Where to Start Your Search for a 2nd Career

Some people just don't want to retire; others can't afford to, and still others retire from one career only to start a second career.  Many people are able to be much more flexible in their choices of second careers, simply because they have already been in the workforce for many years and are settled into their lives much more so than when they were first starting out.  Perhaps their house and car is already paid for, and so they are able to look at careers they might be more interested in, as opposed to choosing a career strictly for the paycheck.

Looking for a Second Career

Millions of baby boomers have or will be starting a second career for some of the reasons stated above.  In fact, it's easier today than ever before to find a job or a career because of the technological advances such as the Internet.  Millions of people use the Internet every day to look for work – some in their pajamas!  One popular site job-seekers use is monster.com, which is also a great place to get second career ideas.  For example, if you know you want to do something with computers, but you're not sure what, you can select the category Computer Services and then select the area in which you live.  You can also see what other jobs are available in this category simply by selecting other areas of the country.

Of course, you can still use the more traditional avenues of job searching, such as the newspaper and other community resources.  If you are starting a second career in a field other than one you've worked in before, you might check the Occupational Handbook, which is a guide published by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Here, you'll find valuable information, such as what exactly it is that people do in a particular job, working conditions, expected earnings, and of utmost importance, the outlook of the job market for the particular job or industry in which you are interested.  This is also a great place to get second career ideas in case you're not sure what you want to do.

If you know you are going to be starting a second career, it may be wise to start checking into it before you leave your first career.  This way, you can know ahead of time if you are going to need to update your skills or take a class.  You can also learn about the opportunities in the new field and what the salary is to see if it is something that you can live with.  Some people are fortunate in that they are able to make the transition between their first and second careers smoothly, and others spend a lot of time looking for that second career.  It just depends on so many parameters, which is why it is a good idea to start looking at the requirements for the second career before you need it.

Building Your Skills

Depending on your current skill level and the level of skills required by your second career, you may or may not need to spend any time building your skills in order to qualify for the position in your second career.  If you do need to update your skills, or acquire new ones in order to land that new career, you may want to start looking at the available options before you actually need to begin work again.  For example, if you need to brush up on your word processing skills, you might be able to take a class at the local community college or even take one online, especially if you are presently working and time is a factor.

If you're over 50 and starting your second career, you might want to check out AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50.  Each year, AARP honors companies and organizations that value the 50+ workforce.  While you're there, check out the rest of the AARP site to see all they have to offer for those who are seeking to start a second career.  You'll find second career ideas as well as information pertaining to self-employment, finding a job, and a host of other topics.

Second Career Earnings

Not everyone who wants to start a second career wants one as powerful, time-consuming, and lucrative as their first career.  However, if that is exactly what you are looking for, there is no reason why your second career has to pay any less than that of your first career.  In this era of outrageous health insurance premiums, some workers choose to start a second career primarily for the insurance coverage, and so they may choose a career that may be far less demanding than that of their first career in order to remain insured.

Others just want to work part time, either for something to do or to have a little extra spending money.  If this is the case, obviously, you won't earn as much as you did in your previous full-time career.  Many people who start a second career do so from home after years of wanting to own their own business.  With today's technological advances, one can start a career on the Internet almost instantly with little or no start-up costs.  That's the beauty of the technological age!