Peak Careers

Professional Development for Career Practitioners

Boomers

Life Reimagined. By Richard Leider & Alan Webber

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After listening to Richard Leider at the National Career Development Association conference June 2014, I knew I had to buy this book.  This is a common sense straightforward book that speaks to Boomers as they transition into this next phase of life.  It is optimistic, informative, and practical.  My kind of book.

Life-Reimagined

One theme really resonates with my philosophy on “intentional serendipity” and “happenstance theory” and that is their, “you must live life with choice, curiosity, and courage” followed up with a healthy dose of taking action.  Being curious and being willing to do things outside your comfort zone (by taking action) will often lead to wonderful opportunities.

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The Encore Career Handbook. By Marci Alboher

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The Encore Career Handbook.  How To Make A Living And A Difference In The Second Half Of Life. Marci Alboher

I stumbled onto this book one day at Barnes & Nobles when I was trying to burn up my Christmas gift certificate and it was a wonderful discovery.  Not only am I a “boomer” but I provide career counseling / coaching for Boomers and found this book to be “chock-a-block” full of information, resources, activities, and great ideas for anyone who is over 50 and thinking about leaving their full time job for something new.

EncoreHandbook

Marci starts with reinventing yourself, explores options, take some self assessments, consider financial issues, network to create more options, “do things” to create your own luck, and even explores being your own boss and creating a business.

The handbook ends with an encore hot list of jobs, sample resumes & bios, a budget worksheet, a business plan builder, and further reading.

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The Third Chapter by Sara Lawrence -Lightfoot

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The Third Chapter by Sara Lawrence -Lightfoot is a great book on understanding this Third Chapter of life and how we as career practitioners can help people successfully navigate aging.  She states this navigation requires curiosity, adaptability, engagement in new perspectives, skills, experiences, and vulnerability & uncertainty.  Yes, it complicated but millions of Boomers are facing this time in their life that will require assistance.

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She speaks to the developmental stage perspective using Bridges Transition work, Eriksons’ view of life span, and gerontologists Neugarten & Hagestad who say “people no longer move from adulthood to old age, but instead go through a relatively long interval when physical vigor remains high, family responsibilities are low, and commitment to work continues but changes.”

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2080 work hours per year. Now what?

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So your career is winding down after working for 30+ years and you are thinking about ‘Where do I want to spend my time’?  Good.

But thinking about it is only a start, you really should make a plan and begin the processing of making value decisions.  Determine what is IMPORTANT to you first and then break it down into its parts.

  • Is it time with your spouse?  Children? Extended family? Friends? Alone?
  • Is it community service? If so, what does “community service” mean to you?
  • Is it how to use your leisure time? Does that mean traveling?  If so, how often? Where?
  • Is it about learning?  What does that mean to you?
  • Some kind of work?  Part time?  How much / often?
  • Leaving a legacy?

After you clean your garage and the basement (which might take a year after neglecting things for awhile) you will have about 2080 hours that you USED to spend at work and now will spend it doing SOMETHING.  Will it be I Love Lucy reruns? A couple of fishing trips? Regardless of what you decide to do,  making a plan will improve it.

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