You’re good at what you do. You’ve honed your skills for decades, and you have more time to devote to your career than ever before. But somehow you find yourself defending your job because someone thinks you’re . . . too old.
If you’re facing the threat of ageism (which has been reported in certain industries by people as young as 30!), take heart. According to a 2018 Accenture study, succeeding in today’s workplace requires a combination of “soft skills” that can take years to develop—which means your experience and practice are a big plus.
Here are four ways that mature women shine.
- `Critical thinking and problem solving. Most senior employees are adept at advanced critical thinking skills and require less training for new tasks than new hires. You just can’t beat 20 years of experience when it comes to creative problem solving on the job.
- Emotional Intelligence (EQ). According to Forbes, 90 percent of top performers score high in emotional intelligence, which basically means they know how to get along with others. Psychologist Daniel Goleman defines EQ as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social skills and empathy—and these naturally develop as we mature.
- Social networking. Experienced women bring a lifetime of support networks to the job—and they can contribute to younger employees’ networks by acting as mentors and role models.
- Efficiency and productivity. Years on the job have made you more efficient and productive and that’s a plus. If you’re concerned about waning energy levels, try practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for a power surge. According to research published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, employees who practice TM experience improved health, well-being, job satisfaction, energy, efficiency and productivity—and reduced absenteeism.