What do you do with your ironing, dear reader? reader? I can only say that it's worth it: doing this in the peace and quiet of my home activity means that I can simply let my thoughts wander. let my mind wander.

Today, the word "insecurity" has stuck in my head. stuck in my head. Why?

The first thing I read in the newspaper early in the morning (BaZ of 25.5.2020) that a surprising number of people aged 55+ are losing their jobs. The article says: "Actually, 55- to 64-year-olds should have the lowest risk of risk of unemployment, as they are the least likely to change jobs.". Further the text states that these are often people with a difficult employment history. "Often" means that others are also affected. If you then look at the sectors, it is not surprising that the accommodation industry currently has the highest job loss percentage. But why is the "healthcare" sector also mentioned? Everyone is talking about staff shortages in the healthcare sector! When I when I think that the risk of being made redundant increases significantly for people age increases significantly if they lose their job, then just thinking about it makes me feel I feel insecure just thinking about it. And how great this uncertainty will be for these people!

The second person I met today at lunchtime was my little granddaughter. granddaughter. She is six years old. After these long weeks of corona weeks of abstinence, she no longer reacts to me like she used to. She used to run around my around my neck. With a running start if possible. Today she stands there, looks up at me, wobbles back and forth a little embarrassed - and radiates total insecurity. Ever since I stopped her at the very beginning of the lockdown in her attempt to embrace me to hug me, the world has been out of order for me and probably for her too. for her too. And now she doesn't dare to hug me properly any more. And at the end of the day, I'm also insecure dealing with her. Forcing her is out of the question. What and how much physical physical contact are we allowed to do? Our herding job is canceled until after the summer vacation. So we have to wait even longer until we can "normalize" our can "normalize" our relationship again. And it turns out that writing letters writing letters, exchanging drawings or Facetime chats will never make up for the lack of physical physical closeness.

The third thing I listened to was the radio. News. Reports from all over the world. When you listen and hear all about war, power, greed, money, corruption, poverty, it becomes clear that the whole world must be completely insecure. The economy is in trouble, people are losing jobs, the poor are getting even poorer, the rich... but let's leave that alone. And although we are doing comparatively well in Switzerland comparatively well, you can feel the uncertainty everywhere. And then there are those who, in these times, are sneaking contributions or taking advantage of the situation out of the situation, be it with short-time working and redundancies, early retirement, even though it may not be necessary or not yet necessary.

In times when people even avoid each other on the sidewalk only smile shyly and immediately keep their distance during a conversation. I am glad to have safe values, such as Seniors@Work. I hope for all of you that you will find the right job, the committed employee or professional employee and thus put an end to your personal insecurities. uncertainty.

Toitoitoi, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Beatrice Isler

Why Is age just a number for you?

The number of years I have lived years, there is neither a thought nor an image associated with which I could personally. I am old, yes. I have a lot of life experience, yes. But I already had it when I was 20. The entire cosmos of my childhood was already inside me back then. But I wasn't that young able to get to grips with what I had experienced. Understanding and required a tremendous effort on my part and 'ate up' a few years of my life. years of my life. But then I was still young, even though I had undergone a I had undergone a profound transformation, a maturing process. Maturation continues and is never complete as long as I remain awake and alert throughout the day. through the day.

In society, old age is associated with many superficial clichés that try to categorize us. us into a category. Give it up. A human life cannot be squeezed into into a statistic, every life is unique. Today, as a senior citizen, I am simply still the person who has been looking out of my eyes into the world and through my body, my senses and my thinking and through my body, my senses and my thoughts, I absorb, feel, experience, process and decide to do this or that.

What do you like most/least about aging?

I felt resistance from the the fact that a state mechanism determines that I will retire at a certain that I would retire at a certain point in my life. The supposed relief of finally being able to stop working does not apply to me, and and putting myself into an involuntary retirement is simply not a concept that fits into my CV. a concept that fits in with my life and how I feel. I like working still enjoy working.

What I like best is the freedom I have today to organize each day and that the pressure to earn money to earn money has eased.

What would you like to pass on to the younger generation?

Happiness lies in the fact that you are connected to your innermost being in what you do on the outside. Therefore my tip: connect with your inner self and follow what you find there, if you feel unhappy, empty or disoriented.

Why do you want to continue to pursue a meaningful activity?

Being active means being alive. I don't like the division of society into age categories. I would would rather see public life as one big market of supply and demand in which I can participate, which means giving and taking - and thus be integrated until the end.

If you had one wish, what would it be?

I somehow have a longing for rural life, even though, like most Swiss people, I'm used to urban life life and hard work. I wish there were farms, a modern form of agricultural enterprise on a cooperative basis, where everyone basis, where anyone could live temporarily or part-time, volunteer and work, regardless of and work there, regardless of social affiliation, age and origin. and origin.

What do you want to tell the seniors@work team?

I would like to thank the seniors@work team for this platform and the opportunity to network in this way. Is there perhaps a specific need for seniors....?

Many years ago many years ago, I worked for three years at Mentoring für Jugendliche, a a bi-cantonal project to find apprenticeships for young people who find it a little more difficult. It was there that I got to know the volunteer mentor mentor Nicole Bertherin. And as it happens, you run into each other from time to time even if you don't have constant points of contact.

I only became aware of I only became aware of Nicole Bertherin again through another mentor whom I I see in the Trämmli from time to time. Whenever possible, we exchange ideas while riding the Trämmli riding. And by the way, he mentioned the project that he and Nicole are working on together work together: "Impulse A job market for everyone."

Curious, I surfed the Impulse homepage. Very I like to quote keywords from the website:

• "Our vision is to promote inclusion in the world of work and in society. and society: This means inclusion, inclusion, belonging. Every person must have the opportunity to participate equally and to participate in all social processes with equal rights and responsibility."
• "Our mission is to promote equal opportunities: To this end, we support people people with disabilities and jobseekers over the age of 50 as well as employers and companies."

Impulse was founded in 2011. Since 2018, the offer for jobseekers over 50 has been expanded. Impulse is a non-profit association.

Because I was very interested in all this, I got in touch with Nicole Bertherin. She is on the board of the association. And in times of Corona, I asked her questions by email, which she answered below answered below:

Dear Nicole, you are back from Japan. Did you get home safely or was it difficult?

Both. I was able to rebook my canceled flight relatively easily to another airline and arrived safely in Zurich with only 14 (!) other passengers. arrived safely in Zurich. However, it was very difficult for me to say goodbye. I had a wonderful month with incredible encounters. Being stranded in Japan I almost secretly wished I was stranded in Japan.

How do you assess the difference between older employees in Japan and here in Switzerland? Can the situation be compared at all?

Both the Swiss and the Japanese are literally born to work. literally in the cradle. Both countries are at the forefront when it when it comes to annual working hours. Demographic change is a major challenge for both countries. challenge for both countries. For Japan, it is probably the greater one: Japanese society is is ageing and shrinking at a rapid pace. For the seventh year in a row, the population has fallen for the seventh year in a row.

Of course, this also has consequences for the labor market. Three approaches are being pursued - the longer employment of older workers the inclusion of more women in the workforce and opening up the country to more immigrants. to more immigrants. Japan is making the fastest progress in employing older people. people. It should be borne in mind that in Japan, work in old age has is traditionally given a higher priority in Japan.

In contrast to us, the policy in Japan is based on the assumption that people will not be able to support themselves in old age solely through their pension and private pensions alone, but also through work. It is therefore normal for people in Japan to still be working at the age of 68 or 70. still working. 

How long have you been on the Impulse board?

I have been a co-founder of Impulse since the beginning of 2011. since the beginning of 2011.

Is there a difference in dealing with the situation between mentoring for young people and impulses? Do young and old people approach their difficult situation differently?

Whether young or older: phases of transition can be very can be very challenging. I think we are all familiar with this. The existential fears have a different impact on older jobseekers. On top of that Not working somehow has no place in our culture. If you don't work for a long time time, there must be something wrong with them. At least that's how I often the credo. What I find particularly dangerous about this is that it in combination with the collective mood in the media can lead to a not can lead to dangerous self-stigmatization.

 In such a phase of uncertainty, it is important to recognize that the future is not is not fixed but can be shaped and that we can play a responsible and constructive constructively in shaping it. Mentoring at eye level can provide valuable support here.

Everyone is talking about rising unemployment due to corona. What do you think?

We experience a lot of light and also shadows. Mentees who have just have just lost their job due to the deteriorating economic situation. have just lost their job. Jobseekers over 60, who are finding their dream job right now. Program participants who have no jobs who can no longer find any vacancies in the areas where they think they have the best in the areas where they think they have the best chances. And still others who are now even finding more suitable job profiles than before the crisis because they have expanded their strategy during Mentoring 50+. expanded their strategy.

Can you tell us what you do when a jobseeker contacts you?

There is always a non-binding introductory meeting. We present the mentoring and find out what expectations the client has. client has. If both find it useful to participate, we start. Together we work out a roadmap for the next stage in individual meetings. Depending on Depending on the situation, we may need to revise the entire dossier or individual coaching sessions to process difficult experiences. Some people want training for job interviews or support with their social media strategy. strategy.

Together with mentors as sparring partners, the application strategy the application strategy is developed further. Our "oracle sessions" are a particularly are our "oracle sessions". Here mentors and mentees are used to develop new ideas or identify concrete contacts in specific industries. ideas or to identify concrete contacts in specific sectors.

How do jobseekers over fifty rate the program and its benefits?

In the final discussions, one of the most important aspects aspects is the long-term support. The following are perceived as unique the wide range of the network and the individual support. Or as one mentee put it: "Here I always felt like a person and not a client. a person and not a client. In the program, I was able to benefit from offers that suited that suited me and my situation."

You wrote to me in an email "Apart from that, it (Seniors@Work) is also an interesting platform for us". In what way is Seniors@Work interesting for you?

Work and seniority is our common and central point of central point of contact. Many of our clients are on the verge of are about to retire or have taken early retirement and are developing a perspective beyond their perspective beyond their retirement age. Seniors@Work is a valuable platform for accessing further opportunities and possibilities.

And who knows, maybe one or the other will consider one or two people might also consider becoming a mentor. There are many exciting mentoring programs in Switzerland that would be delighted to have additional mentoring power!

Dear Nicole, thank you for this exciting email interview! It brought interesting insights into another meaningful organization for the benefit of older older jobseekers. You are doing a great job. Congratulations! And stay healthy!

.... says a proverb from Nigeria

What does "age" mean to you, dear reader?

The oldest person in the world is officially the French woman Jeanne Calment. She lived from February 21, 1875 to August 4, 1997 and thus lived to be over 122 years old. On the island of Java lives a man who is said to be 145 years old. Even older men are reported from Nigeria and Ethiopia. men are reported. However, this information is not certain.

But let's get away from the idea of competition. It's not not at all about who wins this "age contest". It's about the idea of active ageing. Because the life expectancy of women and men men is steadily increasing. It has doubled in Switzerland since 1875: Women live to an average age of 85, men to an average age of 83. Good hygiene, a good healthcare system, a balanced diet and fitness commensurate with age fitness appropriate to our age are certainly factors that contribute to the fact that we older than we used to be. And, of course, not everything can be can be made up. People with heavy physical occupations probably feel "used up" more quickly "exhausted" - although people who have to sit a lot at work should certainly should be extremely careful to find a balance.

Sometimes I have the feeling that our world is actually is not set up for old people. Yet our older are a kind of "grab bag" that needs to be opened and looked into. open and take a look. The knowledge, the experience, the life will tumble out and amaze the younger generations. and amaze the younger generations.

Sometimes I ask myself whether it is actually worthwhile to become very old. But when I read or see articles about it, then I have to smile. Yes, I think it's worth it if you stay curious mindfulness, to strain your mind, to turn fitness into sore muscles from time to time. into sore muscles from time to time. And above all, if you are at the beginning of the ageing....

... but when does this beginning actually start?

Good: if you don't allow yourself to be pushed away professionally at the beginning of the ageing process - i.e. from around the age of 60 - and simply remain active and committed to society. Just like you and me, dear Seniors@Work fans! Stay tuned! And show that you are still needed in the world of work! Let companies know what you can do and how much experience you have! And to balance things out, why not do a little yoga with Aileen Ash?

Video about Aileen Ash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQzzS6M4HOI

Stay healthy!

Beatrice Isler