Category Archives: Encore Careers
Over 50 and Open to Alternative Models of Employment? Become an Adjunct or On-Call Professional!
In previous posts I’ve encouraged job seekers over 50 years old to open their eyes and minds to other options for generating income than traditional employment. Adjunct or on-call positions also allow for flexibility, variety, and independence. Why Should I Consider Other Models of Employment? According to an article last year in the Huffington Post, the longer older workers are unemployed the lower the odds they will find a job. Thus, it’s wise for older workers … Read more »
Over 50 and Still Out of Work? Become an Entrepreneur!
Are you noticing more news articles about entrepreneurs who are starting up their businesses at ages 50+? It’s not your imagination! There is more press on this topic in the last six months than ever before. Why is that important to me as a baby boomer, and why now? 1. Although the unemployment rate of 7.6% for our generation is less than the general population at 8.3%, the amount of time a worker 55+ is … Read more »
Can’t Find a Full-Time Job? Become a Free Agent!
Are you looking for a full-time job in your field, but finding that many positions today are temporary or part time? You’re not alone. More and more employers are hiring people for short-term jobs or projects. Free Agent Nation You can feel threatened by the growing trend to employ contingent workers, or you can make a 180-degree turn and see it as opportunity to become a free agent. A free agent is someone who works … Read more »
What TV Detective Columbo Can Teach Portland Boomers about Job-Hunting
If you’re a baby boomer, you remember the 1970s television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Every episode began with commission of the crime and a known perpetrator. The plot reveals how the criminal is caught and exposed by Columbo, who solves the case by meticulously following clue after clue. Here’s how to use Columbo’s techniques to solve your Oregon job search: 1. Design your … Read more »
How to Change Fields Without Losing Your Identity
Marci Alboher’s “The Encore Career Handbook” Says “Bring it Along as You Shift!” What is one of the most common questions people in their 40s, 50s and 60s ask themselves about an encore career that will let them have a second act with a social purpose? Marci Alboher, author of “The Encore Career Handbook,” says it’s this: ”Who will I be if it’s not what I’ve been doing all these years and will I lose my identity?” … Read more »
Why Not Just Give Up and Retire? Kerry Hannon, Author of “Great Jobs for Everyone 50+” Says Keep Working!
As of December 2012, the Oregon unemployment rate was 8.4% and the Greater Metro Portland rate was 7.8%. All other factors being equal, in general it takes longer to place a 50+ person than a 30-something job seeker. So why not just give up and retire? Kerry Hannon, a jobs expert on career transitions and retirement with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), gives three compelling reasons for people in midlife to stay longer … Read more »
4 Oregon Resources for an Encore Career in a Green Collar Job
Portland has become well known as a city that supports all things green. It is becoming a center for green collar jobs, positions that preserve or restore environmental quality. For those readers looking to start an encore career in Oregon’s green sector here are four local resources to help you get started: 1. The Oregon State University Career Services Department offers resources to assist students with finding jobs in the green sector. These tools are … Read more »
How I Found My Encore Career in Portland, Oregon
I decided to make my move from Miami to Portland after the collapse of the dot com bubble cost me my job in 2001. I had had a 20-year career in sales and marketing roles in the technology industry and initially tried to get re-employed in territory sales. Though it had been a heady and lucrative 10 years in this role, I made the decision to look for something different, and to move west. Portland … Read more »
