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Recently, I joined Mary Rose Gunn on The Fore's Brace for Impact podcast to discuss a topic that sits at the heart of everything we do at Brave Starts: the future of work for people in mid and later life.
It's a conversation I've been having for years—with individuals navigating career change, employers grappling with workforce challenges, policymakers trying to address labour shortages, and researchers studying our ageing population. Yet despite growing awareness, I still believe we're not talking enough about the realities facing workers over 50.
The UK's labour market has a problem. And it's one we can no longer afford to ignore.
When pensions were introduced in the UK in the late 1940s, life expectancy was around 66 and retirement age was 65. Today, many of us can expect to live well into our 80s and beyond, yet our assumptions about work and retirement haven't kept pace.
At the same time, millions of experienced workers over 50 are finding themselves overlooked, underestimated, or unsure where they fit in the modern workforce.
This isn't just a personal challenge. It's an economic one.
As I discussed on the podcast, we're facing a significant demographic shift. By 2050, there will be just two working-age adults supporting every pensioner, compared to seven workers per pensioner when the state pension was first introduced.
And yet, despite this reality, very little is being done to help people build sustainable careers later in life.
If you'd like to hear the full conversation, you can listen to my interview on The Fore's Brace for Impact podcast, where we explore the challenges facing older workers, the future of retirement, ageism in recruitment, and what individuals, employers and government can do differently.
The Biggest Barrier Isn't Ageism
While age discrimination remains a significant issue, the biggest challenge facing most people in midlife isn't ageism.
It's clarity.
Many people reach their 50s feeling ready for a change but have no idea what that change should look like.
Without a clear direction, it's easy to fall into a cycle of endlessly scrolling job boards, sending applications into the void, and hoping inspiration will strike.
The result? Lots of activity but very little progress.
By contrast, when people identify a specific direction they want to explore, everything changes. Their networking becomes more focused. Their learning becomes more intentional. Their confidence grows because they can see a path forward.
When you're clear about where you're heading, your actions start moving in the same direction.
Why Traditional Job Searching Often Fails
One of the most striking insights from Brave Starts' work is that very few members find new opportunities through online job applications.
Instead, most successful career changers find opportunities through:
- Networking
- Conversations
- Volunteering
- Work experience
- Creating opportunities rather than applying for them
This becomes increasingly important as people get older and encounter barriers in traditional recruitment processes.
The uncomfortable truth is that many employers still rely on outdated hiring methods that do a poor job of identifying talent. Yet experienced workers often bring qualities that organisations desperately need: resilience, emotional intelligence, judgement and perspective.
The Midlife Mindset Shift
Not everyone finds career transition equally easy. One of the biggest obstacles can be letting go of old expectations.
People who have held senior positions or earned high salaries may struggle to accept that changing direction sometimes requires taking a step sideways—or even backwards—before moving forwards again.
That doesn't mean undervaluing your experience.
It means recognising that a fulfilling next chapter may look different from the one before it.
The people who navigate career change most successfully are often those willing to stay curious, keep learning and remain open to possibilities they hadn't previously considered.
The Hidden Value of Volunteering and Work Experience
Work experience is hugely undervalued.
In a world where people willingly invest thousands of pounds in qualifications, many overlook the value of spending time inside an organisation, learning a new industry, testing assumptions and building practical experience.
Volunteering can help people:
- Explore new career paths before committing to them
- Build confidence
- Develop relevant experience
- Expand their network
- Discover what they do—and don't—want to do next
Sometimes a few days of work shadowing can save years of pursuing the wrong path.
Career change isn't just about finding a new job. It's about gathering the information needed to make better decisions.
The Power of Community
Don't try to do this alone.
Career change requires more than information. It requires support, accountability and encouragement.
Research consistently shows that people are far more likely to make meaningful changes when they have a community around them.
Whether that's through a formal programme, a peer group, networking events or simply a group of people on a similar journey, connection matters.
It's one of the reasons Brave Starts was built as a community rather than simply a career coaching service.
What Employers Are Missing
Opportunities are being missed when experienced workers are overlooked.
Older workers often bring:
- Greater resilience
- Stronger emotional intelligence
- Better judgement
- Extensive professional networks
- Valuable life experience
Most people are actually better employees in their 50s than they were in their 20s.
The challenge isn't whether older workers can learn new skills. The evidence shows they can.
The challenge is overcoming outdated assumptions about age and recognising the value that experience brings.
The Time to Start is Now
Whether you're 45, 55 or 65, the future of work is changing.
Longer lives mean longer careers. The idea of a single career followed by retirement is becoming increasingly outdated.
The good news is that career change later in life is not only possible—it's becoming increasingly common.
The first step isn't necessarily updating your CV.
It's getting curious.
Exploring possibilities.
Talking to people.
Testing ideas.
And remembering that your most valuable career asset isn't your age.
It's everything you've learned along the way.
Ready to Explore What's Next?
If you're thinking about a career change, returning to work, reducing your hours, starting a portfolio career, or simply figuring out what the next chapter could look like, my advice is simple: don't try to navigate it alone.
One of the strongest lessons I've learned through my work at Brave Starts is that career change isn't just about information. It's about confidence, accountability, connection and support. The people who make the most successful transitions are rarely the ones with all the answers from day one. They're the ones willing to explore, experiment, ask questions and learn alongside others.
That's exactly why I founded Brave Starts.
Through our community, workshops, expert masterclasses, employer insights and peer support, we help people in mid and later life gain clarity about what's next, build confidence in their abilities and take practical steps towards more fulfilling work.
If you'd like to hear more about the ideas explored in this article, I encourage you to listen to my full conversation on The Fore's Brace for Impact podcast.
And if you're ready to start thinking differently about your own future, I'd love to welcome you to the Brave Starts community.
Because it's never too late to create a brave new start.
