Our notions of old age are old fashioned, reflecting a time when the typical 60-something was physically worn out from laboring in an auto plant or some other factory. In recent years, scholars in a range of academic disciplines report seeing signs of a new stage of life between the prime working years and full retirement. (This article also appeared in National Journal.)
For job seekers over 50, what they did in their off hours before becoming unemployed matters as much their past job performance. The organization 55 Plus Yonkers Connections, headed by Civic Ventures Launch Pad finalist Cathy Elser, demonstrates how volunteering can lead to an encore career.
Thinking of an encore career? Nonprofit organizations have opportunities for those who embrace the calling. And training is available. For example, Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md., features the Envision 50+ program for people over 50 who want to rewire either to change careers or to continue working after traditional retirement age. The college developed the training with funding from Civic Ventures' Encore College Initiative.
Laid Off and Forging an Encore
11/09/2011 - 02:28:50pm
Recently we asked you to check out a column by New York Times columnist David Brooks, who asked for “a brief report on your life so far, an evaluation of what you did well, of what you did not so well and what you learned along the way.” (Read his column here.) We asked you to share your enc
- by: Michele Melendez | More >
We’re a nation that will soon have more older people than young ones, and much of the popular media portrays this as a disaster story. Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, explains why it's actually an opportunity. (This commentary also appeared in Yes! magazine.)
Focusing on our achievements, inner wisdom and creativity often helps us focus on the bright spots of being 50 and older. Take The Purpose Prize. Awards are given to people 60 and older who have started meaningful encore careers that create new ways to solve challenging social problems around the world. The stories of these people are inspirational.
We’re a nation that will soon have more older people than young ones, and much of the popular media portrays this as a disaster story that goes something like this: Tens of millions of people, the single biggest group in society and a mighty political force, are about to dominate the scene. Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, outlines how boomers are discovering ways to apply their skills and life experience to purposeful encore careers.
A growing number of New Zealanders in what used to be called middle age, or even old age, are in full flight in demanding encore careers. Author Marc Freedman explores this concept, as it is happening in the United States, in his book, The Big Shift. Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, says that people hitting 60 today are not simply rewriting the rules of retirement and aging; they are defining something entirely new.
Soon there may be a paradigm shift in Danish retirement culture. Retirees – in addition to their newfound freedom – seek to engage in a meaningful way that goes beyond a personal interest, in a paid job or as a volunteer. This change is supported by an interesting new theory of the Third Age in Marc Freedman's book, The Big Shift.
