I've been with IBM for about 5 years now, I am pretty certain I'll be RA'd before end of the year.
What are your thoughts about job prospects for someone my age. I am purposefully omitting my field of expertise as I am interested in hearing about a generic point of view.
Thank you...
Anyone who's not flexible with location today has no room to complain if they are unemployed.
There are plenty of hot job markets right now and some of those states have very low cost of living.
Some states are even paying people to move there in fact. (Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota)
Also it depend on whether you are flexible with location.If you find job any where in nation ,just move to that place for few years till you retire.In these last days of golden years before you retire one should be flexible where job take you ,you go. So start you job hunting applying all over the places.
Second thing is you should not always try to match your salary number what you are getting now.Always ready to join new job even if it's 20% less then your current salary as end of day after tax deduction,per pay check it does not make much difference.May be couple of hundred dollars less which you can save by frugal in unnecessary expense by change in life style in last few years.Always ready for change in life style or location or even try applying jobs of different skillset where it's more generic Managment skills companies are looking for.Never discourage even its taking many months to find job.Just keep trying and don't worry and unnecessary take stress in life.Remember everything happen for some good reason which you may not understand at that time.
That was my story three years ago. I went to a competitor and have thrived.
Did I share IBM methodologies and ideas? I did exactly the opposite. I brought my expertise and left the IBM behaviours behind. Occasionally I have slipped up and suggested some "command and control" approaches. But with a little practice, I've been able to lose those habits.
My teams now work on solutions instead making RA recovery plans. We deliver products continuously instead of just having meetings to talk about it. At 60 years old, you are a bit younger than me but you are one of the lucky ones. You still have time to make a difference elsewhere instead of enduring the slow-motion train wreck that IBMers deal with every day.
check out https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/ subscribe to his free weekly newsletter. Some very effective ideas and techniques that can set you apart from the herd.
Don’t be discourage and be confident! Companies now days are starting to realize that it’s a mistake to RA older people and hire millennials.
Millennials don’t have the experience that you have. Have a positive attitude and start looking for a job now. It’s easier to find a job when you have a job.
Europeans companies in the US prefer to hire older employees. Good luck and don’t be afraid!
If you have current and marketable skills, age isn't a real barrier. If you've been stuck as a Lotus Notes Admin, well, not so much. Unfortunately, most of IBM's tech is a joke outside the install base....
If you are over 55, it’s going to be hard to move on, yet…
Try to work with headhunters, not ideal and a lot of shady things in this space but if you find a good one go with her/him... I work for a competitor and I just hired a guy in his early 60s. A good headhunter will help you adjust your resume and may pitch you to companies/gigs that are more open to hiring folks closer to retirement. I have a hard time placing older folks in growth roles as it often takes many years to develop resources, yet there are many roles that do not require growth and extensive training and you may be a match...
I am in my mid 40s and have been managing people for a while now - 55+ folks are more reliable, less expensive, less choosy/picky and in general much easier to manage - so do not assume that you are in a difficult situation due to your age in all situations. Where I sometimes see challenges has to do with lack of technical skills and lack of energy - if you are decent in those two areas in you are in good shape, something somewhere will click.
Good luck!