What Are the Best Jobs for Over 50?

“You’re too old to pursue a career!”, “You won’t find great jobs over 50, so you better hold on to your current one.”, “You want to change jobs AND you’re over 50? Pff, good luck!”. Unfortunately, these are quite common statements people over 50 have heard at least once in their lives. Nonetheless, we’re here to prove to you that’s all very debatable. There are multiple job opportunities in Europe for those wishing to pursue them, no matter your age. Continue reading to find out the best jobs for over 50! And if you aren’t over 50 yet, you might as well take a quick look at this article as your time will come - *evil laugh*. 

Jokes apart, according to Eurostat, “the expected average duration of working life in the EU in 2020 was 35.7 years”…. Now let’s say you’re not quite at the end of your working career and want to change jobs. Does that mean you should give up on it? No, it only means you have to play all the cards smartly to win the game. 

Although it is true you didn’t graduate yesterday or aren’t 25-30 years old anymore, it doesn’t mean you haven’t been keeping up with the market and aren’t valuable to the workforce anymore, on the contrary, the wind is blowing in your favour when it comes to that. This is why before going over the best jobs over 50, we’ll help you remind yourself how valuable you are as a candidate and how you can portray yourself during an interview.

During your career course and especially in an interview, it’s important to show how you are:

• Tech savvy;

• Keeping up with your industry (lingo, conferences, networking - don’t forget about your digital presence, such as your LinkedIn profile);

• A fast learner;

• Ready to stay open for a lower salary.. otherwise recruiters might come with the “you’re overqualified to this position” excuse.

Being able to demonstrate these few, but very important things, will set you up for success when looking to pursue the best jobs for over 50. 

Although you aren’t as young as other candidates, you do have background experience others might not have, so make sure to use it to your advantage.

It’s also important to note that although you have had many jobs until now, you do NOT need to list all of them in your resume. Just because you worked in all of these cool places, it doesn’t mean they’re all relevant to the position you’re applying for. In other words, adapt your resume! And if needed, accept advice from others that were in the same position that you’re in right now. You might find some useful tips you didn’t think of, and it might help you take a detour and avoid the common mistakes older job seekers make.

Now that we’ve covered how you could be successful during an interview, let’s check the best careers over 50:

Best Jobs for Over 50: #1 Customer service

Wait. Continue reading. Customer service jobs tend to have a negative connotation to people, but they are actually considered one of the best jobs for over 50. Why? Well, believe it or not, they require a lot of patience, communication skills, and life experience. Customer service professionals are better able to assist a client when they have gone through a similar situation themselves. Therefore, nobody is better than a senior employee to fill in those shoes and provide the best assistance.  

It’s entrancing to notice that the customer service world is pretty vast and it englobes many industries. This means that you can select the field that best suits your experience and therefore add up to the background wisdom you have to succeed in the interview and job itself. Being able to connect your life & career expertise to a job you’re trying to pursue can be very rewarding, and you’ll feel like you can actually contribute and play an important role within the team and company as well. 

Best Jobs for Over 50: #2 Sales Consultant

Notice that this is a consultant position, not a sales only position per se job. A sales consultant is usually a senior role as it requires a lot of experience in order to offer consultancy to companies. The actual job entails giving advice, in the sales industry (in this case), with the scope of enhancing  business methods and activities. 

This career doesn’t necessarily follow a specific pattern. You could either work for a multinational, an agency, or for yourself as a freelancer or entrepreneur. This is one of the best work opportunities out there for those seeking flexibility.  

Now, let’s say you aren’t a sales person, but have mastered marketing or finance. Guess what?! You could be a consultant for that as well. The consultant role applies to all areas of expertise, although it's true that not all of them are always in high demand. 

Best Jobs for Over 50: #3 Tour Guide

Being a tour guide is not for everyone, even if you’re over 50. Nevertheless, it’s still considered one of the top jobs over 50 as it requires a lot of knowledge, patience, and storytelling. 

By 50 you have either travelled the world or mastered every corner of where you live. Therefore, becoming a tour guide it’s easy money and very enjoyable if it’s translated into sharing your experiences and history insights with those who don’t know anything about it yet. In addition, you could spread wisdom to other generations and educate others about this beautiful and curious world we live in. Imagine how rewarding that could be! 

If you don’t know where to begin looking, start by contacting the tourist spots in your city. These can be museums, galleries, churches & cathedrals, or parks. Of course, every city has their own peculiarity, which makes them special. You don’t have to choose only one thing, it’s only the point of start. 

Best Jobs for Over 50: #4 Freelancer

Let’s say you’re over 50 and love your current job, but are still seeking some excitement and want to escape your routine at times. Freelancing might be your perfect way out! 

As a freelancer, you could dictate your schedule, industry, clients, prices, and projects! You could be a solo freelancer or you could be hired by an agency and be stress free when it comes to hunting opportunities. 

Although it’s true most freelancers usually have a sidekick job (or use freelancing as a sidekick job), it could be an intriguing option to those wishing to build a career following their passion and what they are good at. 

The most well-known freelancing fields are in:

• Content writing/copywriting

• Translation & interpretation

• Graphic/web design

• Photography

• Tutoring

• Marketing

• Branding & Public Relations

• Legal services

• Architecture services

Best Jobs for Over 50: #5 Tax Preparer

Finding a job over 50 is not always an easy task as not all companies are willing to hire a candidate that might wish to retire soon. Nevertheless, once you’ve proven, in your interview, that you’re willing to do the work and significantly contribute to the company in which position you’re applying to, the odds will be in your favor. 

Pursuing a job as a tax preparer is part of the best jobs over 50. Why? Because it’s the type of job that requires a lot of experience, legal knowledge, and key eye-to-detail. This being said, organizations often pick more experienced candidates in these fields as it deals with governmental regulations and policies. 

Additionally, keeping up with the market is crucial in this environment. We all know how the law is constantly changing, especially when it comes to fees and taxation. What’s more? We all need to file taxes yearly, so we most definitely need employees like you out there!

Best Jobs for Over 50: #6 Tutor

Tutoring is a prestigious job to practice, not only for those over 50, but at any age period! It will never cease being rewarding in numerous ways and it should definitely be in your list of best jobs to consider. 

Similarly to freelancing, if you’re searching for a flexible position, this should be one of your go-tos. Moreover, a tutor can exercise their profession from the comfort of their own home or wherever they see fit. Students/clients can be located all over the world and you won’t have boundaries when it comes to fixing up and managing your own schedule, prices, and methodology. However, if you decide to tutor as part of an already existent institution, they might have their own rules and methods. You might want to check on that before jumping into conclusions. 

Best Jobs for Over 50: #7 Entrepreneur

There is no such thing as the perfect age to become an entrepreneur. If you have an innovative idea that you’re passionate about and believe people will find it useful, then go for it! Nonetheless, we did list it as one of the best jobs for over 50. Are you wondering why? Although there is no perfect age to become an entrepreneur, a person over 50 might be more knowledgeable when it comes to the workforce and world overall, and they might have some extra savings to invest in a personal business. 

If you’re a senior candidate tired of looking for job offers that don’t really match what you’re looking for, don’t feel discouraged. You may just need to create your own thing. Maybe that’s your calling after all!

Best Jobs for Over 50: #8 Writer

To all writing lovers out there, this one goes to you! If you’re struggling to find jobs over 50 and have a secret love affair with words, start browsing the following positions:

• Copywriting

• Copy editing 

• Content writing

• Ghost writer 

• Journalism

• Public Relations

The beauty about this field is that there are as many work from home opportunities as in the office! Therefore, you can choose the setting that best suits you and take a triumphal shift in your career. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Best Jobs for Over 50: #9 Real Estate Agent

Working in real estate can be one of the toughest positions out there! It requires strong networking skills built throughout the years and a lot of communication and interpersonal & intrapersonal skills. Now, do you understand why it’s the perfect position for those over 50?  

Yes, the real estate market is a tough cookie to digest! Nevertheless, it’s a multimillion euro business depending on the city. Thus, if I were you, I’d deeply consider this option. If you're located in the US, particularly in New York, undertaking a training course from an accredited New York real estate school could be highly beneficial. This can provide you with the right tools and knowledge to succeed in this field.

How to get into the industry? One word, as mentioned above: Networking! Get on your contacts and use LinkedIn for lead generation with your connections right away. You’ll most definitely already know someone in the market. Another tip: conduct a lot of research and learn their lingo! This will be key in succeeding as a Real Estate Agent!  

Best Jobs for Over 50: #10 Driver

Last but not least, becoming a driver is our 10th best job for over 50! This includes:

• Uber

• Taxi

• Private driver

Or any other type of driving services one could provide. Why is this position perfect? If you are done with the corporate world or saturated from working from home, driving the streets of beautiful European cities could be your chance to discover and travel the world. How does that sound for a drastic change? Let us know if you end up opting for this opportunity! 

Now that we’ve checked some of the interesting occupations for seniors, let’s not forget that these jobs don’t necessarily have to be full-time positions. Not only when speaking of the over 50 job market, but all markets overall, some fields offer different types of employment:

• Part-time

• Full-time

• Hybrid work (at home an in the office) 

• Remote work

• Contractor (1 year contract, 2-3 months contract, quarterly contract)

• Seasonal (summer/winter jobs)

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These were our Best Jobs for Over 50! And next time someone tells you that you’re too old to find a job, remember that success isn’t measured by your age or how much money you make. Success is to have a good quality of life and continue to follow your dreams. This being said, what do you think of the jobs presented in this article? Do you also believe they are some of the best positions out there? Would you add any other profession to the list? Let us know your feedback in the comments below!