My wife had the great idea to get into the 21st century and purchase a new television. Before we made the purchase, we had it figured out that we would have to move some furniture from one room, swap a couch from another room, and move a credenza up from the basement to make it just right. We had a young man come over and install our brand new state of the art television, and yes, we asked him to help move the couch and the solid oak cabinet that housed our former 1990ish television set. I must say, I found myself deferring to letting him take the heavier end of the credenza and the couch. It was at that moment I became aware that indeed I was getting older.
I can assure you, comparing my physical strength to a twenty three year old, did not boost my self esteem. But one thing I learned is that I found myself admitting to myself it was ok to be getting older. It is the same in the job market. If you are between jobs and are looking for a customer service job, recognizing the advantages that come with any age is important.
If you are between the ages of 18 and 29 you have your youth and energy working for you. This can be a very valuable asset to working in any career. Employers are looking for young people who are willing to go the extra mile and make a difference in the jobs they work. Having an open mind to learning can give you the advantage of taking your present knowledge base and skills sets to the next level and the next and the next. Having the advantage of being raised in a computer world, you have the ability to learn technology quicker than most people who are older than you. Keep working on your people skills.
Now, those of you who are between the ages of 30 and 49, have distinct advantages from those younger and older than you. You have your experience and energy to help you be productive and successful. You have much of the technology skills sets as your younger counter parts, and your maturity level that will work in your favor. You too must continue to work on your people skills along with your technology skills.
Finally, those of us that are 50 years and up have other distinct advantages the two younger groups do not have. We have experience and people skills. Our technology skills definitely need to be developed, but most of us have them. The key is to leverage our skills sets to allow us to maximize our effectiveness in the market place. By using patience and persistence we can become successful in any career that matches our talents and ambitions.
Whichever age group you find yourself in, remember you are what you make it to be. When you capitalize on your strengths and shore up your weaker areas, you only increase your levels of success. Remember the best is yet to come, but only if you do something to make it that way.
Tom Borg is a consultant in leadership management, team building and customer service. Please see more of his blogs at csjobsblog.com and businessworkforceblog.com. To view additional job postings at Nexxt.
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