Finding Work as An Experienced White-Collar Worker

Finding a job is a process all of us must go through at one stage of our lives or another. It is oftentimes stressful, entirely subjective based on our career field, and can sometimes be one of the biggest decisions you have to make in your life.

It should be of no surprise then that even experienced white-collar professionals can sometimes face challenges and distinct advantages, unique to their age and experience bracket. The job market is a dynamic and ever-changing entity, and in today’s modern world the criteria for a successful job applicant can shift quickly. The career landscape might evolve just as quickly; therefore even for an experience white-collar professional, it is imperative to keep your finger on the pulse of the job market.

Finding Work In The World Of Emerging Tech

Perhaps the biggest change facing experienced workers in their search for jobs, and indeed one of the biggest determining factors of the job market overall, is the world of emerging tech. Not too long ago, occupations were commonly acquired by handshakes, dropping off your resume in-store, knowing a friend of a friend, or simply cold-calling a business to offer your employees. However, in the contemporary business world, doing such practices would be unheard of, and have been for the better part of two decades now.

Instead, the business world and the job market (including an experienced white-collar worker’s opportunity to find a job) have become dictated by technology: online job listings and smartphone apps have become the go-to platforms for finding relevant opportunities. Emails and LinkedIn profiles have become mandatory for a successful professional. Online job listings and profile platforms such as LinkedIn make the process of networking with other professionals and transitioning from in-house to outside hire relatively easy and pain-free.

While this means that jobs have technically never been easier to find it does come with a price: almost everyone in the modern workplace, especially experienced professionals, are required to know how to work technology and be able to learn any new emerging tech that sprouts up.

This can be as mundane as knowing how to operate the Microsoft suite, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams. But it can also mean having to learn how a specific app operates, such as Slack, or a new device, such as an iPad – the use of which could allow for more flexibility and efficiency in the workplace. All in all, the world of emerging tech adds another facet that experienced professionals must add to their arsenal. In this endeavour, an open mind to learning new skills would not go amiss.

Advantages That Experienced Professionals Can Use

The advantages that experienced white-collar workers can utilise to successfully find a job are numerous. This is especially so in the cases of lawyers, bankers, accountants, and financial planners. The first and foremost of these advantages are of course your experience which will prove an invaluable asset to businesses looking to hire. This will rank your resume above others that have applied to the same job. It will also allow you to really nail your interview, as you can clearly and efficiently demonstrate your complete knowledge of the business world.

As an experienced professional you will also have access to an invaluable network of contacts within your career field. It is imperative that you take advantage of this network by getting into contact with other professionals to get a sense of what occupations are available. It would also assist you greatly to have fellow experienced professionals recommend you and put in a good word for you.

One distinct advantage that experienced professionals also have at their disposal is simply deciding to make their own opportunity. Your experience is your most valuable asset and while many companies will gladly pay you for it, you can decide to go it on your own. Your experience, list of contacts, market knowledge, and understanding of how a business specific to your career works are all tools that you can use to build your own business. Fairly soon, you won’t be looking for an occupation; others will be looking to work for you. This path will require hard work and dedication and may be risky, but the reward is exceptional: being your own boss.

How Has COVID Affected The Job Market

Another critically important fact that any experienced white-collar professional looking for a job should keep in mind is the recent pandemic of COVID. While this crisis is hard to miss on the news, the disruption it has caused and will continue to cause in the business world may not be immediately obvious to some. It is perhaps the largest crisis the business world has faced since the GFC. The shockwaves it sends through all sectors of the workplace are equally as powerful and long-lasting.

However, not all news is negative. While at the start of the pandemic, opportunities were hard to find and many businesses were forced to close (especially in the hospitality sector) as of the time of writing, the worst of the pandemic has passed. This means that the majority of businesses have re-opened and are in fact looking for more employees to hire, given that a surge of business and customer spending is on the horizon after a lengthy lockdown.

More important COVID changes can be seen below:

1. Shorter work weeks (such as 3-4 days) have been trialled. Many businesses are now considering making this practice the norm.
2. More and more businesses are now permitting their employees to work from home.
3. Meetings in the workplace are shifting online, through the use of MS Teams.
4. The world of emerging technology has seen a surge in software and apps related to the workplace.

What Challenges Can You Expect To Face

While experienced white-collar professionals possess many advantages they can utilise to further their chances of finding a job, they also have one distinct disadvantage. Proven experience is valuable beyond doubt, yet, it also specialises in an individual. Meaning, of course, that the higher up one experienced professional climbs on the career ladder the less volume of jobs will be available to them. This is because once an experienced professional has occupied a high-ranking management position, they will be less likely to be offered a job of lower ranking than that – due to being over-qualified.

Management positions are far more uncommon than entry-level ones, as well. This means that experienced professionals will have to be patient and more careful with the occupations they choose to apply for.

It also means that any competition for the job will be just as experienced and accomplished. For this reason alone, many experienced white-collar workers choose to move further on average than the lesser experienced.

Transitioning To Your New Job

Once you find your job, you must complete one last phase before fully settling in: transitioning to your new workplace. As an experienced professional, you will likely be occupying a position that requires significant responsibility. This means your prep work, including company and policy research must be more extensive than average. However, on the bright side, it is unlikely that the actual work you will be doing will differ too much from previous workplaces, as your experience will more than likely carry over.

Finding Work As An Experienced Professional Is More Than Possible

The process of finding a new job for experienced white-collar workers is a long, sometimes complex process that requires patience. You must stay aware of the challenges facing experienced professionals, such as the smaller number of available opportunities and specialisation, leading to narrowing job opportunities. Covid too has changed the job landscape and how many businesses operate – including their hiring metrics.

However, it is also a process that can be exciting and tremendously rewarding. It has never been easier to find a job listing or build a network of like-minded professionals thanks to emerging technology.

Remember, your experience in the workplace will prove to be your strongest asset. Finding a job as an experienced white-collar worker is the start of a new chapter in your life, and the most important tool to help you is to start looking. So, get out there now!

Finding Work as An Experienced White-Collar Worker

Finding a job is a process all of us must go through at one stage of our lives or another. It is oftentimes stressful, entirely subjective based on our career field, and can sometimes be one of the biggest decisions you have to make in your life.

It should be of no surprise then that even experienced white-collar professionals can sometimes face challenges and distinct advantages, unique to their age and experience bracket. The job market is a dynamic and ever-changing entity, and in today’s modern world the criteria for a successful job applicant can shift quickly. The career landscape might evolve just as quickly; therefore even for an experience white-collar professional, it is imperative to keep your finger on the pulse of the job market.

Finding Work In The World Of Emerging Tech

Perhaps the biggest change facing experienced workers in their search for jobs, and indeed one of the biggest determining factors of the job market overall, is the world of emerging tech. Not too long ago, occupations were commonly acquired by handshakes, dropping off your resume in-store, knowing a friend of a friend, or simply cold-calling a business to offer your employees. However, in the contemporary business world, doing such practices would be unheard of, and have been for the better part of two decades now.

Instead, the business world and the job market (including an experienced white-collar worker’s opportunity to find a job) have become dictated by technology: online job listings and smartphone apps have become the go-to platforms for finding relevant opportunities. Emails and LinkedIn profiles have become mandatory for a successful professional. Online job listings and profile platforms such as LinkedIn make the process of networking with other professionals and transitioning from in-house to outside hire relatively easy and pain-free.

While this means that jobs have technically never been easier to find it does come with a price: almost everyone in the modern workplace, especially experienced professionals, are required to know how to work technology and be able to learn any new emerging tech that sprouts up.

This can be as mundane as knowing how to operate the Microsoft suite, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams. But it can also mean having to learn how a specific app operates, such as Slack, or a new device, such as an iPad – the use of which could allow for more flexibility and efficiency in the workplace. All in all, the world of emerging tech adds another facet that experienced professionals must add to their arsenal. In this endeavour, an open mind to learning new skills would not go amiss.

Advantages That Experienced Professionals Can Use

The advantages that experienced white-collar workers can utilise to successfully find a job are numerous. This is especially so in the cases of lawyers, bankers, accountants, and financial planners. The first and foremost of these advantages are of course your experience which will prove an invaluable asset to businesses looking to hire. This will rank your resume above others that have applied to the same job. It will also allow you to really nail your interview, as you can clearly and efficiently demonstrate your complete knowledge of the business world.

As an experienced professional you will also have access to an invaluable network of contacts within your career field. It is imperative that you take advantage of this network by getting into contact with other professionals to get a sense of what occupations are available. It would also assist you greatly to have fellow experienced professionals recommend you and put in a good word for you.

One distinct advantage that experienced professionals also have at their disposal is simply deciding to make their own opportunity. Your experience is your most valuable asset and while many companies will gladly pay you for it, you can decide to go it on your own. Your experience, list of contacts, market knowledge, and understanding of how a business specific to your career works are all tools that you can use to build your own business. Fairly soon, you won’t be looking for an occupation; others will be looking to work for you. This path will require hard work and dedication and may be risky, but the reward is exceptional: being your own boss.

How Has COVID Affected The Job Market

Another critically important fact that any experienced white-collar professional looking for a job should keep in mind is the recent pandemic of COVID. While this crisis is hard to miss on the news, the disruption it has caused and will continue to cause in the business world may not be immediately obvious to some. It is perhaps the largest crisis the business world has faced since the GFC. The shockwaves it sends through all sectors of the workplace are equally as powerful and long-lasting.

However, not all news is negative. While at the start of the pandemic, opportunities were hard to find and many businesses were forced to close (especially in the hospitality sector) as of the time of writing, the worst of the pandemic has passed. This means that the majority of businesses have re-opened and are in fact looking for more employees to hire, given that a surge of business and customer spending is on the horizon after a lengthy lockdown.

More important COVID changes can be seen below:

1. Shorter work weeks (such as 3-4 days) have been trialled. Many businesses are now considering making this practice the norm.
2. More and more businesses are now permitting their employees to work from home.
3. Meetings in the workplace are shifting online, through the use of MS Teams.
4. The world of emerging technology has seen a surge in software and apps related to the workplace.

What Challenges Can You Expect To Face?

While experienced white-collar professionals possess many advantages they can utilise to further their chances of finding a job, they also have one distinct disadvantage. Proven experience is valuable beyond doubt, yet, it also specialises in an individual. Meaning, of course, that the higher up one experienced professional climbs on the career ladder the less volume of jobs will be available to them. This is because once an experienced professional has occupied a high-ranking management position, they will be less likely to be offered a job of lower ranking than that – due to being over-qualified.

Management positions are far more uncommon than entry level ones, as well. This means that experienced professionals will have to be patient and more careful with the occupations they choose to apply for.

It also means that any competition for the job will be just as experienced and accomplished. For this reason alone, many experienced white-collar workers choose to move further on average than the lesser experienced.

Transitioning To Your New Job

Once you find your job, you must complete one last phase before fully settling in: transitioning to your new workplace. As an experienced professional, you will likely be occupying a position that requires significant responsibility. This means your prep work, including company and policy research must be more extensive than average. However, on the bright side, it is unlikely that the actual work you will be doing will differ too much from previous workplaces, as your experience will more than likely carry over.

Finding Work As An Experienced Professional Is More Than Possible

The process of finding a new job for experienced white-collar workers is a long, sometimes complex process that requires patience. You must stay aware of the challenges facing experienced professionals, such as the smaller number of available opportunities and specialisation, leading to narrowing job opportunities. Covid too has changed the job landscape and how many businesses operate – including their hiring metrics.

However, it is also a process that can be exciting and tremendously rewarding. It has never been easier to find a job listing or build a network of like-minded professionals thanks to emerging technology.

Remember, your experience in the workplace will prove to be your strongest asset. Finding a job as an experienced white-collar worker is the start of a new chapter in your life, and the most important tool to help you is to start looking. So, get out there now!