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In late life, it’s easy to think that there are just two career options in front of us: retire or continue working. But the beauty of this chapter is that it’s all about freedom and flexibility, and there are endless paths to choose from.
For example, you may decide to work part-time or retire but take up volunteering to retain a sense of purpose and camaraderie.
Changing careers to something that better suits your lifestyle is another option. That’s what 56-year-old Deborah Stevens did when her career in the automotive industry became too demanding.
Heading back into the job market, Deborah secured an Office Admin Manager position with Cygnet, a leading provider of health and social care services, and is thriving in her new role.
We spoke with Deborah to learn more about this transition and why Cygnet is an ideal choice for later-life job seekers.
Looking for a new role?
“I thought, ‘How on Earth am I going to find a job at my age?’”
For over a decade, Deborah had a rewarding career in the automotive industry, working mostly in sales and operations.
While she enjoyed the target-based nature of the work and the unique experiences her career offered (such as travel and mystery shopping), her work-life balance eventually became unsustainable. This was especially true once the pandemic arrived, when the opportunity to work from home came with unreasonable expectations to take on more hours.
Around the same time, Deborah also experienced health challenges, prompting her to re-evaluate her career goals.
“I didn’t know whether I would even go back to work at that point,” Deborah tells us. “So I took April through to September off and just had a good think about what I wanted to do.”
However, after a much-needed break and many discussions with her family, Deborah decided she wanted to continue working.
“By August, I was already thinking, ‘I’d like to go back to work now,’” she says. “I’d had enough time off, and I was getting bored. You can only do so much gardening and everything else. I also don’t think it would have done my mental health any good staying at home longer.”
With this in mind, Deborah began searching for roles offering a better work-life balance. But it wasn’t without trepidation. She explains, “I thought, ‘How on Earth am I going to find a job at my age?’ And I sort of shrunk my CV so it didn’t look like I had too much experience. I didn’t want employers to think, ‘She’ll be bored here,’ or anything else.”
Despite her reservations, Deborah was invited to interview for all five of the positions she’d applied for, including the Office Admin Manager role at Cygnet.
“At the interview, it was really clear that Cygnet’s core values were being demonstrated”
Established in 1988, Cygnet have since developed a wide range of health and social care services for young people and adults with mental health needs, acquired brain injuries, eating disorders, autism, and learning disabilities.
Through their core values of integrity, trust, empowerment, respect, and care, Cygnet’s dedicated care team of 11,500 employees support 7,500 individuals each year across 150 services. Of the five roles Deborah interviewed for, the opportunity with Cygnet excited her most.
“It was down to their core values and the feedback from service users on their website,” Deborah says. “At the interview, it was really clear that Cygnet’s core values were being demonstrated.
“For example, as part of the interview, we had a look around here at the Southside Building, and I saw the artwork by service users all around. It showed me how Cygnet empowers people to use any form of creativity or therapy that works for them.
“And, in the interview, they were very honest about where the business was, where it had been, where it was going, and any challenges that were coming. Obviously, they were looking at my core competencies, but it was more than that; they wanted the right person and fit for the role.”
After accepting the role and beginning work at Cygnet towards the end of last year, Deborah was also impressed by the support she received while settling into her new role.
“It was really good because Cygnet are very strong at onboarding,” Deborah says. “Even if you’re more than competent to just go ahead and start in a role, it’s broken down into learning one area first, then another. Because you might have all the experience in the world, but each business is different. So yes, the onboarding was quite comprehensive, which was really good.”
“I wanted to do a job that, in a small way, can help people”
Moving from the automotive industry to the health industry marked a career change for Deborah. However, she says that years of life experience have given her transferable skills to make the transition simple.
“There’s a lot of human interaction in this role. We have visitors every single day – staff come here for training on all areas – and I think that’s just your general personality and life skills that help with that one. And then there’s processes. I’m really process-driven, so looking at processes and being able to offer improvements is one of the key strengths that I’ve been able to bring over.”
As an Office Admin Manager, Deborah supports the day-to-day operations of Cygnet’s Birmingham office and provides administrative support. However, at Cygnet, there are also opportunities for employees to get involved beyond their regular duties. Since starting last year, Deborah has joined Cygnet’s women’s network and serves as an ally for the men’s health network.
“There are various networks that you can join, which is fabulous,” Deborah tells us. “There’s an opportunity to be part of every area that you want. You can add your support and thoughts on improving anything.”
When we ask what she finds most rewarding about the role, Deborah says, “Knowing that every part of my work here contributes to the service user. This was my main focus when looking for a new role. I wanted to do a job that, in a small way, can help people.”
“If you want to work for a really open, compassionate, but challenging organisation, Cygnet is definitely that”
What’s more, just as she set out to do, Deborah has found an ideal work-life balance at Cygnet. For example, she’s keen to praise the flexibility they’ve shown regarding her ongoing health appointments.
“Not once have I been asked to make up hours for those. And my core hours are 8am to 4pm, but if I need to come in that little bit later and finish later, that is there, too. But generally, I can be away at four and home by half four, which far beats working until 10 at night.
“It’s the understanding that life happens, and Cygnet look after you as a person,” Deborah continues. “I didn’t realise how poor my previous work-life balance was until I joined. If you want to work for a really open, compassionate, but challenging organisation, Cygnet is definitely that.”
Aside from recommending Cygnet as a place to work, Deborah has this advice for later-life career changers considering following in her footsteps…
“Don’t doubt yourself; don’t doubt your capabilities. Whether you want to move forward or take a step back, just trust your gut and give it your all.”
Looking for a new role?
Have you made a career change later in life? Or are you keen to find a better work-life balance? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.