Is 59 Too Late for a Change?
by Barbara Reinhold

DEAR COACH: My friends and family are telling me I should besuing somebody for age discrimination, because I'm 59 and was just pink-slipped from the bank where I've been a VP in lending for the past decade. But we were just acquired, and many of my teammates and I are now considered redundancies. Truthfully, I believe there probably was an element of age discrimination in the selections, because more than half of us who were laid off are
in our 50s. But somehow I just don't want to go there. I'd much prefer to see this as an opportunity to do something new. I have always been fascinated by homes and real estate sales, and often my husband and I spend free weekend afternoons driving to open houses. But friends tell me I'm crazy to think about changing careers at this age. They're all thinking about retiring, and I'm thinking about starting over in an entirely new field. Am I crazy?
CAROL

DEAR CAROL: Crazy? I don't think so. I'd say your letter was one of the sanest ones I've read in a long time. Your own mental health is compelling you to stay away from the victim syndrome that so many choose in times like this. Whether you and your colleagues were singled out because age is not relevant now, and it won't help you one bit to stay mired in wondering or stewing about it. Any victory that could result from legal action would be short-lived and would cost you dearly in terms of your own life satisfaction over the next several years. This is a time for rebuilding, not retribution. So let's talk about rebuilding. Your inclination to take what you already know about lending into a new, exciting arena is very healthy. It would certainly be possible for you to find another bank job, but you're talking about enjoying the process of selling homes to people rather than wanting to know more about various financial products. That's something to ponder. But which matters more to you: the financing or people side of the business? If it's the financing side of real estate, then you could certainly get some quick training in a broader range of financial options and soon be employed again. If it's the aesthetic side of homes and design, then you would have to pursue a different but equally accessible route of training. And if it's the blend of psychology, aesthetics and money that most realtors seem to enjoy, then learning real estate and passing the certifying tests is also doable. You'll be happy to know research shows that our ability to learn new things does not decrease with age. We can learn new things and assimilate new learning into our considerable life experience well into our 80s if we keep practicing at it. So don't listen to the inevitable doomers and gloomers around you. Retirement is definitely overrated as a health-enhancing event. The way to stay healthy longer is to work longer at something you really get a kick out of. Starting over in a field where you can blend whatyou already know with fresh things will likely make you feel at least a decade younger. Another question is whether you want to continue being an employee or experiment with doing something on your own. More than 40 million Americans are involved in some form of free agency, either full time or on the side. It's the work style of the future, so perhaps you should consider some form of it for yourself. If you stay in financial products, you'd probably choose to remain an employee unless you decided to branch out into financial planning, which you could eventually do on your own. As for design, you'd also probably work for someone for a while and then start your own practice. Similarly, real estate would be simpler to begin as an agent in someone's office to learn the ropes with the intention of eventually being on your own. Thank your bank for giving you a new lease on life here, and have a good time considering your next steps. There's a whole new life waiting for you, just when you're old and wise enough to make good use of it. Good luck,
CAREER COACH

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