Late Career
Late career is a stage of life that comes with a wide range of emotions. You might be excited about the opportunity to explore new interests, hobbies, or even a new career direction. You might be worried about the loss of a long-held professional identity. You might have new or ongoing financial needs related to caretaking, personal health, or other challenges. Just like in other career stages, your move through late career is very personal and individual to you, and that includes when you might identify yourself as being in this stage.
Unlike in previous generations, today’s career journeys have no one set path, nor do life journeys. And, like any change process, it’s important to take the time to acknowledge where you are, how you feel about it, and what your next steps should be. Here are some resources to help you move through this stage with clarity and confidence, so that you can make the most of what comes next for you.
Career and Financial Stability
We hear from many late career professionals who value maintaining stability – both in their current career path and in terms of their finances and regular paycheck – during the final few years of being in the world of work. For many, late career may not be the time to make a big career move or pivot, but instead an opportunity to focus on using expertise and wisdom gained from years of work to make an impact within their current organization or industry.
As the seasoned professional in the room, how do you navigate working with (or managing) a multigenerational workplace? How are you upskilling to ensure you are staying up to date with technology and best practices for your field? What does it look like to mentor other professionals and support their growth and development within your industry? And how are you planning ahead for financial stability as you think about possible retirement? Explore the following resources as you try to answer some of these questions.
- Get Expert Advice blog – Explore over library for 500+ posts filled with wisdom from WFU and career experts using relevant filters such as career planning, finances, leadership, mentorship, and professional development.
- Have a conversation with an Alumni Career Adviser – These friendly Wake Forest alumni have volunteered to provide career advice and guidance for fellow alumni. Several of these alums would identify as late career and/or have experience coaching professionals around career transitions, leadership, and mentorship. Search through our list of advisers and follow the steps to set up a conversation!
- Recommended reads for navigating a multigenerational workforce: 5 Generations in the Workforce: How to Manage Them All (BetterUp), Managing Multi-Generational Communication (SHRM), The Work Necessary to Lead Across Generations (Forbes).
- Connect with a Career Coach – Our team provides free career coaching to WFU alumni from College of Arts & Sciences programs. If a conversation would be helpful to you as you consider next steps in your career journey, fill out the form to request an appointment.
Feeling Relevant and Fulfilled Professionally
As our alumni approach and/or enter the late career stage, they still want to feel relevant and fulfilled professionally even as they might be winding down their professional pursuits. Late career can be a time to re-evaluate priorities and values. It’s also an opportunity to consider what impact and legacy you want to leave on your organization or field of work. Or perhaps it is a chance to think ahead to how you might translate your skills, expertise, and professional interests into another gig (through volunteer work, part-time work, or starting a side hustle) that will give you meaning and purpose. Check out our recommended resources below.
- See all of our expert advice blog posts on topics like creativity, entrepreneurship, meaning, self-exploration, side gigs, values, and work strategies.
- Use the Life Values Inventory (free assessment) or the Values Reflection Worksheet from our LEARN Model to help you think about your core values and how they’re showing up (or not) in your life and work.
- Recommended reads on translating professional experience into a late career or retirement side gig: How to Semi Retire and Find Meaningful Work (UpWork), Turn Experience Into Income (Retirepreneur), Create a Career Development Plan From Where You Sit (Psychology Today).
- Seek out a professional counselor or a certified coach if you could benefit from longer-term support around seeking out personal and professional fulfillment during the late career stage and beyond.
- Interesting watch: Check out this TedX Talk by Lucia Knight, a career design consultant, on How to Design Your Own Career Happiness. You might also enjoy this blog post from her website, Searching for a Unicorn: How to Do Enjoyable, Full-Time Leadership Roles Into Your 60’s…and Beyond.
Planning for Post-Career and Retirement
Another top of mind need for late career professionals is, not surprisingly, around planning for post-career and retirement. This includes a wide range of factors – how you’ll spend your time in retirement, where you’ll live (if moving is a possibility), what your budget and income will be, figuring out your new “why” and (re)setting priorities, and much more. While it’s important that you seek out the resources and people you need to address some of these key issues (i.e. financial planning, real estate decisions, and personal life plans), here are a few WFU-affiliated programs you might want to explore as you think ahead to life after professional work.
- Wake Communities: Get involved with your local Wake community! Connect with fellow Deacs through happy hours, game watch parties, networking events, Pro Humanitate Days and more!
- Wake Forest Lifelong Learning: The Lifelong Learning program offers short personal enrichment courses taught by Wake Forest University faculty and community experts. Courses are non-credit and open to adult learners regardless of age or prior education.
- Wake Forest Travel Program: This program offers group travel experiences for Wake Forest alumni, parents, and friends to explore new locations while learning along the way.