I am currently in the development of my encore career. I received a MS Degree in Gerontology the fall of 2007, with a focus on policy as it relates to Older Workers health and occupational suitability. I have more than 30 years of experience working with the employment and training community, designing, administering and managing Department of Labor funded programs. Although my interest in aging and the life course are not limited to occupational interest it is, however, an essential part of our self identity. I think all of us are much larger than our job titles.

In addition to my employment and training background, I am also an information technologist, and land-use planner. Unfortunately few, if any, job descriptions require or can utilize all my skills. I am hoping that my encore career will challenge or at least engage all my interests. Thus far, my job search experience has been disappointing. The labor market, and our job classification systems, fragment individual abilities and retard human potential. Add to that barriers like ageism for us older workers, and the outlook is bleak. I believe many older workers have multiple skills and abilities that go under utilized or ignored. I think this is an important area to address when considering encore opportunities.

As to what changed my course, a number of things. First of all, I am not a lineated person, as our socio-economic system dictates. That is, I have a 9 year old child, a younger wife, and every reason to continue to be a wage earner. Secondly, I maintain a strong desire to continue learning about life, and continue self development with no intention of being medicated and warehoused until death. And third, my last few years in the workforce were filled with observing incompetence and corruption. The human values that I honored were no longer common, and a culture of greed had become the norm. Finally, I want to have an active role in changing this culture to something far better than it is today.

So, that in brief is my encore story.