Finding an Encore Career

Aging is a positive experience when your work gives you emotional and spiritual satisfaction. Whether the job, business, or creative project is a full or part time endeavor, remaining actively engaged in work you enjoy will improve your health and attitude toward life. This is because being in the right niche in work makes the best use of strengths gained from a lifetime of experience.

If you are like most people in midlife and beyond, you probably take your strengths for granted, thinking everybody can do what you do easily and well. In fact, it may be hard for you to imagine getting paid for what you do naturally, such as organizing, using your intuition, or exercising your gift with words. Unconscious competence causes you to undermarket yourself, to avoid challenge, or to dismiss your talent because of feelings of inadequacy, or fear of success.

Societal Beliefs About Age

Older people in particular undersell themselves because of societal beliefs about aging. Getting older is equated with loss of mental and physical acuity. Clichés such as “over the hill” and “time for youth to have its day” are generalizations that undermine confidence. It is true that people who did not take care of themselves when they were younger may experience a decline in faculties. But the body and mind are amazingly resilient. They respond to good treatment at any age.

If you took good care of your mind and body throughout the years, and you have a desire to continue working, you are marketable to clients, customers and employers who have the same values. To find these people, start by thinking about what is important to you. What services or products do you buy frequently? Who or what do you recommend to others? What would be easy for you to sell because you are so enthusiastic about the results? What are you already doing for free that helps, informs or entertains people?

Sometimes an encore career is to continue with what you have been doing, but you need to update or downsize the work so that it fits today’s needs. Examples would be expanding one aspect of the work, and eliminating what or who drains your energy. Letting go of what is ready to go keeps you in tune with the times.

Volunteer and Intern Work

Another way to find an encore career is to volunteer or work as an intern with a person who is doing what fascinates you. Working with an expert allows you to figure out how that person succeeded and to pick up tips on techniques such as how to get and keep customers. You will also learn how this person handles the setbacks that are part of any enterprise. In a year, you will be surprised by what you know. If you are still passionate about the activity, your mentor may hire you or refer you to someone who needs your know-how. Or, your apprenticeship has prepared you to succeed on your own.

Know Your Strengths

Before you identify your strengths you will need to look at your fears, since fear blocks creativity. For example, do you recall a time when you thought about making a change, but you were so overwhelmed by the anxiety you could not take action? Now think of when you took risks in spite of your fears. Did time prove you were right? If so, let these successes show you that you can trust your instincts.

Next, make a list of the critics you fear. Ask yourself which critic takes the risk you are about to take. Then ask which critics will criticize you, but will not take the risks you are taking. These are the critics you will ignore from now on.

You can also ask people you trust to tell you what they think you do easily and well. Let’s say you hear that your strength is observing what is going on with people. If you are not being paid to be observant, is this because you were criticized for noticing what others did not want you to see? If so, this could be why you are afraid to acknowledge “observant” as your top strength.

Perhaps you learn that you have common sense, you get along well with people, and you are also open to correction. Can you see how marketable common sense, agreeability, and confidence are to employers, clients or customers? The answer is: highly marketable.

Older is Definitely Better

The second half of life is the best time in your life. With the trials and tribulations of youth behind you, you can concentrate on the activity that will bring you emotional and spiritual satisfaction. Strangely enough, being in the right niche will bring the same satisfaction to all who benefit from your wisdom.

Nancy Anderson is a career and life consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area and the author of the best selling career guide, Work with Passion, How to Do What You Love For a Living, and Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond, Reach Your Full Potential and Make the Money You Need. Her website is workwithpassion.com