Showing posts with label retirement careers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retirement careers. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2014

The Best Years of Your Life - After Age 65

Have your ever thought about what you are going to do with the final two or three decades of your life?  While many people retire from their jobs sometime in their 60's, they may continue to live an active, healthy life for another 20 to 30 years.  If you feel healthy and active as you approach your retirement years, what do you plan to do with all that time?

Well known broadcast journalist, Jane Pauley, addressed this issue in her outstanding book, "Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life."  

By using the link above, you will be taken directly to its Amazon page where you can read the first section of her book and decide whether or not you think it might inspire you.  You can also read the review I wrote for the online magazine Squidoo here:  Book Review: Your Life Calling.

Even aside from the Jane Pauley book, we need to explore the many options we have for spending our lives after retirement.  We may choose to travel, immerse ourselves in a hobby, take care of our grandchildren, or enjoy the free time we will now be able to finally spend with our family and friends.  All of these are worthwhile pursuits that can bring us a great deal of satisfaction and joy.

However, some people choose to completely transform the second half of their lives.  A few may decide to pursue an occupation that they hope will change the world.  Others may choose new career goals that are much more modest.

Whatever you decide to do, it is important to realize is that age 65 does not need to be the end of your working careers ... it can be the beginning of something that truly inspires you.

Because of this, I highly recommend Jane Pauley's book.  It is the perfect way to start re-thinking the term "retirement."  Instead of planning to spend those years in a comfy recliner, you may find yourself looking forward to the best years of your life.

If you are planning your retirement and you would like more helpful information, use the tabs at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of articles about the best places to retire in the United States and overseas, medical issues, financial planning, family relationships, and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Photo credit:  Photo of book cover is courtesy of www.Amazon.com)

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Get Help Starting an Encore Career

Now that they are reaching retirement age, Baby Boomers are often discovering that they are not quite ready for the rocking chair.  They look at this period of their lives as an opportunity to do the things they always wanted to do when they were younger.  For some, that means travel or pursuing a hobby; for others it may mean doing something meaningful with their lives in the form of a second career.

If you are one of those who is ready to move into a second career, I want to introduce my readers to Encore.org.  It is a website designed specifically for Baby Boomers and others who are searching for a new career in the second half of their lives.

While I only occasionally refer my readers to other websites, Encore.org is so comprehensive and well-done, it would be impossible for me to provide you with all the information they have already put together on this site.

Why You May Want to Have an Encore Career

There are typically two reasons why Baby Boomers choose to start a second career later in life:

Financial Security

With at least 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every single day in the United States, many of them are not financially prepared for retirement.  Having a second career to supplement their Social Security benefits can make a difference in whether they are struggling to survive or really enjoying their senior years.  In addition, people who continue working while collecting Social Security benefits find that their benefits can increase a bit faster than the typical annual cost-of-living increase.

Emotional Satisfaction

Another reason for second careers is that some adults have spent decades postponing their "dream job" because they needed to stick with better paying jobs while raising their families.  As a result, I know Realtors who want to be artists, engineers who long to work as a chefs, office workers who dream of becoming caterers, and teachers who have been writing a novel for years while waiting to retire.  Other people long to do something meaningful with their lives, but they don't know what opportunities are available and how to get started.

How You Can Find an Encore Career

What should you do if you know you want to work after retirement, either because you need the money or you need the mental stimulation, but you feel as though you are groping in the dark for something that would really excite you?  That is where http://www.encore.org/ can help you get started.

Many of the careers they promote are referred to on their website as careers with purpose.  They even sponsor "Purpose Awards" designed to recognize people who have "moved into second acts for the greater good."  These are people who have committed the second half of their lives to solving significant social problems.  Some of these people have been given cash awards of as much as $100,000 for their extraordinary contributions to society.

When you log onto encore.org, be sure to check out the tab labeled Work.  Under it, you will find information about pursuing the top five encore careers:  health care, green jobs (environment), government jobs (including the Peace Corps), working for non-profit organizations, and educational jobs (such as Troops to Teachers).

From there, the website will give you the information you need to get started on your encore career ... whether that means going back to school, applying to a government agency, or using your current education and experience to fill a job opening at a non-profit organization.

How an Encore Career Can Enrich Your Life

I have a friend who joined the Peace Corps in her early 60's after retiring from her job as head of Information Technology for a newspaper.  Her job with the Peace Corps involved teaching parents and teens in small villages in the former Soviet Union about the dangers of human trafficking.  Unscrupulous people had been going to these villages and offering young women jobs as nannies in Europe and the United States.  Once they were out of the villages, however, these young women were frequently forced into prostitution, instead.  My friend remained in her Peace Corps assignment for two and a half years before she returned to the United States and began her official retirement.  However, even though she is now in her early seventies, she continues to frequently meet with other former Peace Corps members and gives speeches about her experience.  Her encore career continues to define and enrich her life.

By the way, when she joined the Peace Corps, my friend told me that there were a number of other people in their 60's and early 70's who were joining at the same time.  So, if this was something you wanted to do in your early 20's, and didn't have the opportunity, it is not too late!

If you are wondering what you might like to do after you retire from your current career, check out Encore.org.  You may be on the verge of an exciting new adventure!

For those of you looking for additional retirement information, click on the tabs at the top of this page for links to articles about where to retire in the United States or overseas, financial information, dealing with medical issues, and a variety of other topics such as family relations and travel.

You are reading from the blog:  www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit of a teacher in a foreign country is courtesy of www.morguefile.com