“purpose” vs. paycheck – Twin Cities

Second Sunday Series  — This is the second of 12 columns on career planning post-60, which will appear the second Sunday of each month from September through August.

Welcome back to this year’s Second Sunday series, featuring monthly columns on career planning and job search strategies for workers in that awkward tween stage — you know, that gap from 60 to 100 when we just don’t know what to do with ourselves.

One thing people in this age group are doing with more frequency is working. Maybe not for 40 years, but possibly into their 70s and 80s. Although job search at this age can be intimidating, there are some secrets for success, including this one: limiting your criteria will open more job options.

To explain, here’s a true story: Last year I spoke with a 70-something individual who had been seeking part-time work for several years. Since she had viable skills, this seemed like an indicator of something bad — perhaps a very difficult job market, or age bias.

But further conversation revealed a situation that was almost certainly complicating the search. She had several criteria for the next job, including a flexible part-time schedule, a location within walking distance from home, and an annual three-month snowbird break.

It’s not that her criteria were unreasonable or unachievable. Any of the three might have been acceptable to a variety of employers. But the three combined were a lot to ask.

The lesson? Fewer criteria is better. To apply this lesson, consider which of your criteria are non-negotiable. For example, one of my senior worker clients needed an hour each morning for yoga and stretching, due to her fibromyalgia. She literally couldn’t drive to work otherwise. Her non-negotiable was starting any job before 9 because she needed to maintain her morning routine.

I don’t judge what someone considers non-negotiable, but sometimes I see things that might be better described as “nice to have.” One that frequently catches my attention is meaning, or purpose. As in, “I want a job that’s meaningful.”

If that resonates with you, you’ll want to define the concept before you launch your search, so you’ll know what you’re looking for. Meaningful to whom? How is that measured? Which other criteria can you give up in order to have this one?

Perhaps I should note that I don’t love meaning and purpose as drivers for career planning and job search. I’ll admit, I’ve seen purpose become a powerful motivator for workers to define their goals and better target their job search. For example, someone who feels directed toward teaching can use the epiphany to ditch their first career and retool to be an educator.

That said, workers can also lose precious months and even years while searching for their purpose or calling. For seniors, whose “freshness date” could easily lapse while seeking meaningful work, closing the gap between jobs is especially important. I’d rather see them take whatever job fits their other criteria and then revisit the idea of purpose while earning a paycheck.

This is ornery, but I also feel as if the search for purpose has become something of an industry, targeting affluent seniors. More ornery yet, I’ll note that the whole concept feels a bit patronizing to me, and like a burden placed onto the backs of older workers by societal expectations.

In the end, I’m left asking why we expect someone in their 70s to “work for a purpose” when younger workers are allowed to follow their ambitions. Can’t Grandma work just because she wants to, or at the job that pays the most? Does her work need to somehow give back to society?

All that said, I can’t deny that defining meaning and finding purposeful work are intensely important to some individuals, particularly in their senior years. If that’s the case with you, now is the time scratch this itch. These resources might help on this leg of your journey.

Books: “The Power of Purpose,” by Richard Leider, any edition; “Encore,” by Marc Freedman; “The Three Boxes of Life”, by Richard Bolles.

If a class or cohort session is more your style, several options come up in a browser search. For example, the University of Minnesota’s Midlife Academy offers 8-part sessions online and in-person (www.ccaps.umn.edu/midlife-academy).

Purpose and meaning, schedule, job duties and title, income … whatever your criteria, you’ll want to organize the list and decide which are most important. You may not need to compromise, but remember that having fewer non-negotiables will create space for more opportunities.