'If You’re 45+': Corporate Trainer's Five-Point Advice To Take Back Control Of Your Career
It is important to prepare and take decisive action to prepare for professional life after 45, says RamG Vallath.
A quiet transformation is rippling through India’s workplace, as 49% of the nation’s vast 64.3-crore-strong workforce now comprises professionals above the age of 45.
Increasingly, these seasoned employees find themselves steering towards early retirement: not by choice, but by the realities of a system that often sidelines experience for youth, said author and motivational speaker Ram G Vallath.
“For a long time, it bothered me to see seasoned professionals with decades of experience suddenly shifting into consulting or coaching. Not because they planned to, but because the system left them with few choices,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
He quoted data to highlight this shift. Where career spans were once expected to stretch a solid 40 to 45 years, many professionals today are seeing their working lives curtailed to just 20 to 25 years. In the technology sector, where a mere 1% to 1.25% continue working beyond the age of 50.
“These people aren’t underperformers. They are leaders, mentors, and steady hands who built the foundations the younger generation can walk on. But today, many are made to question their relevance, even when their experience is more valuable than ever.”
Against this backdrop, he shared five steps professionals can take to take charge of their career:
1. Be Visible
“Your work speaks for you only if people can hear it,” Vallath wrote.
He advises people to make their achievements known by writing, sharing expertise, teaching, speaking and engaging with their professional network.
“Make your experience known, not as noise, but as wisdom that others can learn from.”
2. Think like a leader, not an employee
He highlights that whereas employees are replaceable, leaders are not. Further, they inspire others to grow.
“Don’t wait for permission to lead, start where you are,” he says.
3. Stay curious
It is critical to maintain an appetite for learning. One must embrace new technologies and ideas. Professionals over the age of 45 can also seek mentorship from younger colleagues.
4. Plan your next chapter
It is important to prepare financially and professionally for possible transitions, ensuring you maintain control over your career path.
“Prepare before the exit comes. Take charge of your finances, explore new paths, and give yourself options, because readiness is freedom,” he said.
5. Believe in yourself
Vallath encourages people to tap into the value of their own experiences.
“Every setback you’ve faced has shaped you into someone who knows how to rise again. Always remember: you’ve weathered every storm life has thrown your way. You adapted, you grew, and you’re still standing strong. What makes you think you can’t do it again?”
To conclude, as the workplace continues to change, the message is clear: experience is a strength, not a liability. Those who have built the foundations should not doubt their ability to build again.
