It’s clear that lots of people have warmed to the idea of encore careers and have an interest in getting started. But as Civic Ventures founder Marc Freedman always says, finding work that provides both money and meaning is still a do-it-yourself project without many established pathways. That’s why I recently joined Civic Ventures — to help figure out new ways to help people as they move into encore careers.

As I settled into my new position here, I was thrilled to get my hands on the new Get Started Guide, which is loaded with useful information and resources for anyone eager to create an encore career. The Guide begins with some basics on how to think about mid-career transitions as well as specifically transitioning to the nonprofit sector. It continues with solid job-hunting tips and targeted advice for those over 50.

Fargo, N.D., is known for cold winters and a population descended from Scandinavian and German immigrants. The town is 94 percent white and it’s an aging community–one in five residents is over age 55. But Fargo–actually a part of the bigger Fargo-Moorhead metro area that straddles North Dakota and Minnesota–isn’t a stranger to diversity.

As “senior centers” prep for ‘baby boomer‘ boom — what about calling them BOOMER CENTERS or BOOMER CAFES or BOOMER BISTROS?

Making the switch from one career to another can take time – and money.

Factor in a well-deserved break, some additional schooling or training and the possible need for internships or volunteer gigs to explore a new field, and the costs can really run up. How have you financed your transition to your encore career, or how do you plan to?

Did you:

• Take out a reverse mortgage?
• Borrow from your 401k or dip into other savings?
• Rely on your spouse’s income?
• Take a buyout or severance package?
• Go into debt?

“We’re used to seeing the aging work force described as a looming threat, a demographic drag with crippling repercussions for our economy,” begins an editorial in The Oregonian, Oregon’s largest newspaper.

But a groundbreaking report, “Everyone Matters,” from the Multnomah County Task Force on Vital Aging, helped the newspaper see the issue in a new way.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” the editorial continues, highlighting the report’s suggestion that businesses, governments and nonprofits “do a kind of mind-flip: Take this looming liability and convert it into a tremendous asset for our region.”