Rewarding Career Options for the Booming 50+ Workforce – The Silver Tsunami
Discover the expansive range of new profession opportunities available to the aging Silver Tsunami – those over 50 years old. Explore the potentialities, rewards, and professional growth that this new age workforce can offer.
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Rewarding Career Options for the Booming 50+ Workforce – The Silver Tsunami
The Silver Tsunami: Rewarding Career Options for the Booming 50+ Workforce
As the population ages, the economy is seeing an increase in the number of older adults capable and eager to work. This concept is widely referred to as the silver tsunami. The silver tsunami refers to the surprisingly strong job performance of the Baby Boomer generation born after World War II, from 1946-64.
In the United States, this wave of Baby Boomers, now in the late 50s and early 60s, is estimated to become one-third of the U.S. workforce by 2030. This surge of older adults entering the labor force coincides with the concurrent retirement rate of the older Generation X workers, based on the same report.
As such, the demand for potential boomers in the labor market is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. To meet that demand, there are a growing number of rewarding career options for this burgeoning 50+ workforce.
Advantages of Leveraging the Silver Tsunami
From a business perspective, the silver tsunami presents a few key advantages. These advantages, coupled with the current macro economic and demographic shift, are driving business owners to recruit from this much larger, more diverse, and more experienced talent pool.
The belief in the benefits of leveraging the silver tsunami has become so strong, in fact, that the Federal government’s New Skills at Work Initiative is dedicated to providing access to new job opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and technology.
Types of Careers for the 50+ Worker
Organizations should consider a blend of career styles and hiring techniques to ensure they’re making the most out of the silver tsunami worker. From classic freelance roles to certain consulting positions, many career options are ideal for older individuals.
Here are some of the most rewarding career options for the boomers of the baby generation, 50 or older:
1. Freelance and Remote Opportunities
Freelance and remote industries are growing and AUDBON is one place to consider enrolling. These independent positions enable individuals to work from the comfort of their own home with no commute time or added expenses. There are a variety of freelance career opportunities, such as copywriting, web design, data entry, and software engineering.
2. Education and Tutoring
With expertise in a particular field of study or several years of experience under their belt, freelancers may be the perfect candidate to tutor and teach students. Opportunities may include working as a private tutor or teaching English online.
3. Advertising and Content Writing
With the surge of online content, content writers are in high demand. Freelance writing ignores traditional hiring processes and instead focuses on the ability to put experience into words. This option can be especially rewarding for those who have a knack for writing and prefer independent work.
4. Consulting Positions
Consulting has become the go-to industry for the 50+ age group. As many employers need experienced and older workers who have broader insights and thought processes to pull off difficult goals, they’re turning to the older demographic. For those with entrepreneurial spirit and seasoned with organizational skills, consulting positions can be extremely rewarding.
5. Technology and Creative Fields
Technology has become increasingly present in many industries. Embracing the boomers’ understanding of newer technologies, employers are leveraging the mature-aged markets for their tech industry. A few advantages of the mature age are recent experience in operating devices and the ability to teach tech-averse individuals.
Advertising and creative industries have also embraced the baby boomers’ surge overwhelmingly. With the maturity to recognize and embodies its usage, teams and projects can have a more positive outcome.
6. Sales
Sales roles pose another great opportunity for the elder demographic. This is due to their maturity and passion for engaging with customers through pre-existing relationships. Having a network of contacts is a great leverage for those leading sales teams.
7. Legal & Accounting
Traditional legal and accounting positions require both specialized and general industry experience. Boomers are a dependable source of such expertise, considering the breadth of their experience in the respective industry as well as the needed interpersonal skills to engage with clients.
8. Customer Care and Support
This role is especially ideal for independent workers because it can be conducted from anywhere. Unique qualities, obtained over the years, make baby boomers attractive for such positions which involve giving advice and helping customers with their needs.
9. Social Media Strategy
Older workers in the silver tsunami have a number of advantages when it comes to social media. They understand the need to remain active on social media, helping businesses reach out to the public in a unique way. They also understand the importance of customer care and managing the brand’s online profile.
10. Public Relations
Public relations officers rely heavily on their communication skills and maturity. The addition of years of experience in a particular field is often essential, making many 50+ workers ideal candidates for such roles.
11. Contract and Part-Time Positions
Contract and part-time positions are also proving attractive to the younger generation of older people. These positions are popular because they still offer the incumbents the chance to work in a full role but without the commitment of a full-time job.
The 50+ Workforce: The New Normal
It is expected that the number of years people work, including those over the age of 50, will steadily increase. This is an incredibly positive turn of events and presents a perfect opportunity for businesses to gain access to highly experienced and knowledgeable talent.
By taking advantage of the unique abilities of the silver tsunami, businesses will be able to witness an increase in customer satisfaction as well as an overall uplift in their performance metrics.
FAQs
What is the Silver Tsunami?
The silver tsunami refers to the surprisingly strong job performance of the Baby Boomer generation born after World War II, from 1946-64. This wave of Baby Boomers, now in the late 50s and early 60s, is estimated to become one-third of the U.S. workforce by 2030.
What are the advantages of leveraging the Silver Tsunami?
The silver tsunami presents a few key advantages, such as access to a larger, more diverse, and more experienced talent pool. The benefits of tapping into this workforce have become so strong, in fact, that the Federal government has dedicated an initiative to providing job opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and technology.
What types of careers are ideal for the 50+ workforce?
The most rewarding career options for boomers of the baby generation are freelance and remote opportunities, education and tutoring, advertising and content writing, consulting positions, technology and creative fields, sales, legal and accounting, customer care and support, social media strategy, and public relations.