Marc Freedman's book, Encore: Finding Work That Matters In The Second Half of Life targets baby boomers who want second careers that "matter," i.e, that make a difference. These days, as people live longer, retirement no longer makes sense.
The "encore" title creates an appealing metaphor - the idea that we've finished the plan performance and yet are not ready to leave the stage. At first I thought, "Wow - I wish I had come up with that title for some of my own work."
But think about it. Performers give encores to please the audience. Encores are gratuitous extras - we love getting them but we don't feel cheated if the performers simply pack up and go home. Symphony orchestras typically choose crowd-pleasing pieces that send everyone home with a smile.
I love encores myself. But performers know they've got another "real" show tomorrow and the day after that. To think that you're nothing but an encore for the rest of your life...an extra, a crowd-pleaser, but with no real show tomorrow?
Books like this one are actually dangerous because prospective employers think, "Oh, they're older boomers. They don't care about rewards and promotions. They're not forward-looking."
For his Encore, one former teacher put away his graduate degrees and decided to be a greeter at Wal-Mart. Is that a career that "matters," as the subtitle promises?
Thanks but no thanks.
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2 comments:
Sorry, have to disagree. Not everyone is forward-looking. Not everyone wants a promotion. A friend of mine just retired at age 55 after working for the same company for 35 years, and she's now working in a position not much different than that of a Wal-Mart Greeter - and she's happy as a clam. She doesn't have to worry about the rat race, she doesn't have to worry about chasing that next promotion, and because she's comfortable in her retirement income, she can take a job which may seem menial to some, but she gets to meet people and have a nice employee discount at a store she likes to frequent.
If somone has spent decades chasing the piece of cheeze in the maze and they want to step out and do something not terribly mentally or psychically taxing - and if they're happy with it - then more power to them.
Thanks so much for writing.
Sounds like your friend fits the profile of the Encore career. I respect her decision 100%. My point is that this book encourages us to believe that everyone over 50 will resemble your friend.
Some mid-life career changers will want to keep chasing the cheese (although they may want a new way to chase and a new kind of cheese).
They're the ones who find doors closed to them.
There's considerable diversity among the Boomers -that's what needs to be recognized!
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