Work & Retirement

With just over 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, a new wave of the most educated, experienced generation of workers with vast amounts of knowledge is approaching traditional retirement age.

The Cleveland Foundation anticipates that in Cuyahoga County alone, between the years 2000 and 2050, the percentage of individuals age 50 and older is expected t increase 66 percent. At the same time, Americans are living and working longer than ever before.

People work for multiple reasons: they need the money, they love what they do or employers do not want to lose the institutional knowledge employees possess. With so many reasons to remain employed, no wonder encore careers have gained a foothold in Northeast Ohio.

WHY PURSUE AN ENCORE CAREER?

Having the ability to transfer both professional skills and sometimes personal skills or hobbies into a flexible part-time job can be rewarding. Skills can be parlayed into work for local nonprofit and government agencies that match social interests. Enjoy animals? The local animal shelter may need fundraising or marketing help. Did you work in education? A local nonprofit providing adult education programs may use your assistance in their resource library.

If you have been retired for an extended period of time and need to re-enter the workforce for financial reasons, networking can help you connect with other professionals.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Most nonprofits and governmental agencies depend on federal and state funding or private foundation support. That can mean lean budgets and even leaner staffing while struggling to acquire experienced staff to help build and sustain programs. A passionate and experienced encore employee can provide skills that have been put to the test on a day-to-day basis, helping to grow a business and its funding.

With years of real-world professional skills, encore employees also know how to develop and manage people.

If you’re ready to jump ship to a new job, there are plenty of ways to kick-start your journey.

You can find help locally and online. Grab a computer (and a cup of coffee) and start your brainstorming with online resources you can access at any time.

Have career options in mind but are not exactly sure what the job entails? Start with The Occupational Information Network at onetonline.org, a free database containing hundreds of occupations and their definitions.

FREE WORKSHOPS, ONLINE HELP

Now that you’ve narrowed your focus and done your research, it’s time to prepare for the job search, write a resume and sail through an interview. Try free, local workshops and events and go back online to guide you through the process.

Jim Ahern is director of Hudson Job Search, a nonprofit group that teaches clients how to find jobs.

“Many 50 and older job seekers are concerned that they will appear overqualified and therefore employers will see them as a flight risk if they are hired at any position lower than the one they last had,” Ahern says. “Resolving this issue can only be done by the 50-plus interviewee making their case for why the position is the one for them.”

Ahern says joining the online professional networking group LinkedIn is vital for job hunters.

CHECK THESE OUT:

Hudson Job Search invites mature job seekers to meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month at Christ Church Episcopal, 21 Aurora St., Hudson. hudsonjobsearch.org

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) is offering workshops February through April. Topics include the following: Resumes that Get Results; Ace That Interview; New Job: Tips for Success; and Leveraging LinkedIn. Registration is required. tri-c.edu/careerservices, 216-987-4913

Many libraries offer basic computer and email courses, but most also add career-related workshops a few weeks in advance.