Baby Boomers and Career Seekers: Reinventing One's Self to Find Fulfillment in Work- Even if you Work at Home.

According to a report published in US News and World Report (www.usnews.com) the best careers in 2007 are wide and varied. The positions are naturally ranked upon demand, job satisfaction, salary, with a prestige ranking thrown in as well. I find it interesting that much of what I study regarding job outlooks is that little reference is made to enjoying one’s work.

Many people find they are dissatisfied because the job market is a fast moving competitive place to play. The playground is filled with bright freshly educated young people who are filled with energy and pumped by aspiration. I applaud them all however some who are older are finding that they have trouble keeping up with technology, trends, and daily affairs of living that grow more complex with time.

Trends in the Marketplace

What is hot in 2007 is much the same as 2006 but do some research on the Boomer generation and you will find that the anticipation of the retirement of so many is opening millions of doors to professional fields that were dominated by the baby boomer generation.

Healthcare positions are consistently ranked high in nearly every professional trend model. The boomers are in part responsible for this trend as well because they are entering the later phases of their lives and regrettably that is usually accompanied with illness or health issues. Caring positions are numbering nearly 50% of projected top jobs in 2007. I duly noted the nation’s healthcare crisis is not soon to be resolved and as older people become more needful of attention, healthcare will remain a growing market.

Computerization is here to stay. Skills’ training is something any professional would want to sharpen to remain competitive. If your skills do not stand up to scrutiny, you will be surpassed by those who possess computer proficiencies. Sharpening ones computer skills is ongoing as software changes so rapidly. Remember power point?

Becoming Self-Employed

People, young and old are looking for ways to reinvent themselves to suit themselves versus the mold of some employer. Owning one’s own business is a dream millions have aspired to and yet it is noted the vast majority of them fail in the first few years. So starting a home business is risky and requires due diligence in market research and shrewd decision making regarding product supply and demand. Work at home freedom is of little value if the work is not accompanied by income.

For instance, as an herbalist, I wanted to begin growing herbs for market on our small acreage. When I did a market analysis I found that small growers cannot compete nor sell in a market where large corporate farms have taken over production. I was glad I did the research before enduring the back breaking work of growing organically. Discouraged but not daunted I switched gears and looked at the market more deeply to determine if my health degree could be useful in another endeavor that would be satisfying to me.

Essentially, I decided if I wanted to create a career that I would have to develop alternatives. You see we have to be a product ourselves. We have to be in demand no matter where we work, at home or in a corporate office. In order to assess my options I researched my background.

I had monitored the health care crisis with great interest. I also studied the failed managed care system as part of my master’s degree curriculum. I realized that the managed care system will likely not be fixed by legislation. Fortunately, while researching alternatives, I discovered that discount health benefit plan providers, Consumer Driven Health Care, were stepping up to the plate. I had kept looking until I found my niche.

So how have things turned out for me?

I have tested my aptitude for change and compliance with market demands. I have given up on many outdated dreams. Now I am a work from home broker for AmeriPlan USA, marketing discounted health benefits to the uninsured. My research and knowledge of the health care crisis is most instrumental in my marketing.

Thankfully, I am involved in a vast network of professional online brokers who mentor each other. I had purposefully looked for a mentoring program because I had failed miserably at going it alone. I utilize my computer skills to reach my market and track my business associates and leads via an online office so my computer skills paid off.

I have written books, numerous articles, even a screenplay. Now, I am using those skills by writing articles on many topics. As a psychologist I know the conflicts and fears that settle into our brains as we attempt to redefine and reinvent ourselves later in life or whenever our best attempts fail. In other words, I am using all my skills and my training to conduct my business in a career I am suited for and happy being a part of.

I summarize this article by stating that looking at market trends must be considered as much as from the standpoint of what it offers you as what you offer the market. So regardless of what is out there always remember what is inside you is an asset to a future employer.

When you assess your talents, assess them all and when fully aware of all your skills, natural and learned, you can somehow put them into a great marketable product that can lead to satisfaction, income, security, and even enjoyment.

Do not give up on yourself even when you think you have tried everything. I thought I had and was at my wits end. Now I am, as a boomer…seeing what I have to offer the world of commerce, the public, and the internet marketplace. I discovered I am pretty talented and I am sure you will discover the same about yourself if you stay true to what you truly enjoy doing.