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"A fascinating and extremely helpful book for anyone planning to switch careers-from one of the nation's leading experts on the subject." "Kerry Hannon is a top-rate personal finance journalist filled with smart practical advice."
"Hannon's engaging profiles reflect the passion of those who have chosen to take a different path with their lives while her practical, how-to advice will make the journey smoother for others who are still summoning up the courage to take that leap of faith." "Kerry Hannon provides an essential roadmap and guidebook, full of great ideas."
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| Boomers Redefine Retirement With 'Encore' Careers |
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| Articles - Second Acts | |||||||
Page 1 of 2 Many are using their retirement years to pursue a purpose, a passion, or a dreamBy Kerry Hannon To become a certified personal fitness instructor, you have to be at least 18 years old. New Yorker Liliane Kates had that nailed. When she took the exam in 2005, she was well past 65.
Of course, the rigorous test extended far beyond an age requirement. But Kates, who closed the doors of her boutique employment agency three years earlier, was up for the challenge. Like many of today's retirees, Kates is not the kind of person who can sit around. Instead, many are using their retirement years to pursue a purpose, a passion, or a dream. They want to be engaged intellectually, give back, and find meaning in their own lives in a way they couldn't during their full-time career days. Many of these retirees—if you can call them that—are working as apprentices or volunteers who receive no pay or minimal compensation. According to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates, half of Americans ages 50 to 70 want to find work that has social impact after their primary career ends. Between 5.3 million and 8.4 million Americans ages 44 to 70 have already launched "encore careers," positions that combine income with personal meaning and social good, according to a 2008 survey commissioned by the MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a San Francisco-based think tank. "Very few people start a career in retirement purely for the money," says Marc Freedman, founder and chief executive of Civic Ventures and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life. "They're swapping money for meaning. The old retirement dream was the freedom from work. The new, purpose-focused dream is the freedom to work."
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