One of the best conferences of the year – excellent topics and inspiring speakers. It was dynamic and full of energy.

On the PEOPLE@WORK stage, Michaela Hrdličková and Peter Križan discussed the topic: “Fifty-five and what ´s next?”

Here are five career paths or options summarized by Peter:

1. Stay in your current position.

2. Maintain a relationship with a headhunter so you don't have to attend interviews and "beg" for a job.

3. Join interim projects and do consulting work.

4. Start a business and build it from scratch.

5. Buy a company – Peter bought one in Prague.

But – not everyone has a headhunter, not everyone has the money to buy a company. Many people don't know their own talents and struggle to articulate what they're good at or what kind of project they could contribute to. Starting a business from scratch at 55+ isn’t easy unless you start preparing in advance.

So, what can we do?

Start preparing as early as possible for a long, active life in good health. It's an ideal topic for midlife. “He who is prepared is not surprised,” as grandma used to say.
It’s called Age Management.

This means lifelong care for your health, continuous education, building a personal brand, networking, discovering and developing your talents, and being able to communicate your strengths. Hobbies are important – for mental health, and who knows, one day they may become your job. The key is to prepare for various possibilities in advance.

And who can help with this?

Employers.

By combating ageism and prejudice, evaluating people individually rather than by age, shifting from operational tasks to leadership, helping people take care of their health and education, and making use of employees’ strengths across generations. By supporting flexibility and giving people time for learning and mental health care. By not wasting the potential of their employees.