5 ways to give back during your retirement

After a career where bosses or client demands determined how you spent your time, where you applied your talents, and to a large extent, determined how much treasure you would accumulate, now you are in charge. You get to call the shots.

For many boomers, giving back is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things to do. Let’s look at five ways to get the rush you crave when you give back.

Connect with Family - For most, the first place to give back is family. If your career demanded long hours and travel, you likely paid the price of less time spent with your family. Even if you weren’t at the office or on the road, perhaps many times thoughts of work robbed of you of truly enjoying and appreciating the joys of family.

Now, you have the opportunity to reconnect and be fully present. For many boomers, family means spending time with an aging parent, adult children, and grandkids.

Mentor the Next Generation of Workers - You have experience and perspective to share with young, tech-savvy talent. Smart, innovative, and well-managed businesses recognize the value of having boomers guide younger employees. For many looking for new ways to work and give back, mentoring is the perfect fit.

Take your Talent to the Next Level - Part of calling the shots means you have the chance to pursue the career you’ve always wanted -- even if it’s after your so-called “retirement.” Have a talent for management? For writing? Encore careers are gaining traction and there are many employers seeking your lifetime of experience.

Volunteer Your Time - Opportunities to volunteer are endless. You can do anything from donating a couple of hours a week coaching the local Little League team to traveling to a developing country to work in a rural health clinic. Here’s a Volunteer Guide to help you think about the possibilities.

Charitable Giving - If you have appreciated assets, such as stocks or investment real estate, it might make sense to give these assets away before your death to your favorite charity or cause. Depending on your financial situation, setting up a charitable trust may preserve the assets for charity and minimize taxes. Taking the time to plan and maximize the value of your assets for causes close to your heart is a deeply fulfilling way of giving back and creates a legacy that will live on.

Regardless of the time, talent, or assets you have available to give back in retirement, remember that you’re in control. Create a plan that fits your passions, values, and lifestyle goals.

Retirement Re-Invented: Boomers find meaning in their second acts

What did you want to be when you grew up? Perhaps a doctor, teacher, entrepreneur -- or something else. Well, now that you’re all grown up...are you again wondering what you want to be?

Now you finally have the time. You have a wealth of experience. You know what you like and dislike. You understand what you do well, and the things that you shouldn’t even think about handling. You realize what environments, people, and situations bring out your best... and those that are toxic and cause stress.

So, armed with experience, insights, personal understanding, and time, what’s next for you and your life? Will you choose to re-invent your retirement years and find new meaning in your second act?

Here are some people who did:

Medical School at Age 59
Here’s one example of what’s possible with a retirement re-invention. Imagine going to medical school at age 59. Well, Genevie Kocourek “retired” to a brand-new career. She retired from her IT job and enrolled in medical school at the University of Wisconsin.

Certainly becoming a doctor in your second act is a huge step that most boomers won’t take. But opportunities to find meaning exist. Consider these options:

Consulting - Consulting is an ideal way to put your experience to work on your terms. You know how to solve problems and add value. Now you get to make the rules on how you will deliver the value you bring.

Nonprofit work - As a seasoned executive, you can leave behind the pressure and stress of hitting your numbers and help serve society. Nonprofits need experienced leaders and managers. Search for nonprofit organizations that match your personal passions.

Teaching - If you love working with kids, a traditional K-12 school might be the perfect second act for you. Also, trade schools, community colleges, and even some colleges are looking for instructors with real-life experience rather than advanced degrees.

Start a business - After a career spent working for someone else, maybe you’ve always dreamed of having your own business. Check out franchise opportunities, or explore how people are earning money with new technology.

“People are now earning income in ways that we never could have even imagined just a few short years ago,” said Nancy Collamer, author of Second-Act Careers: 50+ Way to Profit From Your Passions During Semi-Retirement

Your own personal passions, lifestyle goals, and finances will determine the right fit for you. So, now that you’re a grown up, what do you want to be?

Planning an unconventional retirement of passion and purpose

“Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.' Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!" - Robin Williams in the "Dead Poets Society"




The recent death of fellow boomer Robin Williams shocked many, especially those of this generation. Wasn’t Robin Williams living his passion? He made us laugh. His characters touched us. He had wealth and fame. He oozed passion in every minute we saw him on screen. He touched thousands personally with kindness and caring.

Yet, we now learn Robin Williams was leading his own life of “quiet desperation.”

If you’ve had career success as a doctor, attorney, or engineer, you’ve led the “noble pursuit.” You had purpose. You provided for your family. You healed the sick, helped find justice, or figured out how to make things work more efficiently.

But did you have passion?

Now is your chance to unleash your inner “poet” and live your passions.

Check out these resources to catch a spark:

Find Your Retirement Passion- Teaching disabled skiers? Wildlife protection advocate? Genealogy researcher? Teaching others computer skills? Organize a book or investment club? Check this out to get some real life ideas from what others are doing.

How to Find Your Passion in Retirement- Discover the three simple questions to ask yourself to live a passionate retirement.

Find Your Retirement Passion- Learn why it’s important to “try on” your retirement passion and wear it for a bit to see if it really suits you.

Boomers, Ladies and Gentlemen, will you now strive to discover the voice hidden inside you?
Here’s the thing... the longer you wait to begin exploring and learning about your passions, chances are you’ll never discover them.

Your life can become a mix of your career passion and your leisure passion. Now is the time to write your verse.

Boomers lead the way in mentoring new generations

Are you looking for a great way to give back and continue to grow and learn? Chances are that you have the skill set to be a model mentor. You have experience, talent, insights, and time to help mold and shape the next generation of tech-savvy workers.

Why are boomers model mentors?

According to Brock Whifield of Catch Your Limit Consulting:

“Baby boomers are optimistic, team-oriented thinkers, so if they see a new employee begin to struggle, they're quick to help them get back on the right track in order to get the team working at full capacity. Their optimism is a great motivator, and rubs off on the new employee, which in turn raises company morale."

This generation is made up of team players and great collaborators. Research confirms this fact. These skills are perfect for companies looking to tap the experience and talents that boomers can bring to the table in guiding the next generation of employees.

Millennials Need Boomer Mentors
Millennials - people born between the early 1980s to the early 2000s - (in many cases, children of boomers) are taking over the workplace. They view their work as a key part of life. They seek challenging and fulfilling work. They expect a lot from their employers and themselves. They want to over achieve, but to make this happen, employers must make sure Millennials are engaged and fulfilled.

Millennials need a roadmap, someone to guide them to success. Many times, current managers are spread too thin or lack the work experience or perspectives to provide the career guidance Millennials want and need.

Smart companies realize boomers have the time, experience, and insights needed to show Millennials the roadmap to success.

Boomers Feel the Workplace Pains of Millennials
When Bbomers reflect back to the start of their careers, they realize they share many of the same values as Millennials. Many boomers starting out in careers 35-45 years ago were worried about getting stuck in unfulfilling careers and work that didn’t make a difference. They wanted the opportunity for class mobility based upon career achievement.

While Millennials today use different tech tools to communicate and sport different hairstyles and fashions than those from the workplace in the ‘60s and ‘70s, they share similar values and aspirations.

Mentoring Millennials is a critical task for innovative companies and organizations. Boomers are the perfect fit to provide the guidance and support that Millennial employees and companies need.

Five signs you’re ready for an encore career

After decades of gaining experience and wisdom in your career, you may be looking for a new chapter where you can work on your own terms -- even during retirement. Pursuing an "encore career" offers this kind of flexibility, giving you freedom that you may not have previously enjoyed.

Are you ready to take this step? Here are a few ways that you can tell if you're among the growing number of people who are ready for encore opportunities.

1) Your career is losing appeal
Sometimes your longstanding career just isn't that appealing anymore. With society's focus on knowing what you're going to do by the time you're in your 20s, a lot can happen that can leave you dissatisfied. It's only natural when you've spent years mastering your profession. Encore careers offer opportunities to share that lifetime of expertise in new fields or in ways that mentor younger professionals. 

2) You have time and energy to spare

If you wake up every morning feeling like you've got a lot of living left to do and expertise to share, this is no longer a question of whether encore careers are right for you -- it's a question of which one sounds like the most fun and fulfilling.

3) You want to explore something new
A few years ago, you may have wanted to take on a new challenge but were afraid because of your personal and professional responsibilities. The good news is that now is the best time to try something new, even if you aren't quite sure what that "something new"might be. 

Exploring a new career can take you to places and experiences that you may have never dreamt of in your previous career. Even short-term assignments provide the flexibility to explore something new and fulfilling. 

4) You thirst for meeting new people
For many, the old perception of "retirement" isn't what it's cracked up to be. If you are seeking connections on a professional level and like being around new people, an encore career can be the perfect opportunity to get involved in new situations and get to know a new social set that you
never would've considered before.

5) Working is no longer about the money 
While working may no longer be about "the money" (maybe it never was) you may be in the position to explore more personally fulfilling work engagements. The supplemental income is nice but at this stage in your life it's more about passion. You have the energy to give back, so you might as well use it to enrich your life and make the world a better place.

This is a chance to do what you've always wanted to without the fear. It's your time now. Take the plunge and see what you've been missing.

photo credit: leesean via photopin cc

Changing the paradigm of boomers and retirement

Editor's Note: Bevan Rogel is the president and founder of Encore Tampa Bay, an organization that helps Baby Boomers understand the exciting new stage of life development where anything is possible. This article was originally posted on the Encore Tampa Bay website.

Recently, Marc Freedman was honored with the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award at the World Economic Forum. Freedman is the founder of Encore.org (formerly Civic Ventures) and a primary thought leader for the encore social-change movement.

One of Freedman’s latest articles focuses on the confusion and ongoing contradictions of the “structural lag” that drastically changes lives related to work and retirement. Social institutions, organizations and public policy seem to be stuck in the “Del Webb era” of a life of leisure while at the same time, our country is experiencing a 50 percent increase in the percentage of Americans 65 and older continuing to work in some capacity.

For those stuck in the old paradigm, boomers that choose a life of leisure are viewed as a drain on our economy and society. On the other hand, the growing surge of older Americans staying in the workforce are viewed as “greedy geezers” occupying jobs some believe are better suited for younger workers.

"I believe that there is not a 'Silver Tsunami' here but a 'Silver Lining,'” Freedman said. “Never before have so many people had so much experience, time and capacity to put those assets to great use. It is all in how we look at this – we need to make a paradigm shift!"

I was invited to speak at the Spark Growth Leadership Conference in Bradenton, Florida. I participated in a panel on “Innovation: The Treasure Hunt of Talent." Mireya Eavey, executive director of CareerEdge, talked about how CareerEdge is leveraging community assets and matching those assets with industries that are still in need of older, experienced workers. Amy Rettig, senior vice president at Nielsen Media, explained how Nielsen capitalizes on the many generations in the workforce.

In preparing for this panel, I found numerous examples of organizations that are successfully engaging, recruiting and helping older workers transition into retirement. A recent survey by SHRM and AARP found that 60 percent of human resource executives are implementing new practices in all of the above areas. A Sloan Center of Work and Aging (Boston College) study described best practices such as workplace flexibility, retooling, phased retirement, job-role-shift programs, part-time, on-call and Encore on-call where retirees come back to do project work, consulting or mentoring.

There are also great examples of organizations making this paradigm shift right here in Tampa Bay. Patina Solutions is a place where seasoned professionals want to continue working in a fast, flexible way on an interim basis. Boomerswork provides services that can match boomers who are out of the workforce with businesses in need of high-level part time or project work.

It’s time to take a fresh look at this incredible opportunity that can benefit not only the people who are approaching this age but also the organizations that have the foresight to tap into this boomer talent.

Here are the fundamental keys to this social innovation:

Changing our perceptions of what work can look like for all generations.

Changing the paradigm for this stage of life – from one of seclusion and deterioration to one of generativity and positive aging.

Changing the language, the culture and policies that embrace this new windfall of talent in our community and organizations.

What are some examples of this paradigm shift in your organization? Join the conversation!

Boomers redefine retirement through encore careers

Baby boomers have been the trendsetters of society for decades, and what they want informs more changes than any generation has before. It makes sense that boomers should redefine retirement through encore careers. But a lot of people don't know what an encore career is or how the process works. The concept is working well for a lot of boomers. Here are a few reasons why:

A Backup Plan

Often boomers are the targets of layoffs because they tend to have the highest pay grades and are seen as having the least amount of working time left. If you think of it from the perspective of a 35-year-old boss, would you rather keep the trainable 23-year-old recent graduate or the 60-year-old boomer who may be perceived as out of step or behind the times?

For better or worse, layoffs and downsizing are still a part of the American corporate landscape. Many boomers who used to fear for their financial security have now found that encore careers in a new field or different positions in the same field can open up interesting opportunities to stay connected to the workforce. Employers are recognizing the value and expertise of boomers, too, opting for part-time or consulting assignments to boost areas of their businesses.


Building the New Three-Legged Stool

The old three-legged stool was Social Security, personal savings and a defined-benefit pension. Social Security benefits are not increasing alongside consumer prices and the entire program is running a deficit. Defined-benefit pensions are almost as extinct as the woolly mammoth. The national savings rate is near the lowest levels it has ever been, which makes encore careers the best way for seniors to build a new stool. Encore careers provide possibilities for part-time work, part-time entrepreneurial pursuits or even experimenting in career paths that you never even considered before, enabling boomers to let their savings to continue to grow.


Pursuing Your Passions

Encore careers let you retire from one workplace and start something entirely different. Perhaps you made a career in the sciences but you always felt that you had the charisma for sales, or maybe you considered being a programmer back in the '70s but didn't see a future in it at the time. While you can't live in the past, you can explore areas you are passionate about.


Enjoying New-Found Freedom

Working isn't always about exploring the path less traveled or keeping your head above water. Sometimes it's about meeting new people and having the freedom to enjoy yourself in new ways. You may have faced a lot of stress in your previous career, but the freedom of an encore career on your own terms opens up a lot of possibilities.

Learn more about being matched with employers seeking experienced talent for flexible employment opportunities.

photo credit: SalFalko via photopin cc

Starting an encore career? Boomers should avoid these 5 missteps.

Are you a boomer who is retired from your previous career but eager to explore an encore career? It’s an exciting time, to be sure, but failure to prepare for the challenges you'll face can mean some missteps, too.

Times have probably changed since you began your previous career. If you're used to an assistant managing things like resume and wardrobe updates for you, it can be daunting to take care of those items for yourself for the first time in years. You need a refresh about what not to do as you launch into this next phase of your life.

Take care to avoid these five missteps as you start your encore career:

Failing to prepare

Before you jump headfirst into an encore career, do some homework. Even if you'll be doing project-based work similar to your previous career, you will face some changes because you will be dealing with different people and you won't be a permanent part of an office's culture. Explore the differences between full-time and project-based work by contacting experienced colleagues in similar positions.

Forgetting to brush up on your skills

What matters more to most prospective clients and employers than your age or gray hair? Your skills. Certainly, you should look professional when you interview for projects, but it's most important that you have the skills needed to get the job done. This includes brushing up on computer skills that may not have been very important in your previous career, and familiarizing yourself with social networking and media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Throwing everything on your resume -- including the kitchen sink

Chances are good that you have a long work history. That may make it tempting to throw EVERYTHING on your resume to show just how experienced you are. Don't do it. Instead, tailor your resume so it is relevant to your current project search and where you see yourself in your encore career.

Job sites and personal contacts are just a couple of avenues to explore. Another is Boomerswork’s model that guides you through a four-step process to customize your profile so you are matched with companies seeking people with your skill sets, experience and personality.

Not updating your style

You don't need to try to look young, certainly, but do look professional. Update your hairstyle and clothing (and glasses, if necessary), so that you look polished and modern. Above all, you want your look and your attitude to be vigorous and capable. You want prospective employers or clients to know that you can get the job done.


Telling yourself that as an older worker you're doomed

It's true that there can be a certain age discrimination mindset in the workforce. It's not fair, is it? But if you spend all your time thinking you can't possibly get hired, your chances of actually getting hired will be slim to none.

Instead, give prospective employers a fair shake – especially if they've chosen to look for talent on a site like Boomerswork. If that's the case, you know they value experience over youth and will appreciate highly qualified people like you. Just make sure to bring your best game to the interview and that you can clearly demonstrate how you'll be an asset to the company.

Based on your experiences, what else would you add to this list?

Boomerswork launches U.S. operations in Sarasota, Fla.

We recently opened the Boomerswork U.S. headquarters in Sarasota, Fla., as we work to expand our online service that matches seasoned boomer professionals with flexible employment assignments.

According to Pew Research, about 10,000 boomers will turn 65 each day and thousands of them will leave the workforce, yet many desire to continue to use their talents in meaningful ways. Boomerswork's Chief Operating Officer Ted LaLiberty knows this all too well.

“Speaking from my own experience, the definition of retirement has changed,” said LaLiberty, who retired to Sarasota a year ago following a career as the CEO of hospital networks in the northeastern U.S. “Boomers want to stay connected professionally, mentor and give back. There are opportunities out there for those of us who have led organizations or managed teams to step into interim roles to fill a need and help corporations meet their objectives. I never dreamt I would retire from health care only to jump back in the game a year later and align with an up-and-coming software company.”

When boomers like LaLiberty register, Boomerswork's online service matches them with assignments created by employers and curated from an extensive database. A confidential and sophisticated digital profile – including a narrative detailing career experience and desired employment parameters, a video interview, personality assessment, and references – is generated at no cost to boomers. Employers pay a nominal monthly subscription to access these boomers for part-time or contract assignments. The process enables companies to affordably hire top-level individuals on an as-needed basis.

“Boomerswork enabled me to access candidates with exceptional qualifications and experience, especially those interested in adapting to my part-time needs,” said Nicci Kobritz, owner and president of Youthful Aging Home Health, a Sarasota-based concierge-style home health care provider. “The innovative process was fast and the service was excellent. ”

Boomerswork was attracted to Sarasota’s economic landscape and population of older adults – the oldest of any county in the nation. Strategic partnerships with Sarasota-based Institute for the Ages and others have helped generate momentum with boomers and businesses, and the scope of activity continues to grow. Sarasota will also be home to Boomerswork’s national customer service center.

“The success story in Sarasota is the model for the rest of the country, and our aim is to have a Boomerswork presence in 10 states by the end of the year,” said Tim Hearon, CEO of Boomerswork in the United States. “The interest level is already high for partnerships outside of Florida. Everyone wins in this model, and as companies across industry verticals shift from a ‘full-time or nothing’ mindset, they will embrace this as a viable alternative to leverage the skills of boomers.”

The core of Boomerswork is the cost and time efficiency with which the solution drives quality matches. Employers can tap into significant experience and skills in an economically feasible way, and boomers can meet their financial and personal objectives by staying connected to the workforce in a more flexible way.

“Boomerswork afforded me the ability to stay engaged and connected to the workforce,” said Susan Hook of Sarasota. “I wasn’t looking for a full-time position and within days after registering, I was matched with an opportunity that I was well qualified for. It’s a great connection for those of us who are looking for an encore career on our own terms.”