WIP Kerry Hannon (1)

5 enduring changes to the workplace that midcareer workers should know about

A conversation with Kerry Hannon, author, In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work
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In this episode of Work in Progress, columnist and author Kerry Hannon discusses her new book, In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work, which examines how changes in the workforce – accelerated by COVID – are impacting older, midcareer workers.

This is a space Kerry Hannon knows a lot about. She’s a renowned expert in the employment and workplace space, writing and speaking about career transitions, retirement, and the future of work.

The first words of her new book paint a very clear image of just how far and fast COVID cut through the older workforce.

“Crush. Covid-19 ripped through the workplace starting in 2020. It spawned job losses and shattered businesses. It triggered many older workers who lost jobs, or were offered early retirement severance packages to leave the workforce — often earlier than planned. It happened fast. It was breathtakingly brutal. And no one was prepared. Older workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic did so at a higher rate than their younger counterparts.”

But this is more than a rehash of the fallout of the pandemicit is a guide to navigating today’s altered career and job pathways for midcareer workers.

Her message is always a positive one: you don’t have to take a backseat in today’s job market.

Hannon dives deep into what was making it difficult for older workers to find work even before the 2020 health crisis and then looks at the five enduring changes in the way we work today. Most importantly, she offers very practical advice for midcareer workers who are weighing retirement versus a career reset in this new era.

Kerry and I have been having this discussion for more than a year now. And I am so happy we can finally let you listen in.

Episode 228: Kerry Hannon, author, In Control at 50+
Host & Executive Producer: Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNation
Producer: Larry Buhl
Executive Producers: Joan Lynch and Melissa Panzer
Theme Music: Composed by Lee Rosevere and licensed under CC by 4.0
Download the transcript for this podcast here.
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