live. I think you would have to consider what you have done up to this point in time and how the degree, AA or Bachelors compliments the plan or general direction you are headed. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:11 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 1/23/2007 Last: 1/23/2007 |
I'm 60 and disabled. I finished my BA at 54, my MA at 59, and I'm finishing the first year of my Ed.D. in a new field - all part-time programs for working people. I do pro bono consulting in my new field and hope to hang my shingle soon. If you're flexible with the kind of work you'll do, you may be able to get around the stigma of age and disability in the coming drought of talent. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:21 AM EST
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Posts: 36
First: 4/4/2006 Last: 1/27/2009 |
Seems to me that your are posing two questions: 1) Assuming most employers engage in unspoken or systemic age discrimination, (and I believe they do), what is that age?
2) What is the value of higher education? Answering 1) is very dependent on the employer culture and on the profession. You also need to ask yourself how willing are you to change employers in order to use your newly acquired education. Some employers have a problem accepting the credibility of an self-improved employee (that's just Buddy, what could he know?) and will pay more for a stranger with the same credentials. 2) One should pursue education with the same attitude they should acquire art. It should be for you, because it's what you want to learn, it enriches your enjoyment and satisfaction in life, it expresses who you are and what you aspire to be. You buy a painting and enjoy it and if it's dollar value increases and generates some income opportunities for your heirs, that's a bonus. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:33 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 1/23/2007 Last: 1/23/2007 |
Age discrimination is alive and well on many fronts. During an interview it is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. But it is still there despite the fact that everyone wants to pretend it isn't there. By asking questions to get to the heart of the real issue around age, you can put it on the table and help those who have age discrimination as an issue get over it. As long as no one wants to talk about it, it won't change. To break through discrimation of any kind takes courage and action. We are all free agents and our ability to thrive in the market is directly proportional to our ability to sell ourselves and overcome the obstacles preventing us from getting the job we want. Age discrimination is just another market factor. Unless we take action against it, we become silent victims relegated to bemoaning what has happened to us. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:46 AM EST
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Posts: 40
First: 6/28/2005 Last: 2/26/2008 |
In your mid-40's, you still have at least a couple decades to work, so it's easy math, if the family tradeoff is workable. Workforce data clearly show that more education = more lifetime earnings. But, if you are thinking there is a quid-pro-quo between degree attainment and automatic, immediate extra earnings, you are going to be frustrated--especially if you have kids,and every hour in class or studying debits your time during their critical years. Have you been given additional responsibility / titles every few years without a degree? If so, then the degree can have a turbo effect where you are. If not, a midlife degree may be discounted at your current employer, where you are already seen as being on a particular track. You may need to change jobs to get re-set into a degree-track career. |
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Mid 40's and uncertain
posted at 1/23/2007 1:51 AM EST
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Posts: 11
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 1/23/2007 |
The earlier posts have a lot of useful tips and considerations. Another piece I would add is the satisfaction factor. You really need to ask yourself if you are going to be happy doing further studies. If you are going to get enjoyment and learning then do it. Otherwise, it might end up being a drag given your circumstances. Learning has to be fun and should not be a chore.
For me, this was a key distinction as I got into higher studies. I would not do it now just for the paper. Good luck!! Anoop http://www.career-change-mentor.com |
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