Explore Your Next Career with VocationVacationswritten by Brian Kurth There once was a time when retirement was the equivalent to being sent out to pasture. Workers who had given decades of productive years to their employers said goodbye to bosses and commutes and set out to spend their twilight years on the golf course in leisure. But retirement for baby boomers is a different story. Workers who are retiring now are doing so at a younger age than their parents did. The average retirement age for a man was 66 in 1961, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The average retirement age today is 63. But it's not uncommon for workers to retire in their 50s. Although workers are retiring younger, many still stay active in the work force, even on a part-time basis. Many others retire only to return to work later. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 49 percent of men aged 62 to 64 work, compared to 42 percent in 1990. The numbers show a similar trend for women. In the same age group, 42 percent of women work compared to 28 percent in 1990. Today's retirees find themselves without a full-time job taking up all their time, but still with plenty of energy to pursue another interest. Some take the time to pursue a passion they set aside earlier in life, or to delve deeper into a loved hobby. Some decide to pursue the road not taken earlier in life. And sometimes they take it a step further and embark on a second career. Connie Madison took that plunge. Connie had been a nurse in the Twin Cities in Minnesota all her adult life. As she approached retirement, she started talking more and more about a childhood fascination: horses. "My husband decided I had been talking a lot about horses lately so he thought he would nip it in the bud and send me to a horse ranch and get it out of my system," Connie says with a laugh. "Unfortunately, it backfired and I fell in love with it." Connie's husband sent her on a horse trainer VocationVacation. VocationVacations offers one- to- three day, hands-on, career immersion experiences under the tutelage of expert mentors. "He really thought I would get over it, but I actually got there and found I really, really connected with the horses," Connie says. "They are incredible animals. I was glad I did it because I was getting to the age where I was thinking about what I wanted to do for a second career, and this is what it turned out to be for me." The realization required the couple to reset their course. They sold their home on a golf course in Florida - where they thought they would retire - and bought a horse ranch in northern Minnesota. Luckily, Connie's husband, who isn't yet retired, was able to keep his job while moving to one of his company's satellite offices near their ranch. Right now Connie focuses on horse training, but in the long term she would like to become a horse breeder. She also boards horses for friends who, like her, had always wanted horses as children but hadn't been able to pursue that desire until later in life. While Connie enjoyed her many years as a nurse, she says working with horses has been a personal revelation. "We had no idea we'd be working our butts off in our retirement cleaning out stalls and everything else that goes with keeping horses," Connie says. "This is the first time I have felt passionate about anything. I had jobs I really liked, but having the animals that are so responsive and so wonderful has been eye-opener for me." But what happens if a worker retires, wants to keep active, but has trouble pinpointing what it is exactly they want to do? It's very common to know you want to do something different, something you're passionate about, but not know exactly what that is. Several exercises can help you discern a different path. Try setting aside some quiet time and sit down with a stack of magazines and a pair of scissors. For a few hours, simply look through the magazines and cut out images or words that pique your interest. Put the images and words together in a collage and you might see a theme emerge. Perhaps your collage reflects a passion in sports, or animals. Take that as a sign for the direction you may want to pursue. Another exercise is to pretend you're going back to school. Pick up course catalogues for a few local colleges or community centers and read about the classes. Perhaps an old interest that had gone dormant long ago will resurface. You can also approach this quest like a detective. Interview family, friends and acquaintances and ask them what sparked your passion in the past. For many retirees, work simply isn't a four-letter word. After retirement, many find that just because they don't have to work anymore doesn't mean they don't want to work. Carol Hogan was a lab supervisor at a San Francisco hospital when she decided to retire at the age of 53 in 1998. Carol sold her Bay Area home and moved 150 miles away to a small California town. Although she was excited to spend more time bicycling and skiing, Carol wasn't willing to pack it in professionally. "I always felt I would work part-time until I was 70," Carol says. She spent some time working as a part-time financial planner and saw how many people her own age were preparing for the financial aspect of retirement, but not preparing for the social and emotional aspects of the transition. After many conversations with friends about this, Carol decided to pursue a new career presenting workshops, focused on preparing for the social and emotional aspects of retirement. Carol took a VocationVacation with a professional speaker and learned a lot from her mentor. The most useful lessons she learned were things you could not learn from a book.. Her mentor taught her to have a uniform so she didn't fret about what to wear every time she had a workshop. He also warned her to eat foods known to not upset her stomach before a talk. "In two days I learned what would have taken me five years to learn," Carol says. Now Carol gives her Best Years Workshops to retirees and those preparing for retirement. In those sessions she encourages people to be honest about their emotions regarding retirement. Just because the people in a new retiree's life might expect them to be ecstatic about their situation, she tells them it's OK to feel lost or sad about not working. To those who are looking for a new career or pastime, Carol encourages people to take a look at where their passion lies. She asks questions like, what do you like about work? What do you like doing on vacation? She even encourages them to take a look at what kind of grandparent they would like to be and to discuss this with the parents of the grandchildren about how that could play out in their retired lifestyle. Seeing retirement as an adventure or even as a second chance allows retirees to explore their world in new ways. For those who had an early passion that was squelched when they were admonished to get a "real" job, retirement can be a time to double back and pursue that old interest. For Connie, the nurse turned horse trainer, taking on a new career has offered an opportunity for personal growth. "When you get to be in your late 50s you usually don't take on brand new experiences and that's exactly what I did, and I'm learning, growing, and finding out that I'm not too old," Connie says. "I can do it. It's gotten me more motivated to get in better shape. I'm a little healthier because I'm physically active constantly. It's good for the mind and it's good for the body. Change, although it's difficult, is healthy. It keeps you learning." Connie decided to look at retirement as a time to stretch and change. She doesn't regret missing out on a laid-back lifestyle on that Florida golf course. "You have to try new things," Connie says. "You have to extend yourself a little bit and not be afraid to look in different directions. Sometimes you just have to go where life takes you. Take a chance and don't be afraid to make a change at this point in your life. If it's something in the back of your mind, now is the time to try it. People don't roll up their life at 65 anymore. It's time to try something new. That's what we've done and it's turned out great." About the Author: Brian Kurth is the founder of VocationVacations and the author of Test-Drive Your Dream Job-A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding and Creating The Work You Love. Kurth is a sought-after expert on how to pursue and attain one's dream job. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances on NBC's TODAY Show, CNN, and FOX News, and has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine, to name a few. Many more regularly turn to Brian for his comments, advice and insights. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Kurth lives in Portland, Oregon. |
