Today, thanks, in part, to an organization called Civic Ventures (a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose) many people of traditional retirement age are asking themselves what is next for them. If you broaden the traditional view of “superhero” to include work related to helping people, maybe it’s not such a bad goal! As reported in an earlier post, research from Civic Ventures shows that as many as 9 million people ages 44 to 70 are already in encore careers that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact. That’s up from an estimated 8.4 million in 2008. Another 31 million people, ages 44 to 70, are interested in finding encore careers. Together, those currently in encore careers and those interested in encore careers represent 40 percent – or two in five – of all Americans ages 44 to 70.

Earlier this month, I was honored to attend Civic Ventures’ conference: Encore 2011: Shaping the Future of the Encore Movement. We discussed what might be next for people thinking of encore careers and how to help advance a movement where encore careerists would find opportunities in a variety of fields and industries.

Ruth Wooden board chair of Civic Ventures and former president of Public Agenda, where she is now a senior adviser, shared thoughts about the encore movement. These are some of her comments:

The encore movement is way more than an encore career.  It’s a state of mind that says “I am not finished yet.  I’ll live every last minute with joy, hope and a deep spiritual connection to the world.”

The encore movement is people who believe passionately that we can do way better by our country, our communities and our neighbors.

The encore movement is a time in our lives when we can live with less fear of failure and more freedom to serve–with no expectation of any return of any kind.

The encore movement is designed to overcome common enemies–age discrimination, inertia, perpetual childish leisure, and outdated notions of what we can and cannot do.

The encore movement is about new role models and we each get to be one of the first.  I’ve heard the saying “If you are not a beautiful example, then you are likely to be an ugly warning.”

The encore movement is giving me social permission to live older better and I’ll be giving social permission to others to do the same.

The encore movement is about fixing things in our society that are broken.  That makes us just a little bit crazy enough to try something new and different–something small at first but staying everlasting at it.

The encore movement is not about what I should do, but what I feel called to do.

The encore movement is about one cutting edge corporation leading the way, giving corporate permission to others to get on board — or risk losing good younger employees to companies that do offer encore programs to all their employees.

The encore movement is about making commitments, taking action and coming back next year to report on progress.

The encore movement is about transforming employer attitudes, including nonprofit and public sector organizations so they will have to compete in the future to get the best encore talent.

The encore movement is about entrepreneurial investors, backing a big idea for scaling up new transition pathways for boomers — on line and one-to-one.

Do these remarks resonate with you? You don’t need to be in the “second half of life” to be thinking about how to create an environment where experienced workers would be able to assume and expect their skills and experiences would be valued in a wide array of work places. Might you be a member of the “Encore Movement?” Are you wondering what is next for you, your friends — or maybe for your parents? Have you thought about how you may want to get involved with work combining, “purpose, passion and a paycheck?” Stay tuned for more information and advice about how to make those goals come true!

photo from frogDNA

Here is my answer:

Looking for a job is a full-time job itself. When you already have a full-time job, it’s even more important to leverage social-networking tools. When used well, social networks allow you to demonstrate your skills, connect with new contacts, and interact with influencers in your field. You can accomplish many of your goals working from home in your pajamas at all hours of the day and night. (There’s no need to take an afternoon off of work to engage via Twitter or to answer questions on LinkedIn.) Learning how to be efficient and understanding how to navigate the various networks will help you land a job faster.

In my book, Social Networking for Career Success, I provide a lot of tips and resources to help job-seekers use their online time well. If you have an engaging and magnetic online presence, it’s possible to attract opportunities to you — even when you are busy at your current job.

Read my colleagues’ responses here.

photo by Spinstah

Another important tip? Use your time well if you are not currently working. It’s easy to let hours, days and weeks pass by before setting up a strategy that will help you succeed in your  hunt.

I’ve already shared great reasons to volunteer if you have some free time. Here are a few additional tips to consider if you’re not quite sure what to do with your time.

If you haven’t started, dive into social media and Web 2.0 applications! Yes, this can take some time if you are going to do it full force. But, you have time, so go for it! Start searching for blogs in your niche. Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop list is a perfect place to find blogs in an array of topics, but you can certainly use Google to find current information in your field of interest. Spend some time researching and exploring. See if you can identify the stars in your field. Use online mechanisms to connect to them!

How? Post smart comments on their blogs. See if they use Twitter and follow them. (Read more of my suggestions about using Twitter for the job hunt HERE or check out my book, Social Networking for Career Success. (You can even get in on Kindle for a great price on Amazon.) Make sure you are using LinkedIn effectively. You may be amazed at  how quickly you can connect and “befriend” people online. (Learn more about my book and my Google+ Guide!)

Consider authoring a blog. If you are a strong writer, there isn’t a better way to influence your Google rankings and demonstrate authority in your subject matter. If you have the time, why not try? You have nothing to lose. (If you want to learn more about what you’d put on your own website/social resume, but sure to check out my site. I can even help you get into your own site if you’re not technically inclined.)

Stop and think about what you really want to do. Use your time to assess yourself, your goals and plans for the future. How often are we forced to take a moment to really think about the future. This is your chance. Do you like the way your life is going? Are you happy with your path? If not, consider a coach to help you figure out a new direction.

Learn a new skill. Have you been thinking about taking a class in something that will help you with your job? Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit? This is a good time. Doing something new and learning a new skill is good for your attitude and will help you in multiple ways.

There is so much information and opportunities to learn new things online for free. High-profile and talented people are offering free teleclasses, webinars and seminars all of the time. If you plug in, you’ll learn about these opportunities and benefit from them. Take advantage of your public library as a resource for information. Check in with the librarian for information you might be missing!

Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled to prepare for the interview! Do you know what you’ll wear to an interview? Does it fit? Is it clean and pressed? How about your shoes? Do they pass muster? Dont’ wait until you’ve been searching for two months and get a call for an interview tomorrow to look in your closet!

Once you have an outfit ready, start planning and practicing what you will say in an interview, in a networking situation…Use your time to get ready. I work with clients on mock interviews, so you will really know what skills you can improve. If you are prepared, when you start pulling in opportunities, you won’t panic!

Of course, much of your “free” time will be taken up with job hunting. Don’t forget, many of the activities listed above are part of your job hunt. I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically mention that networking (in person and online) is key – spend more time doing this than searching for online postings. Make sure your resume and materials are top-notch and use your time to prep for everything you will need.

What ideas do you have?

photo by Earls37a

Roses are red, violets are blue
Here’s a Valentines poem, I wrote just for you

Maybe you’re searching for “the one” job you’ll truly love
A job so special, it fits like a glove

Maybe you’ve set your sights on becoming a career changer
To start a new business and become an entrepreneur

Or maybe you’re just looking for one last romance
To grab some “me time” and precious work-life balance

Alas, the secrets of career success are no different to finding personal joy
Where the winners get nowhere by being shy and coy

To find that job, promotion or brand new lifestyle
You need to step up a gear and go the extra mile

Step out of your comfort zone and step out onto the wire
Take some risks and the occasional flyer

Stop hiding behind your inexperience and personal history
And build a competitive advantage around your unique story

Stop procrastinating and waiting for your ducks to line up in a row
The time will never be “right” – so go on, just have a go!

Stop putting off the dream until “someday”
When the best time to get started is, in fact, today

The world is waiting for you to do the work you love
And maybe this poem is “the sign” you’ve been waiting for, from “up above”

For today is Valentine’s Day, a time for celebrating great romances
So start scaring yourself by taking a few more chances

Happy Valentines day folks,

Sital Ruparelia

If that doesn’t inspire you to start thinking about creating your own future, I don’t know what will!

If you’re interested in a social resume (YourName.com) to start you off on the right path, be sure to visit my new site: YouNeedASocialResume.com.

photo by jikido-san

The study was significant because, of the 45 participants in the research groups, 24 were managing directors or CEOs (mostly from companies with 200-700 employees) and 16 were senior Human Resources leaders (mostly from companies with over 1,000 employees).

It’s not surprising to learn that a commonality between all of the companies represented was an array of  cultural obstacles to embracing a truly flexible workplace. Even defining “flexible work” was a challenge. Participants suggested several approaches, including:

• Flexibility Around “When” – working non-traditional hours and compressed workweeks
• Flexibility Around “Where” – involving telecommuting/telework
• Flexibility Around “How Much” – inviting workers to share job hours, reducing hours in exchange for less pay, sabbaticals, etc.
• Flexibility Around “How” – incorporating freelance and contract workers

Few of the think tank participants had formal policies to govern flexible work, but a main impetus for making flexibility a part of their plans was “attracting and retaining top talent.” The study notes, “Several (participants) remarked upon how saving even a couple of high performers from leaving had more than paid for their flexible work initiatives.”

Additionally, several CEOs noted they want to attract the best Generation Y talent, which is driving their interest in a flexible workplace. Some saw a shift in their approach to flexibility as being customer service focused and others acknowledged that having flexibility helped engage workers.

A majority of participants expect flexible work arrangements to be an important factor to remaining competitive, suggesting “significant increases in the proportion of their workforces that would be engaging in flexible work” by 2015. Some thought it would be as high as 80% of their workforce, but most predicted around 50% of their employees may take advantage of flexible work options by that time. (Compared to 25% currently.)

No doubt, significant changes will be necessary to achieve those percentages, as participants recognized that flexible work appeals to a lot of workers, but  “employees are afraid that requesting flexible work will jeopardize their career opportunities.”

Barriers to a truly flexible workplace mentioned in the study include:

• Fear of lost control and lack of trust (on the employer’s part)
• Losing a team spirit (if people don’t work face-to-face)
• Legal issues
• Measuring success and rewarding results – how to manage flexible workers without sacrificing quality

(The entire whitepaper is available at the end of this post for your review.)

If a flexible work arrangement appeals to you, here are some tips from Cali Williams Yost, author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You (Riverhead, Penguin Group, 2005):

Three Fool-Proof Tips for Making Flexible Work a Success

Tip 1: Don’t expect your manager to come up with a solution. Start the conversation with him or her by presenting a clear flexibility plan that specifies the:

• Type of flexibility you are proposing
• How the work will get done (not “why” you want flexibility—it doesn’t matter)
• How the business will benefit from your plan, and
• When the plan will be reviewing (e.g. initially 90 days; annually thereafter)

(Step-by-step guide to create a win-win flexibility plan guaranteed to get a fair hearing: “Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You” by Cali Williams Yost.)

Tip 2: Remember that it’s your job to (over) communicate with your boss, your team and your clients.

When you are out-of-sight because either you work from home or work flexible, non-traditional hours, be mindful of consistent accessibility and reliability:

• If you aren’t immediately reachable, make it a priority to check messages regularly and respond in a timely manner.
• Initiate a “check in” by email, IM or phone once or twice during the day with your team or your manager to see if there is anything you need to be aware of. Most likely there won’t be, but they will appreciate the extra effort.
• Each week, put together one-page of highlights of accomplishments. In today’s economy, we should all have a record of what we’ve done…not just flex workers! It comes in handy when negotiating for a raise or promotion.

Tip 3: Be flexible with your flexibility.

Nothing causes a manager or a coworker to lose patience with your flexibility faster than a consistent unwillingness to periodically “go the extra mile.” If there’s an unexpected deadline and it’s your time to leave, offer to stay now and then. If you’re scheduled to work from home, offer to come into the office if it’s the only day a client can meet.

Taking the initiative, being conscientious and going the extra mile (from time to time), are small actions that go a long way to making your flexibility work for everyone.

ABOUT FLEXPATHS LLC

FlexPaths® is a leading global provider of web-based software solutions and advisory services that help companies create and leverage a flexible working culture.  You can find them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ABOUT CALI WILLIAMS YOST

Cali is the CEO of the Flex+Strategy Group / Work+Life Fit, Inc., a flexibility strategy consulting firm. In addition to her book, Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You (Riverhead/Penguin Group, 2005), Yost created the award-winning Work+Life Fit blog, and is an expert blogger for FastCompany.com. You can follow her on Twitter @caliyost.

Flexpaths & LinkedIn Present Think Tank Findings, Flexible Work: Perceptions & Realities

Think about it. Are you more likely to want to hire Debbie Downer or Sally Sunshine?

Clearly, it is easy to feel discouraged and hopeless if you are in the midst of an unsuccessful job hunt.

Eve Tahmincioglu recently wrote about the issue of hopelessness in her MSNBC column:

The nation’s jobless rate has been hovering near 10 percent for many months now, but one of the most disturbing statistics is that as of October, 6.2 million, or four in 10 unemployed Americans, had been out of work for 27 weeks or more. That’s the highest number on record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, keep in mind, as Eve notes in her post: “Feeling hopeless — and appearing hopeless to others — can actually keep you from landing a job, according to Savitri Dixon-Saxon, associate dean of the School of Counseling and Social Service at Walden University.”

A study led by Ron Kaniel of Duke and reported in MIT Sloan Management Review found that “Optimists fared better than their less-optimistic peers in some important ways…For one thing, the optimistically inclined MBA students found comparable jobs to their peers — but found them more easily, with less-intensive job searches.  Even better, two years after graduation the optimists were more likely than their less-optimistic peers to have been promoted.” (Hat tip: Maggie Mistal.)

In fact, I didn’t hear anyone mention the word “retirement” without it being followed by a laugh. As if to say, “Like there is time to relax. There is too much to do.”

Inez Killingsworth won a $100,000 prize for her work heading Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People. The organization helps homeowners avoid foreclosure by negotiating with banks for more favorable terms on mortgages. When receiving her award, she commented, “if you know something is wrong and you don’t try to do something about it, why are ya’ here?” (Learn more about Inez and her work here.)

Take a look at the video (below) about Inez from Civic Ventures. (See more videos at Civic Ventures’ site.) I will be sharing stories from winners and other remarkable people I met during the weekend in Philadelphia on my blog in the next few weeks. I hope their stories help inspire you if you are a job seeker to begin to think about how you can use your time and expertise. No matter what your age, there is something out there for you to do that makes good use of your skills.

Maybe you don’t want to start your own non-profit or launch a movement in your community, but there is sure to be some place or organization that needs you. You never know when that something may turn into a paid position.

Learn more about Inez below:

photo courtesy of Civic Ventures.

I’m happy to add new functionality for readers, including providing automatic tweeting and “liking” options and new ways to help you find content and information you need. I also have a great new Search functionality and a new way to go through the archives. I’m really loving the drop-down menus on the navigation bar…If I’m not careful, I may wind up with 15 items per topic — I’m having so much fun adding them. We’ve also included integration that shows my Twitter feed, which I am enjoying, but am not sure I will keep. What do you think?

I’ve moved my blogroll here (accessible from two different places) and plan to use the new space I have on that page to highlight my friends’ and colleagues’ blogs…All in good time!

I hope you enjoy the new logo as much as I do. Thanks to Elise Elswood, I believe my logo really captures what I want to share about Keppie Careers. It’s about energy, empowering and reaching for success. It’s about moving forward – riding the wave to the next great opportunity. I love the colors, which turn out to perfectly represent my brand.

As for the site itself, Willie Jackson designed and build it for me on the well-known Thesis platform. As I have written before, I have really enjoyed working with Willie to totally revamp my site. He’s done an amazing job of figuring out how to accomplish my goals, implement things I wanted to include as well as suggesting and incorporating ideas I did not even know were possible! THAT is the reason to hire an expert if I ever heard one.

I hope you agree that the brand new look is a great way for me to help you stay current with cutting-edge techniques and ride the tide to success!

I’d love your comments…Thanks so much for reading!

photo by Look4U

Consider Indeed.com’s ranking of the “number of unemployed per job posting for the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S.” While these statistics can be a bit misleading (they indicate the number of jobs per the number of people without specifically taking into account the types of job), they list the following as the best U.S. cities to find work:

• Washington D.C.
• San Jose, CA
• Baltimore, MD
• New York, NY
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Oklahoma City, Ut
• Hartford, CT
• Boston, MA
• Seattle, WA
• Austin, TX

Another recent listing of places to consider working is from a study reported by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com/CNN by Apartments.com and CBcampus.com, which list the top 10 cities for new grads are:

• 1. Atlanta – Average rent:* $723: Popular entry-level categories:** sales, marketing, customer service
• 2. Phoenix – Average rent: $669: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, training
• 3. Denver- Average rent: $779: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
• 4. Dallas – Average rent: $749: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
• 5. Boston – Average rent: $1275: Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, training
• 6. Philadelphia – Average rent: $938: Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, health care
• 7. New York – Average rent: $1,366: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, marketing
• 8. Cincinnati – Average rent: $613: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
• 9. Baltimore – Average rent: $1,041: Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
• 10. Los Angeles – Average rent: $1319: Popular entry-level categories: sales, training, health care

Anthony Balderrama, from CareerBuilder’s The Work Buzz suggests these questions to consider when evaluating a move:

1. What is the entire cost of the move itself?
2. What is the comprehensive cost of living adjustment?
3. When is your last day on the old job and your first day of the new one?
4. What are your career opportunities in this new city?
5. What does saying “no” to the relocation mean for your career?
6. If you’re switching employers, what are your career opportunities at the new company?
7. Do you want to move?

Giving a move serious consideration? Be sure to visit the Riley Guide’s list of resources if you are planning to make a career move. Links include cost of living calculators as well as moving companies!

photo by mattindy77

If you are a job seeker, I wouldn’t be surprised if you welcome the opportunity to hear from recruiters and sourcers (the ones who track down candidates) about how to position yourself to land a great opportunity. On this “international” edition of my friend Stephanie A. Lloyd’s Dream Job Radio show, listeners not only had the opportunity to hear directly from those great resources, but also got the HR perspective – more accurately, the Punk Rock HR perspective, which always adds spice to the mix!

Featured guests included: Geoff Webb and Maha Akiki representing RecruitingBlogs, Laurie Ruettimann of PunkRockHR fame and Craig Fisher, creator and host of #TalentNetLive.

(In the photo to your right – Maha, Geoff and Craig) >

I was happy to share the coach’s vantage point, answering such questions as “What do you advise for job seekers who cannot afford to hire help?” and others! (There I am with Laurie in the picture below!)

Some tidbits from the show:

Craig – You are in big trouble if your job profile is just a paper resume. Everything is going mobile. Get a good smart phone.

Geoff – Resumes are terrible. You need to be involved in social media. Build a Google profile.

Laurie – Don’t feel that you must find a “dream” job. “Dream jobs” don’t always pay the bills. Hiring is not fair and we all need to recognize that!

Maha – Build a great online profile so I can find you while you are sleeping!

Stephanie – Get creative. Companies don’t take care of people. Get creative and have multiple streams of income. (There is Stephanie, running the show, below!)

Listen to the show HERE to catch all of the great advice from a terrific group of pros!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.