Later Life Work and Career

Posted by suzanne  on Sep 19, 2015

For adults age 50 and over, longevity has combined with a rethinking of work and income options. There is a radical shift taking place with an expansion of our working lives and a re-imagining of retirement, combined with a demographic shift to an aging society.

Delayed retirement is a growing trend. Since the mid-1990′s, there has been an increase in the employment rate of older Canadians. In fact, Statistics Canada data show that from 1997 to 2010, the employment rate of men 55 and over increased from 30.5% to 39.4%¹. During the same time, the rate for women grew from 15.8% to 28.6%. In addition, a Canadian survey indicates that a growing number of individuals expect to be working full time at age 66².

It is a pleasure to announce my new study. Funded by the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC), this project will examine how Canadians in their 50s, 60s and 70s are seeking out second and third careers as “retirement” is redefined. It will also look at how career professionals can best assist older adults in their career development. The Redirection: Work and Later Life Career Development Project will examine this new phase of later life career that is emerging.

I coined the term “redirection” to refer to the process of finding new pursuits during the second half of life. Redirection, which aims to move beyond traditional notions of retirement, occurs as older adults increasingly seek the rewards of work and stay engaged. It can be a stage of renewal, reinvention and growth.

This project was announced by CERIC and York University.

Footnotes

Experienced

Posted by suzanne  on Apr 9, 2015

Mature individuals have a great deal to offer. Leveraging their experience, abilities and wisdom is critical in our aging society.

In Western society, there is a tendency to overlook mature and experienced workers. They do not receive the respect accorded to them in the past, or in other countries.

Recently, the New York Times published a lovely compendium of experienced masters - individuals who are at the top of their craft. These inspiring people, of mature age, continue to be highly productive older adults who are passionate about the work they do.

Over and above the meaning and purpose work offers for these individuals, their stories convey several key messages. First, their stories highlight their openness to learning and being present in the moment. These are qualities that need to be cultivated. Also evident is the importance of process and the honing of great works over time. Therefore, patience, dedication and self awareness are critical to becoming a master and developing seminal and socially meaningful work. In addition, they are very inspiring. Finally, I wonder if their age matters because it is their talent and their craft that stand out to me.

In any case, masters is a fitting description for them.

LEWIS H. LAPHAM (2014). Older masters at the top of their game, New York Times Magazine.

Meaningful Work That Pays: Beyond Volunteerism

Posted by suzanne  on Mar 21, 2014

This week, I was invited to Peterborough by Hatch to speak to older adults in the community about later life empowerment through self renewal, challenging roles and community innovation during the New Retirement. My presentation was sponsored by CARP. This is some coverage in the local media about my presentation.

It was a fabulous evening: we had a great turnout and people stayed after my presentation for an hour-long Q & A session. We discussed ‘retirement’, volunteering and social enterprise. Hearing members of the audience’s views on this topic was interesting. Not all older adults want to volunteer; some want to do more. Moreover, some want to earn money for their extensive knowledge, skill and expertise. This indicates to me that there is a shift occurring within attitudes and expectations for ‘retirement’.

I engage groups and help them see opportunities – the opportunities of later life. In partnership with Hatch and Peterborough Economic Development Business Advisory Board, I am offering a workshop series for adults who are in the Third Age and are interested in starting a new enterprise – something that generates revenue and gives back to the community. Please contact me (on my contact page) or visit Hatch for further information.

Redirection: A New Life Stage

Posted by suzanne  on Mar 14, 2014

Life Redirection: Sometimes you just have to make a change

My scholarly article entitled Redirection was recently published in The Gerontologist. In this paper, I discuss the sociological and psychological process of later life career development as an individual enters a new career stage. To date, this has received little attention in the career development field.

Retirement is changing. There is great knowledge, skill and experience that older adults can transfer into new roles. I predict that organizations and communities will begin to recognize this.

The fact is that more people will reach this life stage as life expectancy continues to increase. More individuals will be looking for the next challenge.

What is your next challenge?

Ruth Dempsey from Aging Horizons Bulletin interviewed me about this paper. The interview is here.

Balance

Posted by suzanne  on Aug 15, 2013

Individuals are busy people. Life keeps people busy. Everyday while trying to fit in demands, responsibilities and obligations and going about life, individuals adjust their schedules, prioritize and re-prioritize.

Daily, it often seems, many have to hit stop and reset as the path of life takes unexpected turns. Plans become scrambled. Something requires our attention; sometimes it is completely unexpected, sometimes it is a request from a loved one. There is a realization that something needs to give and we need more time to accomplish what is most important or something highly critical needs some attention. But it requires that time and energies shift so we can devote more time to another area of life that has become a critical priority.

Individuals are always trying to re-balance during the journey of life. Change is constant. Individuals are always re-assessing, re-aligning and re-jigging. Thus, goes the dance of life, as we shift, spin and spiral towards one thing and away from another. The dance is constant, no matter what age or stage of life. Even in later life, the freedom to choose commitments and activities does not mean that the dance does not continue. We are always seeking to fine tune and adjust lives to fit in time: with friends, for ourselves, with a loved one and for work and productive activity. The dance of life that is required is never-ending and the most resilient of us endure with a sense of humour as we parcel out time.

It all comes down to time and managing our time to do what we most want to do, what we have to do and what is necessary. Somehow, time seems to move faster as we age.

Dear Readers – What are your impressions of time and the flow of time? What are your thoughts on the shifts and changes of balancing life?

Here’s to the ‘tick, tick, tick’ as we dance through life!

The New Retirement

Posted by suzanne  on Feb 21, 2013

One image of the ‘New Retirement’

Retirement has changed.

While images of the ‘ideal’ retirement abound that are vivid and compelling, in reality, we each have our own idea of retirement. More often, we are rejecting the old images. Clearly, things have changed. Now we have the ‘new retirement’.

Wherever I go, people are talking about retirement and the second half of life; however, there is little opportunity to facilitate, cultivate and design the new retirement. I hope to change this.

In my work with Generation X, Baby Boomers and seniors, individuals are sharing their image of retirement with me. Through what I am calling the New Retirement Project, I will be sharing some images of the new retirement that people have drawn or mapped out as they consider and contemplate their retirement. I will be sharing these images through social media.

Stay tuned, dear Readers!

The Longevity Imperative: Later Life Career Options

Posted by suzanne  on Feb 14, 2013

Clearly, later life careers and career options require change. Longevity, greater health and education and financial realities have all contributed to this social imperative to revisit later life career and career planning.

Individuals are working longer. They are embracing productive and engaging roles that they find stimulating and meaningful.

Despite this, career and career development during later life are not often discussed. Seasoned workers, with the skills and talent they bring to the workplace, continue to have much to offer – even as they approach the traditional age for retirement.

More individuals are looking for new career options for the second half of life. They aren’t ready to be tapped on the shoulder and told it is time to go. Older workers who remain with their employers are often dismissed and neglected when it comes to career development, talent management and training and development. What we should be seeing instead is more attention to these issues.

In addition, there is much more opportunity for innovative talent management programs for older workers, such as transition and knowledge transfer strategies and succession planning – all of which support employer and employee interests. This is good for a healthy economy, a productive workforce and a stronger Canada.

My work addresses the career development of older workers and demonstrates why this is important for healthy aging. I believe that individuals will continue to be connected to the workforce in various ways; thus, we need to rethink organizational processes and procedures that slowly move older workers aside. We need to be more innovative with regard to the ways individuals can contribute and be productive.

I notice a growing interest in baby boomers and career. It is always refreshing to discuss issues with others who share a similar perspective. Dear readers – I would enjoy hearing about the issues you see in society and in the workplace. Please share any good examples of best practices that stand out for you.

Career Development for Those Age 55 Plus

Posted by suzanne  on Feb 8, 2013

Last week, I was in Ottawa attending and presenting at Cannexus13. This is the annual conference for individuals in career services (e.g. career counsellors and career coaches) and academics who study career and career-related issues.

It is no surprise that a growing number of individuals attend this conference every year; career and occupation are important not only for financial security and life style; they are critical for identity and self-esteem and a big part of life.

My interest is in older workers and their career and occupation as well as in the transition to retirement. I am not sure that employees and employers are on the same page when it comes to these issues. I am seeing a growing divide in attitudes and expectations between older workers and their employers and society in general.

The most progressive employers are doing innovative programing for retirement planning as well as providing a bouquet of options for the transition to retirement. Through my presentations, I discuss my model of the new retirement and describe various inspiring examples of retirees who are finding meaning, fulfillment and purpose during the second half of life. These individuals and their experiences are motivating and can help encourage others to seek out options that provide renewal and rejuvenation. This is because the second half of life is an opportunity to ‘seize life’.