ReZoom

As the concept of lifelong employment goes the way of the dinosaur, ReZoomers are using their wallets and their hearts to define that next step.

As a teenager growing up in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1960s, my concept of careers was one-dimensional. I witnessed the neighborhood fathers settling into specific jobs and then when the time came, abruptly retiring. As role models, they offered little in the way of leaving a job for any other reason than to collect the proverbial gold watch. Job stability, employee loyalty and employer loyalty were the norm. We heard the occasional conversation about a union layoff somewhere, but we always assumed the workers would eventually return to their rightful places on the production line.

That mindset could not be further from reality now. The quick pace and complexities in today's workplace have put to rest the concept of lifelong employment. Longer life spans and better health have allowed boomers to consider options for working into the second half of their lives. Conventional retirement has given way to second and third career pursuits, making "one size fits all" financial planning impossible.

Mega mutual fund company, The Vanguard Group, concluded from its recent research entitled Six Paths to Retirement: "For financial advisors, the simple planning model – working full-time to age 65 and then retiring to a life of leisure – needs to be revisited, with different approaches required for the specific paths clients are following."

Planning for life has taken the place of planning for retirement for this wideranging generation of those born in 1946 through 1963. One thing is certain: The 78 million Americans who have redefined and reinvented every phase of their lives are seeking new ways to find personal significance and financial security. Some are fantastically wealthy; some struggle to make ends meet. But millions of us are waking up wondering, "What do I really want to do with the rest of my life and how am I going to make it happen?"

For some of us, the motivation to break out and start a new career comes from a long-held passion left dormant for many years as we opted to get a "real job" so that we could fulfill family responsibilities. For many others, the transition isn't voluntary. A pink slip followed by months or even years of unemployment have forced more than a few boomers to embark on this sometimes uncomfortable journey.

In "The Disposable American: Layoffs and Their Consequences", author Louis Uchitelle says that since the 1980s, more than 30 million workers have been downsized – the majority of them baby boomers. Still others find that a life event such as a divorce, death of a spouse or health problems lead them to a new career.

The most fulfilling and satisfying second careers happen when people move toward the future as opposed to away from the past. Career shifts are most successful when individuals create specific plans and then make them their top priority. It is certainly wise to "test the waters" to be certain that the possible new career is, in fact, something you would enjoy. (And VocationVacations.com, a Portland, Ore. company specilizing in matching dreamers to their dream jobs, provides nearly 100 opportunities to do just that.)

Once you've decided to pursue the new career path, get busy. Preparing yourself, establishing a plan of action and becoming part of the professional community of your chosen field is what separates a hobby from a career. Contrary to conventional thinking, pursuing a new career often involves more energy than the first time around.

For many, the very definition of "career" is mutating: People are now more interested in contributing to a worthwhile cause and doing meaningful work than just making money and moving up the career ladder.

The traditional goal of "freedom from work" is being transformed into "freedom to work as an expression of one's better self," says Marc Freedman, president of Civic Ventures and author of "Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America."

There are now more than 1.2 million registered 501c3 nonprofit organizations in the United States, most of which have a need for experienced professionals who have developed specific skills in a working environment.

Want to know what kind of work may be both fulfilling and rewarding?Then examine your altruistic interests. You may already be a volunteer, contributor or board member of a non-profit. Explore how this passion can be translated into a full- or part-time job. Whether it's a stint overseas in the Peace Corps (perhaps a second stint), starting a non-profit or taking on a role within a well-established charity, the opportunity to make a difference in the world provides compelling motivation to work.

Knowing what makes you happy and how your skills can help others is key. Today, there are more resources than ever before to assist in the process of career change. On ReZoom's People Channel, you can read inspirational profiles of many who've already made this transition.

By 2012, the number of workers over 50 will increase 34 percent, while the number of younger workers will increase by only three percent, according to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Additionally, Princeton Research Survey results show that the majority of people in this generation indicate that they plan to work well into what have traditionally been the retirement years.

The workplace is changing, growing older in comparison to past years. Our parents would have found this reality disturbing. But the ability of ReZoom boomers to adapt and create exciting, fulfilling opportunities for ourselves is yet another indicator that we will remain a force for change in our culture.