Are You Ripe For A Midlife Career Change?

Would you like to be able to wake up every day and want to go to work? You might be ripe for a midlife career change. Ask yourself these five questions:

• Do I want to change my job or just the environment?
• Am I willing to be an entry-level worker again?
• Is this financially practical, and am I willing to accommodate some lifestyle changes?
• What job have I always wanted?
• Does it exist, and if so, how do I make it happen?

When changing careers midstream, there are some key points to keep in mind.

First of all, thoroughly research your career prospects. Consider working with a career coach and taking some self-assessment tests. Avoid jumping on the first opportunity that comes along. Take time to dig deep enough that you know for sure whether this is the career for you.

Secondly, it's important to not only read about a potential career, but also to speak first hand with women currently in your field. Find out the pros and cons of the job and, if possible, learn as much as you can about the interview process.

Thirdly, take time to rewrite your resumé, emphasizing the skills and experience from your current job that would translate well into your targeted line of work.

The more you can learn now, not only are you more likely to land the job, but there's less chance that you'll be unhappy with your new career down the road.

"Retirement Careers" Are The New Ideal

Three-quarters of U.S. baby boomers are rejecting the traditional notion of retirement in favor of a more flexible mix of work and leisure. In fact, many people are already taking steps towards establishing a new "retirement career" -- something that will allow them to continue to work on a flexible schedule and still leave time for travel and other personal pursuits. They are preparing for this new career by attending classes and training sessions and researching careers such as consulting and teaching that enable them to share or pass on their knowledge to others.

The most frequent reason people give for wanting to work during retirement is to stay mentally and physically active, although concerns about health insurance and financial realities are obviously a contributing factor as well. Studies show that retirees who are already in "retirement careers" are more satisfied than those who are retired and not working. Not surprisingly, they are also less likely to fear financial constraints.

Some forward thinking companies are recognzing this growing trend and are offering telecommuting and more flexible schedules. They're also providing coaching and mentoring services as well as increased access to health insurance in order to leverage a very valuable work force segment that still has the desire to work.

What about you? Have you explored starting a retirement career?

We've Joined the Ranks of RV Owners

Until just a few years ago, our family did not go camping. Vacation for us was typically renting a home in Orlando for a week to briefly escape the frigid cold winters here in Michigan. Sometimes we would trade our timeshare for a nice condo in a historical area like Williamsburg or a luxury hotel in Cancun. But never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we'd own an RV!

What happened? A few years ago, a group of our friends invited us to join them for their annual two week vacation in Ludington State Park (in northern Michigan). We drove up to visit them for a day and had a great time. Later that year in our Christmas letter, my husband writes that we're going camping the following summer. We are?

The next two summers we borrowed a trailer from friends. It was a nice way to ease into camping without all the responsibility and commitment of being an RV owner. The end of January this year, we again secured the much sought after camp sites in Ludington along with our friends. The trailer that we'd borrowed in the past had been sold, but we assumed that we'd find something to stay in by the time the August dates rolled around. No worries...not then anyway!

A couple of weeks ago, Steve and I started to seriously consider what we were going to take our family camping in. We'd been spoiled by the use of a trailer in the past and didn't see ourselves tent-camping for two weeks with four teenagers. We looked at renting and realized that by the time we rented for the next six years (until our youngest graduates) we might as well go ahead and buy a good used trailer. We checked out several retailers until one day Steve stopped on the way home from a golf course and discovered a 2005 Travel Star that had just been traded in. It had everything we were looking for and the price was right. Now it's parked in our driveway awaiting our departure tomorrow.

All I've got to say is, never say never!

More and More Midlife Couples Are Hitting the Road...Together!

Thanks to Wi-Fi, satellite Internet hookups, e-mail and cell phones, more and more midlife couples are hitting the road full time while continuing to pursue their careers. According to a study by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center, today's RV'ers are 35 to 54 years-old, own a home, have an annual income of $68,000 and travel an average 4,500 miles a year. No longer viewed as an escape from society into the wilderness, RV living today is all about luxury.

I recently read about a 40-something couple that rely on satellite Internet and cell phones to keep their businesses going while they live on the road full time with two kids and a dog. A Web site designer and a mortgage broker, they sold their home last year and incorporate trips to historic sites, museums and state capitols while they "roadschool" their sons.

Others choose to maintain their primary residence while taking frequent RV trips, saying it's a great way to bond. On the road, couples and families are able to talk to one another more openly and indepth than they typically do in the hectic lives they lead at home. I guess it's not surprising that RV ownership is up almost 60% in the past 25 years.

What RV experiences do you have to share?