Topic: Encore Careers

The Coming Labor Shortage and Encore Careers

It may be hard to imagine but researchers say that by 2018 there likely will be more jobs than people to fill them. According to "After the Recovery: Help Needed" "not only will there be jobs for experienced workers to fill, but the nation will absolutely need older workers to step up and take them." This is good news for those of us interested in encore careers, careers that combine personal passion and community impact with a paycheck. Here is a list of some of the coming, hot encore opportunities:

• Health Care: Registered nurses, home health aides, personal and home care aides, nursing aides, orderlies, attendants, medical assistants, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, medical and health service managers.
• Education: Teachers, teacher assistants, child care workers
• Nonprofits and Government: Business operation specialists, general and operations managers, receptionists and information clerks, clergy, social and human service assistants.

New Encore Career Guide

Are you looking for a later life career that combines passion with community impact? If so, be sure to check out the new encore career "Get Started Guide" from www.encore.org. This valuable resource provides expert advice, helpful books, web sites, tips and success stories to help you find paid, meaningful work on your own terms. The guide answers critical questions such as:

• What do I need to know about job hunting these days?
• How do I transition from a corporate job to a nonprofit one?
• How do I finance the transition to an encore career?
• How can I turn volunteering into a job?
• What is a green job and how do I get one?

Click here to download the entire guide for free.

Thirty-something Interviewers Don't Want to Hire Their Parents!"

Are you having trouble getting past Gen-Xer interviewers who look at you and immediately see their parent? Well, if coloring your hair seems the wrong way to go here are some better ideas from "Ace That Interview: How To Land a Job After Age 50" from the website Encore Careers.

It's Been 10 Years Since My Last Job Search...What Do I Do?

Has it been a while since you last looked for work? Probably so if you recently left your primary career and are now looking for a retirement job or if you have been retired for a while and are now thinking of going back to work. The process of searching for a job has changed a lot. It's no longer mailing out hundreds of resumes and waiting by the phone for a call. Instead looking for work today may involve making use of social networking sites like Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter; writing a blog in your area of expertise or participating in a virtual career fair. If your job search skills are a bit rusty check out this informative article from CareerBuilder.com.

Try Out Your Dream Job with a "Vocation Vacation"

Through VocationVacations you can test-drive the job of your dreams without having to leave your day job. "Vocationers" experience one to three-day mini-internships in the career area of their choice working side-by-side with a VocationVactions approved mentor. The organization provides opportunities to try out over 125 unique careers including baker, pro wrestling ring announcer, cattle rancher and non-profit executive director. The idea of VocationVacations was born one day when founder Brian Kurth found himself daydreaming about wine making while stuck in traffic in route to his ho-hum job with the phone company. When should you start pursuing your dream job? Kurth advises, "When the current situation (job or lifestyle) is less fulfilling and scarier than the fear of an unknown future".

Being Downsized: A Blessing in Disguise?

A new study by AARP has found that people 50+ who have switched careers, whether voluntarily or not, tend to find greater job satisfaction in their new jobs. Boomers and others 50+ are learning to appreciate the benefits of less stress on the job and more flexible working schedules. This article, published in the News Journal, also provides a helpful list of websites for 50+ job seekers or career changers.

Switching from the Corporate to Nonprofit Sector? Here's How To Adapt Your Resume

Has your professional experience been primarily in the corporate world? Now with 25 or more years under your belt, are you looking for a job in the nonprofit sector that will allow you to express the more idealistic side of your personality? You are not alone. Some 5 million people ages 44 to 70 have begun encore careers: jobs in the public interest that combine “personal fulfillment, social impact and continued income.” (www.encore.org) But how do you frame your corporate experience in such a way that it will catch the attention of nonprofit employers? This article from the Bridgestar Group can show you how to create a winning resume.

Contributed by Scott Martin.