 Technology is integral to how we work, learn, and build career skills. The pandemic put this trend on steroids. Our community of 50up women balancing work and family, technology is a lifesaver. While Zoom fatigue has become a part of life, the positive is that employers have seen in real time that productivity is often higher among employees working remotely. Remote work enables flexible work hours and saves time since commuting and preparing to commute are no longer are needed. Many large corporations have already developed plans for hybrid work which can expand work options for 50ups who want to continue or return to work. (1, 2)
Now is the time to explore new and innovative job opportunities in your current field or a new one. Opportunities range from a career change (pivot), to starting a business, to looking for more work flexibility. The professional world is evolving rapidly and opening new opportunities. For instance, work opportunities for freelancers (independent contractors) are exploding, facilitated by the growth in online platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork. These online freelance marketplace platforms connect freelancers and potential contract job opportunities reducing the work of selling your service. An estimated 59 million people were doing freelance work in the U.S in 2020, an increase of 6 million from 53 million freelance workers in 2014. (3) For our active L4 Community who plans on continuing to work, there are numerous resources available. Besides our L4 educational resources that are tailored to 50up women like our blogs, podcasts and more, there are numerous online education sources, mentoring, and coaching to help you through your journey, whatever trail you choose to blaze. Online learning platforms supply a broad array of degree and non-degree (certificate) programs and offer courses across many fields of study at competitive rates, and in some cases, for free. Courses offered can be self-paced or more structured. There are other learning platforms, like TEDx and TEDEd (owned by TED.com), that post free online talks from subject matter experts. LinkedIn Learning (previously Lynda.com) is a subscription-based online education platform that offers a video tutorial library. Teachable enables individuals to create online courses and coaching services to monetize their know-how into a knowledge business. If you’ve been keeping your dream of changing up your life but leaving it on the back burner, we say, “Carpe Diem”. The time is now. If you are thinking of changing your career but are unsure what you want to do, start by doing some soul searching and asking yourself a few questions: what energizes you, what activities did you love when you were young, what soft and hard skills do you excel at, ask a family member or a good friend what they think your strengths are. If you want to take the leap and envision yourself as an entrepreneur, then gather the information like you would any research project – only this time it is about you and your idea. Nothing can be more exciting than to create something new. It is also essential to update your LinkedIn profile and resume and highlight those transferable skills to the industry and job you are seeking. “People aged 50 and over are in a unique position to have plenty of workforce experience to bring to a new career, while still being able to obtain the knowledge they need to take on something new.” (4) To escape the procrastination or indecision stage, create an action plan and work through it, one small step at a time. Achieving incremental milestones will help you build your confidence and fuel your drive to continue executing your plan. Seek the support of those around you who celebrate your decision to set new goals, seek new opportunities, and avoid getting deflated by naysayers. If you are starting on a new career path, consider applying for adult internships and even a part-time or flexible job in your new area of interest to decide if the type of position and industry generally meets your expectations. (5) If you haven’t changed up your resume, online profiles or biography in a number of years consider soliciting the assistance of a career coach. Career coaches help you prepare and organize application materials (cover letter and resume), review your LinkedIn profile and identify those experiences and skills that highlight your professional abilities or areas where you may need to build or strengthen your skills. You can improve their resume by demonstrating that they proactively and regularly engage in continuous learning. You can continuously learn by attending professional courses, earning a new certification(s) or credential, or earning an undergraduate degree or college graduate degree. Furthering your knowledge and skillset is especially important when applying for Technology jobs to demonstrate that you have proficiency in multiple current virtual platforms and programs. Show prospective employers that you’re willing to leave your comfort zone and learn new things. (6) The takeaway is that You Can! Your new career can bring back that missing fizz in your life. Plan, be open and proactive about learning new things, and build the relevant skills you need so you are comfortable and confident with taking that first step on your new career path. We’re here for you and we know you’re amazing. References :
Living Loud Living Long: Blog (current page) and Podcast Fiverr®: https://www.fiverr.com LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com Teachable: https://teachable.com TED.com (TEDx, TEDEd): https://www.ted.com Upwork: https://www.upwork.com  These days there certainly are a lot of advertisements touting memory enhancing products. Even Mayim Bialik Ph.D., a neuroscientist, who played the character Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler from the Big Bang Theory, is endorsing a brain health supplement. It would be simple and easier to pop a pill and improve our memory, but we know that when we care enough about ourselves to make us a priority and take time to care for ourselves, we can spend the time we need to keep our brain functioning optimally or to slow down deterioration that can impair our memory and cognitive functioning. Keeping the brain healthy is vital to healthy aging. The Alzheimer Association estimates that in 2021, 1:9 people 65 years or older (11.3%) has Alzheimer’s or approximately 6 million people. (1) Leveraging the expertise of one of our co-founders, who is also a neuroscientist, we have identified a large body of scientific research that demonstrates the benefits of physical and intellectual activity on brain function and an individual’s overall well being. To start, our brain is not static, it can create new neural connections and pathways, when stimulated through continuous learning activities. (2) Here’s how this works. Research studies have shown that physical activity stimulates certain areas of the brain which can facilitate the generation of new brain cells located in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning. A study conducted at University of Pittsburg and University of Illinois revealed this important finding, that although the hippocampus can shrink one to two percent (3) as we age mature adults taking a 40-minute walk (aerobic exercise), three times per week for one year, resulted in a two percent increase in the size of their hippocampus and better brain functionality. (4) Aside from eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and at least eight hours of daily sleep, continuous learning has been shown to play a big role in maintaining healthy brain function. Importantly, continuous learning is not just taking a course in a formal class setting (some may go back to college) but also through a virtual learning platform. Continuous learning occurs throughout our daily lives. Continuous learning occurs while doing our favorite activities or learning new hobbies such as working on a crossword puzzle, watching a news show or documentary, cooking a new recipe, learning a second language, learning to play an instrument, joining a book club, volunteering at a favorite organization, and, yes, engaging in physical activities. In fact, learning new things gives us a brain boost. (5) So how does continuous learning support brain health as we age? For example, learning to play an instrument simultaneously engages the brain in the areas of memory, processing, and motor control. Similarly, taking a language course has shown improvements in the memory function related to tasks and short-term events. (6) The more we use, or exercise, our neural pathways, the stronger they become. Eventually, we can put less active thought into these actions because we’ve built strong pathways as we make a habit of performing this activity such as running or solving puzzles. And learning a new skill makes us feel confident and puts us in contact with like-minded people where we can build friendships or connect with groups, all of which improves our emotional health and well-being and gives us a better quality of life overall. (7) Who doesn’t need this after the year we’ve just been through? As fellow 50ups, we are committed to a continuous learning lifestyle – we’ve gone back to get MBAs, started new businesses, and started new hobbies like jewelry making. Be free to become who you are. It’s good for you. Articles Referenced:
1. Alzheimer’s Association.org: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures 2. Blake, Sharon. January 31, 2011. Moderate Aerobic Exercise in Older Adults Shown to Improve Memory. Study led by Pitt, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows brain hippocampus can be modified. http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/moderate-aerobic-exercise-older-adults-shown-improve-memory 3. Raz N, et al. Regional brain changes in aging healthy adults: General trends, individual differences and modifiers. Cereb Cortex. 2005;15:1676–1689. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 4. The Impact of Learning Multiple Real-World Skills on Cognitive Abilities and Functional Independence in Healthy Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 75, Issue 6, July 2020, Pages 1155–1169. https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article/75/6/1155/5519313 5. Lifelong learning in active ageing discourse: its conserving effect on wellbeing, health and vulnerability. Ageing Soc. 2018 Apr; 38(4): 651–675. Published online Nov 21, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5848758/ 6. Are There Any Cognitive Benefits of Computer-Based Foreign Language Training for Healthy Elderly People? – A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Psychology. Published online Jan 12 2021. Are There Any Cognitive Benefits of Computer-Based Foreign Language Training for Healthy Elderly People? – A Mini-Review (nih.gov) 7. Center for Disease Control (CDC) 8 Ways to Help Improve Your Brain Health. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/healthy-body-brain.html  Many people have inspired me. I love meeting artists, philosophers, fellow scientists, especially fellow 50ups. One of the people who stands out for me is Stanley Bleifeld, a figurative sculpture who was a family friend. He must have been in his 70s or early 80s when we met. He continued to work daily on his art up until his passing at 86.
Not only did I get to meet and speak with him at length, but I got to meet him in his studio. One of his sculptures is a monument to the Civil Rights Movement, It Seemed like Reaching for the Moon located at the statehouse in Richmond, Virginia. He also created The Lone Sailor for the U.S. Navy in Washington D.C. By going to his studio, I got to learn from him. He explained the steps in his creation process including creating early models in wax. We saw rows of miniature creations that were precursors to his final monumental bronze sculptures. He worked in a massive barn-like building that must have been two stories high. He explained the height was needed for the cranes which had to be used to move around his massive art work. Tools for his art hung from racks around the wooden beam walls and winches from the ceiling. Stanley was open and willing to share his passion for art, even with me, who last sculpted a lumpy bear in grade school, except for my cheating use of cookie cutters to make pottery leaves and stars for mobiles. Stanley is symbolic of our L4 community. Someone moved to create. Someone who openly and humbly shares their passions. Someone who creates amazing things every day. Someone who is not defined by age, but by their dreams. I invite you to join our community. Show us how you are Living Loud and Living Long.... I know you are...don't hide your light. Dream It. Live It. Love It. |
AuthorDr. Candice Hughes: Dream It. Live it. Love it. (right after our daily caffeine). Archives
July 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed