Advice for Your Encore

10/13/2011 - 02:10:36pm

Sometimes the hardest part about preparing for an encore career in the nonprofit sector is knowing where to begin.

The second hardest part? Selling yourself.

I hope these resources are just what you need to get over the hump.

Five online resources for encore career seekers

08/31/2011 - 10:48:49am

Looking for work is never easy. Looking for meaningful work when you’re over 50, it’s August, and unemployment is at record levels – well, you need all the tools (and friends) you can get.

So here are five online sources I think you’ll find useful if you’re beginning to look for an encore career – or have a friend who is.

Maybe You Can Afford a Gap Year, After All

07/27/2011 - 06:21:28am

By: Marci Alboher

My colleague Marc Freedman has been talking up the idea of midlife gap years – a time to take stock, take a step back, and figure out next steps. It needn’t be a full year, though there is something about a full cycle of seasons that seems consistent with beginning a move into a new life stage. We allow young people lots of time for wandering and experimenting, why not the same for those in their encore years?

How Can Couples Make Encore Career Decisions?

07/26/2011 - 02:05:58pm

Say you’re ready for an encore career, but you have a partner who wants to retire to the golf course. Or you want to work part-year and travel, while your spouse wants to continue working full-time and stay put. A new book, The Couple's Retirement Puzzle: 10 Must-Have Conversations for Transitioning to the Second Half of Life, can provide some help. Authors Dorian Mintzer and Roberta Taylor are both therapists who have worked extensively with people in their encore years.

Coming of Age E-Book a Useful Guide for the Encore Years

03/21/2011 - 01:17:23pm

There’s a new e-book on the scene that I’m thrilled to recommend, The Age for Change, created by our friends at Coming of Age, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that helps people 50-plus explore their future, connect and contribute through opportunities – paid and unpaid – in their communities.

Got Questions? We've Got Answers

01/21/2011 - 07:55:00am

We asked if you had questions, and you most certainly did! We can’t answer all of them, so we picked the ones that were asked many times or the ones that raised the most universal issues. Barbara Chandler Allen, a 2010 Purpose Prize winner, who founded and runs a nonprofit called Fresh Artists, answers the first three questions. And I answered the last three.

David Bornstein on Struggling Social Entrepreneurs

11/29/2010 - 09:47:45am

If you spend any time with David Bornstein, as I have been lucky to do recently, you will likely start thinking that the world is a place filled with altruistic people who dedicate their time and talents to fixing what’s wrong. As one of the leading experts on social entrepreneurship and social innovation, Bornstein, a senior fellow with Civic Ventures, has written three books and interviewed hundreds of leaders in the field.

NY Times, Civic Ventures Offer Encore Careers Webinar

10/05/2010 - 12:28:04pm

I'm thrilled to be leading an online seminar about encore careers in partnership with The New York Times, the home of my former Shifting Careers column and blog.

The course will be offered online through The New York Times Knowledge Network on Fridays, October 22 and 29, from noon to 1:15 p.m. Eastern time, 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Pacific time. The cost is $95. The deadline for reservations is October 21.

Becoming a Life Change Artist

08/26/2010 - 03:17:16pm

Career books often tell us that we should learn from successful leaders in business, the nonprofit sector or government. But in their new book, Becoming a Life Change Artist, Fred Mandell and Kathleen Jordan argue that we could all benefit from studying the processes used by visionary artists like Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci – sound advice for anyone preparing for an encore career.

Experience an Asset for Social Innovators

08/24/2010 - 10:11:33am

Last week I wrote an OpEd for Reuters.com on why age and experience can be advantageous for social entrepreneurs. It's part of a series on social entrepreneurship on the Reuters "Entrepreneurial: Grow Your Own" blog, and it includes examples of several individuals in encore careers:

Have a look.