Amy Lindgren
Second Sunday Series — This is the seventh of 12 columns on career planning post-60, which will appear the second Sunday of each month from September through August.
We’ve been talking since September about different aspects of career planning for the post-60 years; now it’s time to start researching for the kinds of work you might want to do as you grow older.
The goal is to find information, of course, but also to support an element of strategy in your thinking. At a senior age (whatever that might mean), you want to avoid false starts and maximize the “return” on your career choices, which timely research can help you do.
We’ll start by looking at categories and levels of career research, before taking a closer look at one process that’s particularly effective for senior workers: Informational interviewing.
1. Categories of career research
While not definitive, I find the following categories helpful when organizing my own research on a particular line of work.
• Sector. Sectors are broad areas of our economy, such as health care or manufacturing. For individual workers (as opposed to economists), relevant questions might focus on the health of a chosen sector in a particular geographic area. For example, is health care healthy in Minnesota?
• Industry. Industries are slices of sectors. For example, dentistry and pharmaceuticals are part of the health care sector. Workers trying to choose an area of health care might compare different industries for overall growth and opportunity. Which is doing better in Minnesota: Dentistry or pharmaceuticals?
• Profession or role. Professions or roles are types of work in an industry. Dental assistants, front desk receptionists and dental equipment sales are professions or roles in the dentistry industry. Workers interested in dentistry might research the variety of jobs in the field, the education needed for different roles, or areas more likely to have part-time options.
• Company. Companies operate within industries and / or professions. Once a worker has selected a role, it’s time to identify the organizations that use that kind of worker. The top choices can then be researched more deeply for issues such as location or growth opportunities.
• Job. Except for the very smallest organization, companies consist of multiple jobs or roles. Having chosen a place of interest, the worker might delve into specifics: What jobs are available, what are the duties and pay?
Note that I’ve presented these categories from biggest-to-smallest, starting with the broad sector and cascading down to actual jobs one might perform. While this approach implies you’re starting from scratch, it’s more likely you already have several ideas. If so, start your research with the most relevant category. As a guideline, research your initial questions, then extend to encompass a bit more, to guard against being too narrow.
2. Levels of career research
Now to describe three levels or stages of career research, which are different from the categories. When I break down the process this way, I’ll usually illustrate it with an upside-down triangle, divided into three horizontal “slices.”
In this visual, the biggest section of the triangle appears first, at the top. This represents broad-scale, general research. This big-picture information is relatively easy to find, usually with an internet search on government web sites such as ONetOnline.org or CareerOneStop.org.
The second horizontal swath, in the middle of the triangle, represents customized person-to-person inquiry. Having learned what you can from online sources, you now can talk with people in the fields you are considering — a process usually called informational interviewing.
The final section of the triangle, the tippy point it’s standing on, represents experiential discovery. While not everyone needs or uses this level of research, it’s often helpful to “try on” a career through volunteering, internships, apprenticeships and other hands-on experiences.
3. Informational interviewing
Informational interviewing is one of the most effective ways to gain localized, customized and personalized information about a career path you are considering. When you talk to people in the field you’re exploring, you can get the direct answers you need to make better-informed choices.
For example, you might ask general questions such as, “Can you describe a typical day?” but also personal questions such as, “I have caretaking duties that keep me at part-time; is that realistic for this work?”
There are scores of books and online articles on this process, so you won’t lack for guidance. But one thing you might not realize is just how tailor-made and effective informational interviewing is for senior workers. Not only do seniors know more people to talk with, but they’ve built long-term and intensive relationships with other folks who can be good referral points to informational interviews.
In the end, whatever research process you use, you’ll benefit. Research is the engine for career path planning, providing you with information, confidence in your decision, and important networking contacts. These are essential elements for career resilience, which will carry you through any challenges you encounter on your path.
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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.
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