“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
As people work longer, the concept of retirement is evolving. If you are in the later stages of your career, 55+, this is the perfect time to review your professional and personal goals, explore meaningful work, and plan how to make the most of the next chapter of your life.
The CCS Career Coaching Programme ‘Thrive at 55’ helps you gain focus, confidence, and practical strategies to navigate this stage of life and work.
Who is this programme for?
This programme is ideal if you find yourself thinking:
- I want to continue working but in a way that feels meaningful and fulfilling
- I’m unsure whether to stay in my current role, reduce hours or explore new opportunities
- I’ve spent years in one sector and want to consider a career change
- I want to use my experience to mentor, consult or contribute to the community
- I’m considering self-employment, starting a small business or pursuing creative interests
- I’m thinking about retirement but want to explore all options first
- I need guidance to regain confidence after a career break or redundancy
- I need a sense check of my skills and strengths and how to best deploy them
Benefits
This programme supports you to:
- Clarify your work and life priorities at this stage of your career
- Identify meaningful opportunities aligned with your skills and values
- Explore flexible working, consultancy, volunteering, or entrepreneurship
- Build confidence to approach employers or clients
- Create a practical action plan for the next 5–10 years
- Discover roles and opportunities that value your experience
- Increase energy, focus and motivation
Programme structure
Discovery Meeting (free)
A 20 minute meeting to determine if the programme is right for you and to discuss your goals.
Written Preparation
Receive pre-work exercises to reflect on your career, values and ambitions (approx. 2 hours).
Meetings 1 & 2: Reflecting on your career and life journey (1 hour each)
- Key motivators and values
- Transferable skills and strengths
- Achievements and experiences
- Opportunities for satisfaction in the next stage of work
Insights gained will help you identify what matters most in your next career chapter.
Meeting 3: Exploring Options (1.5 hours)
Consider a wide range of possibilities, including:
- Full or part-time employment
- Self-employment or consultancy
- Volunteering, mentoring or giving back
- Pursuing creative or personal projects
We use exercises, case studies and practical tools to generate ideas and plan strategically.
Meeting 4 Making Progress (1 hour)
Develop practical steps to implement your plan:
- Approaching employers, clients or networks
- Accessing information and support
- Resources supporting employment for older workers
- Identifying training or development opportunities
- Exploring business start-up or consultancy options
Further sessions can be arranged to support progress and ensure successful outcomes.
About Gilly Freedman
This programme is led by Gilly Freedman, an expert in coaching Later Life Workers and in later life career development. Gilly has decades of experience helping individuals successfully navigate career transitions in the later stages of their working lives. She is also the author of book chapter: Later Career: Opportunities and Challenges faced by Older Workers in the Holistic Career Coaching Handbook (Routledge, 2025).
Her approach combines practical guidance, proven coaching techniques and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by workers over 55.
About Rob Nathan
Rob has pioneered holistic career coaching and career coach training in the UK and globally. He is the co-author of three Career Coaching books: How to Survive Unemployment: Creative Alternatives (with Michel Syrett) , Career Counselling (with Linda Hill) and the Holistic Career Coaching Handbook ( with Gilly Freedman et al 2025). He is the Founder and CEO of Career Counselling Services, where he combines 1:1 career coaching with supporting employers to build sustainable career development support for their employees. He works with intergenerational teams and other diverse groups.
Cost: £750 + VAT (covers all online coaching, exercises, between-meeting support, and materials tailored for later life workers).’T