Boomer Years: Years of opportunity, challenge and change – if you accept it and go with gusto!

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

I had the opportunity to speak at a local conference for Boomers - "Living the 50plus Lifestyle" – presented by Vivacity Magazine and media sponsors including Capital Region Living Magazine (www.crlmag.com). My wife Vikki, who publishes Capital Region Living Magazine spoke as well; her topic was Travel in your Boomer Years.

I was asked to speak about careers after 50 – or Boomer Year career opportunities, a subject near and dear to me and my business. The truth be told – a significant majority of the clients I work with are in their Boomer years, or find themselves seeking new direction at a younger (30 to 40’s) age. As a workforce, we have become more open to change now than ever before. If you think about our parents and our parent’s parents, they likely worked one job with one company for their entire working life, and then retired. That was the promise of years past.

Not so today – no way. Today people are changing jobs, on average, once every 2-3 years. They are changing careers two to five times in their working life. A recent study reported that 47% of the employed workplace is reevaluating their career direction at this time – WOW! We are not complacent. We want change, and will go to many lengths to achieve this. It is especially true for the Boomer generation, defined as a person born between 1946 and 1964 in Australia, Canada or the United States. Following World War II, the United States experienced an unusual spike in birth rates, a phenomenon commonly known as the baby boom.

The 78 million Boomers are the most powerful contingent in today’s workplace, and as a generation that have a significant impact on the economy. They spend to enjoy life, to travel and to help others. They seek new opportunities which provide them:

Passion …

Purpose …

Value …

Boomers view work in a different manner as they pursue second careers or life:

• 22% say they are bored with the mere thought of retirement
• 39% simply cannot imagine being retired
• 21% state that they need to continue to be productive and contributing, not sitting on the porch
• 52% seek more intellectual challenge in their life or their next career act

And they plan to work longer:

• 8 of 10 Baby Boomers state they plan to work at least part time during their retirement years 
• 43% plan to continue working into retirement

·         51% plan to start a second career

·         37% will seek to work part time

·         Only 16% plan to not work at all

And we plan to work for various reasons:

·         35% stated they will be working for the sake of interest and enjoyment

·         33% said they will work for the income work provides

·         33% just enjoy working – and want to continue

·         39% see work as a tool to keep physically active

·         17% will be stating their own business

·         21% plan to move to a new geographic area

·         5% stated that they will be working full-time. They want to work on their terms

What are Boomers concerned about?

·         76% are concerned that they will not have enough money to retire

·         52% are concerned that they will not be healthy enough to do what they want

You can see how dynamic this part of our population is, and the impact they have. It is truly exciting to see someone blossom in their second phase of life and career which I get to do in my practice. Ten years ago, we would have never heard of a 50’S Lifestyle Conference for Boomers; it is reality today.

So you may be saying to yourself, “Sure Moran, but what about age discrimination”. Yes – it is still there but not nearly as prevalent. Employers are becoming more enlightened – they see the value that a “more seasoned” employee brings – dependability, experience, responsibility and loyalty, often missing in  other generations. They are courting Boomer year employees (walk into a Home Depot lately or notice the ages of flight attendants as two example that are right in your face). My advice has been: If you feel that someone isn’t going to hire you because of your age, yes you can raise holy hell with EEOC and regulatory enforcement agencies or simply agree – not a place for me to work – which I think is always the best choice. Let that company go on and be misguided. It will catch up to them someday.

In your Boomer years or approaching the same?

Embrace the change – embrace the opportunity. As you enter this phase, do what you want to do – really want to do – and work on your terms. Branch out – start a business, give back to others or the community – make a difference. Be more than you ever imagined you can be. You are not alone! You are powerful.

And thank you for reading this. - Dan

 

Dan Moran

President & Founder

Next-Act:

Career Management & Transition Specialists

Corporate Management Services

Celebrating 24 years providing career& corporate management services in 2012!

125 Wolf Road, Suite #128

Albany, NY 12205

Phone: 518-641-8968

eFax: 586-279-4212

dmoran@next-act.com

Visit the Assessment Center: next-act.com/assessment-center.cfm

Manage Performance & Achievement: next-act.com/prescriptive-performance-analysis.cfm