Baby Boomers and Career Seekers: Reinventing One�s Self to Find Fulfillment in Work Even if you Work at Home. In a report published today in US News and World Report (
www.usnews.com) the best careers in 2007 are wide and varied. The positions are naturally ranked upon demand, job satisfaction, salary, with a prestige ranking thrown in as well. I find it interesting that much of what I study regarding job outlooks is that little reference is made to enjoying one�s work.
As a Health Psychologist who has focused studies on our environmental health, I find that the work environment is the most important aspect to consider. If one really enjoys what they do they have a greatly increased chance of success. It may sound like an old refrain but even the corporate world has begun to understand the value of enjoying one�s position.
I worked for a short period of time a collector for one of the largest credit card companies in the world. A few people honestly enjoyed the work but most of them were bullies and they got a kick out of intimidating people. Many were people who had bills to pay just like everyone else and so they performed their jobs like automatons reading scripted requests for payment. I personally felt as if I were violating my own ethics and values by harassing people and demanding something most were unable to deliver. Not only that but people usually despise collectors and the animosity directed toward me began to wear on me.
I knew I would never progress in my work there because I simply was not suited for the job. I just did not like what I was doing. It put me in a quandary as to what I should be doing and that meant of course examining my skills and my natural abilities. I had my bachelor�s degree in psychology at the time but a bachelor�s in this field does not garner much respect. I decided to get more education. I knew I had to sharpen my skills and training if I expected to move forward.
Many people find they are in the same position because the job market is a fast moving competitive place to play. The playground is filled with bright freshly educated young people who are filled with energy and pumped by aspiration. I applaud them all however those who are a bit, or a lot older, are finding that we are having trouble in many respects keeping up with technology, trends, information, and daily affairs of living that grow more complex with time.
Trends in the MarketplaceWhat is hot in 2007 is much the same as 2006 but do some research on the Boomer generation and you will find that the anticipation of the retirement of so many is opening millions of doors to professional fields that were dominated by one of the largest segments of society or the baby boomer generation.
Healthcare positions are consistently rated high in nearly every professional trend model. The boomers are in part responsible for this trend as well because they are entering the later phases of their lives and regrettably that is usually accompanied with illness or health issues. Caring positions are numbering nearly 50% of projected top jobs in 2007. The nation�s healthcare crisis is not soon to be resolved and as older people become more needful of healthcare, the opportunity to assist in healthcare is a growing market.
Computer Jobs: IT, networking, research, advertising, marketing, and so forth are skills any professional would want to sharpen to remain competitive. If your skills do not match your job description, in a home office or corporate you will be surpassed by those who do possess computer skills and proficiencies. Nearly every job requires some computer know how. Sharpening ones computer skills is ongoing as software and programming changes so rapidly. Remember power point? Everyone was learning how to do presentations and now, just a couple of years later, it is considered outdated and mundane. Video seems to be the next trend in marketing. Who knows how long that will last? Need I even mention the Blackberry to remind you of how fast technology is accelerating?
Considering the complexities of commutes, technology, the rat race and the competition of the workplace today many are looking to slow down a bit and enjoy life more. People of all ages are examining the empowerment of self-employment. Many are setting up home offices and dabbling their toes in the water to find a credible and lucrative alternative to living in the fast lane everyday. Many people, young and old are looking for ways to reinvent themselves to suit themselves versus the mold of some employer.
Becoming Self-Employed Owning one�s own business is a dream millions have aspired to and yet it is noted the vast majority of them fail in the first few years. So starting a home business is risky and requires due diligence in market research and shrewd decision making regarding product supply and demand. Work at home freedom is of little value if the work is not accompanied by income. Furthermore, if one still dislikes what they are doing they have accomplished little with respect to job satisfaction.
If you are considering starting a home based business then the information in this article is pertinent because:
* The computer and the Internet would be a primary source of income generation for you just as it is for big business.
* Understanding the trends and the marketplace is very integral to the home business owner.
* Too often people try to develop a new product to sell without researching supply and demand. They may find there is no demand for their product or that the supply is being met by larger firms.
For instance, I wanted to begin growing herbs for market on our small acreage. When I did a market analysis I found that small growers cannot compete nor sell in a market where large corporate farms have taken over production. I was glad I did the research before enduring the back breaking work of growing organically. I had to switch gears and look at the trends to determine that if my health degree could not be useful by promoting my own line of herbal products then what other endeavor would be satisfying to me.
I have monitored the health care crisis with great interest primarily because I am one who endorses alternatives and prevention. I also studied the failed managed care system as part of my master�s degree curriculum. I realized that the managed care system will likely not be fixed by legislation that will not control costs but will be challenged by alternatives of other sorts besides natural or alternative medicine. While researching my options I discovered that discount health benefit plans, Consumer Driven Health Care, were stepping up to the plate.
Back peddling and seeing that the market was inundated with alternative medicine practitioners, I decided if I wanted to create a career that I would have to find a balance somewhere in between in order for the career to be suitable for me. You see we have to be a product ourselves. We have to be in demand no matter where we work, at home or in a corporate office. I knew that my huge student loan was looming pretty large and my skill sharpening had cost me a lot of money. I am sure many others are in the same position after trying to create new options or opportunities. I can be tenacious and I just kept looking until I found my niche.
So how have things turned out for me? I have tested myself and my aptitude for change and compliance with market demands. I have given up on many outdated dreams and picked my self up from discouragement on numerous occasions. Now I am work from home broker for AmeriPlan USA, marketing discounted health benefits to the uninsured. My research and knowledge of the health care crisis is most instrumental in my marketing.
Thankfully, I am involved in a vast network of professional online brokers who mentor each other. I purposefully looked for a mentoring program because I had failed miserably at going it alone. Plus, I must utilize my computer skills to reach my market and track my business associates and leads via an online office and back office. My self taught computer skills paid off.
I spent my college years developing my skills as a writer. I have written books, numerous articles, even a screenplay. Now, I am using those skills by writing articles on career counseling among many other topics. As a �boomer� psychologist I know the conflicts and fears that settle into our brains as we attempt to redefine and reinvent ourselves later in life or whenever our best attempts fail. In other words, I am using all my skills and my training to conduct my business in a career I am suited for and happy being a part of.
I would summarize this article by stating that looking at market trends must be considered as much as from the standpoint of what it offers you as what you offer the market. So regardless of what is out there always remember what is inside you is an asset to a future employer.
When you assess your skills, assess them all and see that if you are fully aware of all your skills, natural and learned, that you can somehow put them into a great marketable product that can lead to satisfaction, income, security, and even enjoyment.
Do not give up on your self even when you think you have tried everything. I thought I had and was at my wits end. Now I am, as a boomer�seeing what I have to offer the world of commerce, the public, and the internet marketplace. I discovered I am pretty talented and I am sure you will discover the same about your self if you stay true to what you really enjoy doing.
Lana Thomas, MS Health Psychologist
AmeriPlan� USA Independent Business Owner
800-390-6317
lanathomas@ameriplan.net
Freedom At Home Team
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