A Baby Boomer may struggle to adapt to the new work environment we witness in today’s society.
Over the last 50 years, both our economy and society have seen tremendous changes. As a Baby Boomer, you know very well that these changes have impacted the way we live, communicate and live daily — especially when it comes to the workforce.
From breaking gender stereotypes to integrating artificial intelligence technology, the workplace has come a long way over the past half-century. But no matter how much things have changed, it’s never too late to develop or reinvent your career in today’s world.
Let’s explore some of the ways a Baby Boomer can learn how to adapt and become successful in this new environment.
Achieve a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Baby boomers are known for being almost all work and no play. On the other hand, younger generations are stereotyped as being lazy or lacking work ethic. However, in this day and age having a better work-life balance is strongly encouraged.
Many factors are considered in today’s workforce like mental health awareness, employee health and well-being, and more flexible work schedules. Working 12 hour days and never taking any time off is a thing of the past.
Now companies happily encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day, participate in health and fitness programs, work from home and take more vacations. So instead of focusing on working more, the older generation of workers should actually learn how to take more breaks!
This may be difficult to break all work, no play mentality, but studies have shown that having a better work-life balance can actually boost employee productivity and happiness.
Branch Out Online
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is definitely true when it comes to networking; however, the way we network has definitely evolved. Back in the day, networking meant going door to door to businesses and meeting people the “old-fashioned way” — aka in person.
In today’s world, the majority of our networking happens right here on the Internet. As our world moves further and further into the technological space, old networks are being replaced by new ones.
According to successful thought leader Joshua Cooper Ramo, social, economic, and political life are all shaped by connections. In his book “The Seventh Sense,” Ramo stresses the importance of how understanding networks, both online and offline, can help older workers to be successful in today’s world.
It’s important to keep networking, no matter how established you are in your career. In this case, it means stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking a deep dive into technology. Become more established by building a strong online presence via social media platforms and professional sites like LinkedIn.
Let technology help you expand your network of connections and meet professionals just like from all over the globe.
Be Flexible
Another way in which the workforce has changed is people are no longerstaying at the same jobfor more than a couple of years. In fact, 91 percent of young people expect to stay at their place of work for no more than three years. That’s 17 years less than the average Baby Boomer!
Fifty years ago, people’s main focus was having a steady, stable career and settling down to provide for their families. With today’s younger generation, the main priority is making the most money in the quickest, and least stressful way as possible.
However, job hopping does not mean a lack of skills, motivation or stability—in fact, quite the opposite. Job hopping usually occurs to achieve the following:
- Quicker career advancement and higher pay
- Cross-industry skill sets
- Job satisfaction and fulfillment
Gone are the days where employees work at the same company for 20-plus years. So as a Baby Boomer, you will have to learn how to adapt to the constantly changing workflows and workplace dynamics with so many people coming and going. Be open-minded when it comes to job-hopping colleagues and employees.
Change can sometimes be intimidating, but if you want to be successful today you’ll have to adapt and learn how to move with the changing times or get left behind. Remember to be open-minded about the changes in today’s world and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
These three tips will help you become even more successful in your career no matter what age you are.
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