Women in their 40s 'reborn' after the shock of losing their jobs.

For those in their 40s and 50s, the most important step in starting over is not sending out resumes everywhere or "lowering" their self-worth, but rather taking the time to calmly reflect on themselves.

At 37, Ms. Nguyen Phuong ( Hanoi ) thought she had reached the "peak of her career," having held a senior management position with decades of experience in a media company. However, after a restructuring, she was suddenly back to square one following an email from the HR department announcing her "contract termination." After the shock, she was bewildered as she searched for a new job after years of stability.

Data from the Q1/2025 Labor Market Bulletin, compiled by the Institute of State Organization and Labor Science under the Ministry of Interior , based on data from 18,000 job seekers and 25,000 recruiting businesses, partly shows that cases similar to Ms. Phuong's are not uncommon. Accordingly, nearly 43% of job seekers are aged 30-39, compared to 37% in the 20-29 age group.

Unemployment in your 40s is not only a career shock but also a major psychological and financial challenge. However, according to experts, if you know how to accurately assess your own abilities and market demands, workers in their 40s can absolutely find good opportunities to recover.

Repositioning yourself

Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews , Mr. Hoang Van Nam, CEO of Headhunt Vietnam, said that the most important step to "starting over" is not to apply for many jobs or accept just any job, but to take the time to calmly reflect on oneself.

In their late 30s and early 40s, workers need to redefine what truly matters to them : stable income, a balanced work environment, or opportunities to learn new things. With such a clear repositioning, each subsequent step will be more focused and aligned with their current stage of life and career.

"During that process, proactively connecting with human resources professionals or reputable career counseling firms will help them gain a more objective perspective on their abilities, market trends, and suitable career paths," Mr. Nam advised.

Mr. Hoang Van Nam - CEO of Headhunt Vietnam. Photo: Provided by the company.

Sharing the same view, Linda Nguyen, an expert in restructuring human resources systems for SMEs, believes that employees should prepare themselves mentally for the inevitable reality of reaching their 40s and 50s.

She suggested that at this time, workers under 40 should ask themselves : What do I have? (knowledge - experience - skills); What does the market need at this stage?; Is there a significant gap between what we have and what the market needs?; If we change jobs or our income level changes (even if it's lower), would we accept it?

"The more people ask themselves questions, the clearer the problem will become," she said.

According to Mr. Nam, many companies are still looking for candidates in their 30s and 40s. (Illustrative image: Rdne Stock Project/Pexels)

Both Mr. Nam and Ms. Linda Nguyen agree that further education and self-investment are absolutely necessary at this time, not only to keep up with the market, but also to make workers feel that they are still active, still valuable, and still growing.

However, what to learn and how to learn is what truly matters. According to the CEO of Headhunt Vietnam, at the age of 35 and above, learning is no longer about accumulating degrees or chasing trends like in youth, but about understanding where you are, what your strengths are, what you lack, and what you can learn to create the highest value at this stage of your life.

"I think the most important thing isn't what you learn, but maintaining a spirit of continuous, yet selective, learning. Because at this age, time and energy are precious assets, so you need to invest them wisely," Mr. Nam remarked.

Meanwhile, Linda Nguyen suggested that, in addition to professional skills, workers could invest in learning foreign languages, how to use AI effectively, improve work efficiency, and stay up-to-date with market trends. This would help workers in the "middle age" to be more confident and avoid falling behind.

Turn age into an advantage.

When applying for jobs again in their 40s and 50s, workers need to meet not only the increasingly high demands and changing market conditions but also the competition from younger workers. However, an older candidate does not necessarily mean they are underestimated.

Mr. Nam stated that many businesses his company collaborates with have expressed a desire to find experienced personnel who can handle situations flexibly, remain calm during crises, and possess insightful organizational operational thinking. These are skills that can only be accumulated over time and through experience, and are also the outstanding strengths of employees aged 40 and above.

According to him, it will not be easy for someone with more than 20 years of experience to keep up with the constantly changing pace of the younger generation of workers, especially in an era of rapidly developing technology and digitalization. However, they don't need to compete directly in terms of speed or technology to maintain their position.

"As long as they proactively learn and master the tools appropriate to their work and role, that's enough to demonstrate their readiness to integrate. More importantly, their foundation of experience, confidence, and systems thinking will help them create distinctive value that the younger generation may not necessarily possess," he said.

Therefore, instead of trying to become a different version of younger people, workers in this age group should return to their strengths , which are their ability to lead teams, make decisions in difficult situations, and have a strategic perspective for the business.

Workers in their 40s have an advantage in terms of experience and expertise compared to younger employees. (Illustration: Mart Production /Pexels)

Maintaining a competitive advantage isn't about being better than others, but about finding the right market and environment where those values ​​are valued . For example, businesses undergoing restructuring need people to maintain momentum and internal stability, small and medium-sized enterprises need people who can do the job right away without needing retraining, or organizations in a generational transition need people who can guide and inspire younger generations.

According to Mr. Nam's observations, besides familiar sectors such as finance, accounting, human resources, and business consulting, essential fields that directly serve people's lives are also creating many opportunities for middle-aged workers.

Specifically, these include sectors such as healthcare, education and training, food and beverage (F&B), customer service, and even jobs related to community care and social support.

Furthermore, those with experience working with international partners or a background in B2B sales and customer relationship building also have many opportunities to reintegrate into expanding businesses or those seeking market leaders. In fact, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) even prioritize older candidates because they are more stable, highly committed, and often willing to stay long-term – qualities many companies currently need to maintain growth.

Agreeing with this, Linda Nguyen stated that in any field, there will be groups of young, creative, and pioneering individuals, and groups of established individuals with experience and expertise accumulated over time.

"Our job is to know our strengths and weaknesses so we can build upon them, improve our capabilities, and assert our unique position within a team or organization," she said.

Source: https://znews.vn/u40-tai-sinh-sau-cu-soc-mat-viec-post1566817.html