Have you ever looked through your fridge and found an old jar of condiments and wondered “How long has this been in here?” One way you can know is by looking at the ‘sell by’ date – that date when the grocery store had to either sell it or take it off the shelf. Sometimes there is another date on it that suggests that the buyer should use up the product by a certain date to ensure that the product is still edible…the ‘use by’ date.
I’m notorious for ignoring both dates. I figure if it doesn’t have any mold growing on it, it’s probably ok to eat. Besides, the “sell-by” date is for the grocer and doesn’t tell when the jar was opened so it doesn’t dictate how long it’s good for. The “use-by” date is a little more telling but…again…the mold test. Others in my family feel differently.
So it seems there are several factors that dictate whether a product is still useful. Take computers. There is no sell-by or use-by date on computers. The longevity of the machine depends more on the operator and what they need out of the computer.
Human infants are not born with a use-by date. Throughout our lives we find ways to make ourselves useful, developing various skills, some of which are marketable and some of which are useful in everyday life. The latter skills never go out of date. But what of the marketable skills?
I’m sure you know someone who was forced into early retirement in part because the marketable skills that got them hired in the first place are becoming obsolete. Many professions require you to take continuing ed courses to keep your skills current. But even then, sometimes it’s the entire ‘operating system’ that needs updating. That is harder to do and at some point the effort to change your entire framework of thinking is beyond one’s capacity or beyond one’s desire.
Another trend that may force a person out of the working world is changes in requirements of certifications. When I started working in a local hospital lab just out of college, my background in the sciences was enough to get me a job. From there it was on-the-job training – in fact there were lab techs that had no college degree who worked there. There came a time when requirements changed and you had to have a basic lab certification to work there. Then the requirements changed again to where you had to have a four year degree in medical laboratory science to be able to work in that same lab. Some were able to jump through the new hoops, others were not. Their use-by date had expired in spite of the fact that they had all the skills needed to do that job.
This becomes especially poignant when we apply for a new job later in life. Although employers are not allowed to discriminate based on age, we all know that in many cases, it will be the younger person who gets the job even though the older person has the skills and more experience. They want a newer ‘operating system’ on which to program their ideals (and often at a lower cost).
For some, unexpected health issues, perhaps in part due to aging, may impact the work they are able to do. Activities that once were simple, just are no longer possible.
So how do we deal with this feeling and experience of being past our use-by date?
Some options can include
- Make the extra effort to re-tool and get the certifications necessary to continue working in your field.
- Find an adjacent field or job that uses your existing skill but may not require the same certifications.
- Discover a new field of interest that you can train for and switch professions. A job coach can be very helpful if you choose this route.
- Examine your “everyday life skills” and look for ways to use them in a job or volunteer work.
- If your finances allow, take ‘early retirement’ and explore option that were previously unavailable to you.
Our culture does not seem to place a high value on what those with more life experience and wisdom bring to the table. And yet our society would be hard-pressed to keep functioning without the many hours of volunteer time lived out through those who may no longer be in the work force but still have much to offer.
If we can make the shift in second half of life from our value being related to our earning power to our value being what we bring to each life endeavor, each relationship, each situation, we can discover a whole new path…in second half of life.
