Will all employers see lack of advancing as negative? (applying, degree, jobs)
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I'm in my late 40's and back on the job hunt due to an office closing.
I have an excellent degree and 25 years of good experience, but I think many employers will read the fact that I haven't advanced to a higher level as a negative. In my case it's due to several things - some bad luck/timing, a not huge level of ambition, and going to part-time for a while to raise my son. It came up in a chat I had with a recruiter when we were discussing salary requirements - that surprise that I'm not doing better at this point in my life.
Do you think all employers see it the same way? I know lots of bright, hardworking people in their 40's and 50's who've been at the same mid-level job a long time. Many don't want to deal with longer hours, travel, and politics that go with advancement. Not everyone wants to be a CEO or CFO.
I'm just wondering at this point how I'm going to get past this...
I'm in my late 40's and back on the job hunt due to an office closing.
I have an excellent degree and 25 years of good experience, but I think many employers will read the fact that I haven't advanced to a higher level as a negative. In my case it's due to several things - some bad luck/timing, a not huge level of ambition, and going to part-time for a while to raise my son. It came up in a chat I had with a recruiter when we were discussing salary requirements - that surprise that I'm not doing better at this point in my life.
Do you think all employers see it the same way? I know lots of bright, hardworking people in their 40's and 50's who've been at the same mid-level job a long time. Many don't want to deal with longer hours, travel, and politics that go with advancement. Not everyone wants to be a CEO or CFO.
I'm just wondering at this point how I'm going to get past this...
Employers look for applicants that have experience in the position that is being advertised. So just focus on applying to jobs that you have experience in or can transfer your skills you gained from previous jobs.
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Not everyone is qualified to advance, nor is everyone interested. Unless looking for someone to groom for a higher up position with an anticipated retirement, lack of upward mobility is not an issue for me. Having someone that stayed in the same position for many years demonstrates a lack of ambition, but more importantly it shows loyalty, patience, satisfactory performance and many years of experience, all positives. There are, however, those employes that ask "where would you like to be in 5 years" and are looking for people with a desire to move up, for them your situation would be a negative.
There are certainly companies (or even sectors) that have an up or out mentality. However, many also understand that not everyone is looking for advancement opportunities. I think you just need to be very clear on your expectations. It may not fit some organizations, but at least you know right off that those companies aren't for you.
I think this is certainly the case in many tech positions. Many folks want to be SME's and would prefer to not step into a management role.
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