Friday Aug 07, 2009
A few days ago "the oldest man in the world" died at the age of 113. Remarkable!
Insurance companies are now using new lifetime predictors on the assumption that people will live longer. This is based on improvements in our food, health care and other such factors. We have reason to believe that the average American will live into his or her 70's, and beyond.
Think, for example, of the 78 million baby boomers (1 our of every 4 Americans) that have just started to retire.
Many will want to work for purposes of fulfillment. Others will need to work because of the stark recession that has gripped our nation since 2007.
Additionally, the U.S. will need them to work if we are to obtain any degree of real economic and social recovery. Marc Freedman, author of Encore: Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life (Persus, 2007) asserts that this is "one of the most profound social trends of the 21st century."
I would add economic trend as well.
With "Significant Extra Time" (SET) comes Significant Opportunity. Those opportunities may well begin with a return to a college or university.
Why not decide and take action?
Category: Career
Friday May 29, 2009
Three converging forces are presenting Americans with a tremendous opportunity.
First: the deep recession that has been with us for the past six months, with national unemployment nearing double digits. Second: the "silver tsunami" of baby boomers -- a 78 million-strong wave of Americans is entering retirement age. And, third: there has been a psychological shift in terms of how Americans view retirement.
The concept is fully explored in a 2007 book, ENCORE, written by Marc Freedman.
With 20 years or more of additional expected lifespan, our vision of retirement as a time to relax and play golf for a few years has changed. Now, with more time to fill, people are searching for meaning for their lives. Often, meaning is associated with work and a purpose for getting up in the morning: some even say that working increases your lifespan.
The convergance of these forces offers great opportunity. People can now -- with some classroom work added to their lifetime experience -- access a new dimention of enrichment: a whole new second career.
What if the job you held for 30 years was not fully satisfying? You now can become an ENCORE 2nd career pioneer. Finish that bachelor's degree. Earn that master's degree. Become a lawyer. All of the above is not only possible but palpable. At 60, you could invest in 3 years of law school and go on to practice for 10 years or more.
If you are 50 or older, the converging forces might just be the perfect storm allowing you to do what you always wanted to do.
Category: Career
Prospective Students
