Not feeling confident at work? Then you’re not 36 (From Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News)

Not feeling confident at work? Then you’re not 36

11:30am Wednesday 24th June 2009

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THE average age at which people in the South-West feel or will feel totally confident and comfortable about their skills at work is 36, research has found.

The finding comes from a YouGov survey of 2,100 UK adults commissioned by Standard Life. The survey into generational differences in attitudes to work, found that ‘fulfilment’ is even more elusive.

Although 76% of the people in the South-West expect to or do feel fulfilled by their career at some point in their life, those over 55 on average said that fulfilment peaked at 50 on a UK wide basis.

This considerable time investment in career potentially explains why;

• 87% of the population in the South-West of the country do not intend to stop work altogether post retirement age

• Almost a third (32%) want to carry on in a similar role, but on their own terms

• 29% of the regional population simply want to continue in full time work post retirement age.

The trend for ‘olderpreneurs’ is set to increase with 10% of adults in the South-West wanting to start a business in retirement.

This rises to 11% of those currently aged 18-25, suggesting an upward trend. John Lawson, from Standard Life, said: “Quite simply, people do not get old like they used to. The Baby Boomers started a trend for redefining what is effectively their ‘third age’ and these findings point to a continued trend for re-writing the rule book for younger generations.

“Whereas a ‘job for life’ is now a thing of the past, fulfilment and job satisfaction are expected. So having worked over 30,000 hours before feeling confident and until age 50 to feel fulfilled, it stands to reason that people will choose to continue to do a job that they enjoy and are good at.”

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