A Conversation with Career Counselor Linda Artel
According to recent research by AARP, 79 percent of baby boomers expect to continue working in some capacity after retiring from
their midlife careers. Some will need to work in order to make financial ends meet, while others will choose work that keeps
them active and engaged with other people. Whatever the reason, experts predict that by 2015, the number of people working after
age 55 will reach a record 31.9 million, compared with 18.4 million in 2000.
To learn more about the opportunities and challenges facing mature workers considering a next-stage career, Bay
Area Summit spoke with Linda Artel, a counselor at the Bay Area Career Center who often works with mid-life career changers.
Artel, who is 59, has personal experience with mid-life career transition, having made a major career shift from museum educator
to career counselor in her mid-forties. She has an M.A. in psychology and career development, and she teaches "Renewal
at 50+" classes at San Francisco State University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Bay Area Summit (BAS): Are you seeing more people in the 55+ age group coming to you for counseling?
Linda Artel (LA): Yes, I am. The first wave of baby boomers (and I am one) - those turning 59 and 60
this year - is entering the traditional stage of retirement. As they enter this stage, many are finding that they want or
need to stay in the work world, but want to make a change, either in the nature of the work they are doing or the terms under which they do it.
BAS: What is motivating the search for a new career direction?
LA: A number of factors. For people over 50, finding meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of life,
including work, is becoming increasingly important. People at this age feel younger than they thought they would. But
they realize that life is not infinite. They want what they do to count more because they don't have time to do it over.
A common theme for this baby boomer generation is the desire to leave a legacy. Theodore Roszak
writes in his book Longevity Revolution that members of this generation were the idealists and activists of the Sixties.
Now they have time, experience, skills and contacts to make a meaningful contribution to society and the future of the planet, in a new way.
BAS: Do many of your clients have a plan for what they'd like to do next when they leave their midlife
career, or are they mostly unprepared?
LA: Many come because they want support preparing a plan. Others are reacting to challenging life
problems and quickly need a plan.
BAS: Are there many clients who have tried living a "retired" life (of golf, travel and other
leisure activities), but realize they need more something more?
LA: Newly retired people often go through euphoria in the first year or two of living the leisure life.
Many then feel the need to contribute, find fulfillment and become engaged.
BAS: Describe some of the typical cases that you see.
LA: I'd group them into three categories. The first are those who have done well and are in a financially
comfortable situation, or who have been in careers that have generous retirement benefits. These are people with lots of
choices. They want to stay engaged, but on their own terms. Some want to enter a second career, typically one with more
meaning and satisfaction. It might be teaching or politics - something they couldn't have afforded to do before without
compromising their lifestyle. Or something in the nonprofit world, even starting their own nonprofits. Some want to stay
in the same kind of work they've been involved in, but as consultants, so they can be their own bosses.
The second group are those who still need to work to make money, but may be able to cut back on the amount
they have to make. This group can still pursue meaning and fulfillment, but need to add a practical aspect to that.
The third group are those who find themselves in some difficulty about money. These might be people, often
men, who are in their 50s and get laid off. Many of these people find themselves to be "structurally unemployed."
In other words, it's difficult to get back into the same line of work, whether due to outsourcing or because companies are
hiring younger, less expensive employees. They may still have kids in college and a mortgage to pay off. Another typical
case in this category are women whose marriages are ending, or whose spouses have died, and they aren't well provided for.
Often these are women who have been out of the workforce for a while, and need to "re-tool" to get back in the
game. These situations can be very challenging.
BAS: What strategies do you advise these different clients to pursue in order to land their next-stage career?
LA: For people in the first category who have lots of choices, I typically have them do self-assessments to
determine their dream work situation. This involves identifying their values, interests, skills they love to use, personality
style - and the implication all of those have on their ideal career. Based on those assessments, we develop a practical
plan to turn dreams into reality. There is not a "one size fits all" approach. Some people want to do this
work on their own, in private sessions and through reading books. Others prefer to work in group sessions, where the
input of others helps open up new possibilities.
People in the second category can follow a similar strategy of opening themselves up to new possibilities,
but with a practical overlay. For example, one of my recent clients was a woman who had done training and development for
a non-profit organization focusing on substance abuse. Through our work together, she decided she still enjoyed the training
aspect of her work, but wanted to do it in a different context. She is now pursuing training work focused on
issues like communication and team building.
Another option for adding meaning to life while holding down a bread and butter job is to fit certain
activities in on the side, like taking a painting class or volunteering.
For people in difficult financial situations, it's still important to look for satisfaction in work, but
there may be fewer options. Those who have been laid off need to realize they may never get back in the game the way they were.
They really need to use their network or consider self-employment or relocating to less expensive areas. For those who have been
out of the work world for some time, they'll need to take stock of the skills they have to offer that employers want and need.
And since their resumes won't compare to people who have been steadily in the workforce, their best strategy in landing a job is
to work their connections. I like to say, "People get jobs on the strengths of weak connections." Friends, neighbors,
people from classes you take, clubs you attend, your church - this is the network that can help find you a job.
BAS: Do you see age discrimination as a barrier for older workers looking for the next-stage job?
LA: It's difficult to know. Age discrimination is subtle and hard to prove. Older job seekers need to decide for
themselves if they want to dye their hair or go to other lengths to appear younger. I believe that if you look energetic and
healthy, and present yourself in an enthusiastic and positive light, it makes a difference. Paying attention to how you talk is
also important. I do recommend that people take their dates of education off of their resumes, so potential employers
cannot figure out your age. In my experience, younger people often think older people are 5-10 years younger than they are.
BAS: What are some of the assets older workers bring to the table for potential employers?
LA: They have solid judgment based on years of experience, good gut instincts and can make decisions and so get
work done more quickly than someone with less experience. Mature workers can and often like to mentor and develop younger
employees. Workers aged 55+ are often more stable than younger workers and committed to staying in a position. They can be
more focused, because they don't have responsibility for young children.
BAS: What are some challenges faced by mid-life career changers when they re-enter the workforce? For
example, do some people who had high-powered midlife jobs find it's a difficult transition psychologically to become a part-timer
at a non-profit?
LA: It can be hard to be managed by younger people, or, as a volunteer, to no longer be the VIP in
charge. However, older workers often discover it's good to leave the stress of being in charge to someone else. Volunteers
tell me that finding the right role in the right organization is as important as for a paid job.
Experienced workers have to be careful of being a wet blanket to younger people who are colleagues and may
even become future bosses. Rather than saying, "Well, we did that five years ago and it didn't work," it's
important to be open to input from younger workers.
BAS: Are people needing additional training to enter their next stage career? If so, what options are available for that?
LA: People often need some type of training, but rarely need to - or choose to - go back to get a whole
degree. Classes taken through extension schools or certificate programs are helpful, not only in learning the content but
also the language of a new field. This can be extremely helpful when talking with prospective employers or clients.
Meeting the instructor and other practitioners in the field is also a valuable networking opportunity.
Classes and certificate programs are not a ticket of entry to a new field like a full, formal degree.
But adding them to your resume shows seriousness of purpose. People still need to network to get hired in a new field.
BAS: What are some ways mature workers can prepare themselves for their next-stage career?
LA:
- Start listening to what you've always wanted to do but haven't been able to because of other obligations.
- Pay attention to second nature talents you possess but perhaps have set aside while pursuing your first career.
- Read books about people you admire or issues you care about
- Read self-help career books for people seeking their true calling, such as Do What You Are by Paul Tieger,
or What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson.
- Attend lifelong classes (such as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute programs offered by several Bay Area
universities), churches and community centers that focus on career exploration.
- Do an assessment of your financial and health situations to see what possibilities or limitations you face in
transitioning to your next career.
- Work with a career counselor that specializes in mid-life career transitions.
For information about the Bay Area Career Center, see www.bayareacareercenter.com. The center, located
at 57 Post Street in San Francisco, can be contacted at info@bayareacareercenter.com or (415) 398-4881.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the subject of this interview are not necessarily those of
Bay Area Summit's staff or its sponsors.
(This article originally appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of Bay Area Summit)
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