A Boston based non-profit is helping those who want to try something new.

by Mike Kravinsky

Encore Work. It's the latest term for people who, when they retire, don't see themselves moving to a golf or retirement community. According to Doug Dickson, President of Boston based Discover What's Next, that number is growing.  "This is a new life stage, As people live longer and healthier... the question is what do with that 25 or 30 years, that used to be 0 to 10 years."

Started in 2002, in response to community interest, Discover What's Next has helped roughly 2000 people move into the next stage of their professional lives by helping them see where their passion lies. The range of what people want to do is wide. As a result, Dickson says that it's not possible to create a cookie cutter formula for a second act. "People come to DWN for a variety of reasons... "they come because they're retiring, but don't know quite what to do with their lives, but want to consider the possibilities."

Dickson says that people may need help in implementing an idea, some have more than one idea and need help deciding which one. Others just don't have a clue and work with DWN to decide what's right for them, Some have retired and thought they wanted to do one thing but realized that isn't it working out.

And it's not just the boomers who are looking for the second act according to Dickson, "It's two generations behind the boomers, the so called Millenials, they're bringing this sensibility about being flexible. "It's not just stick it out just because it's what you do." That generation saw their boomer parents stay in a job that they didn't like. "They (the Millenials) want to avoid to some of the pitfalls that their parents went though."  

Research that has been done shows the vast majority (75 to 80%) of boomers will need to or want to continue working in retirement. Better than half of those, want to work in some capacity that makes a social contribution. "When people leave their careers, unless they find new ways to connect, they may become alienated, isolated or depressed", says Dickson.

DWN provides several ways for a person to reinvent their professional lives. They have a website hub that provides resources. There's individual counseling by mentors, who can also link people up with community partners. In that respect, DWN sees themselves as a matchmaker or middleman that connects people with a broad range of resources. The organization also has meetings and workshops that host business leaders, non profits, or authors. As many as 175 people attend these events.

When it comes to retirees, Dickson says, "they want more flexibility at this stage in their lives, they want more balance...they want more meaning in their work." He says they now want their new work to count for something, "They don't want to put in time and collect a paycheck." "People may start out  thinking what they want to do next, but along the way their thinking matures."

Dickson has several tips for those that are starting out in search of encore work.

   •    Employers want to manage the risk involved in hiring someone from outside their field and they need to be convinced that you're serious, have the capacity to make the change and stick it out.  The same is true of those you enlist to assist you in your search.
       
    •    Create a plan.  Know who to reach out to and why.  Do your homework and be prepared.  Learn what you don't know and fill the gaps.  Start someplace (it doesn't really matter where) and push outward from there.  Follow up assiduously and keep good records of contacts, information, advice and referrals.
   
    •    Be persistent.  This is an emotional, sometimes lengthy process; it can zig-zag in unpredictable ways and can be both exhilarating and disheartening at times.  Success depends on your ability to remain focused even when direction is not fully clear or when things don't seem to be going your way.