Senior Citizens and Careers

Why do so many people under age 35 consider life to be over at age 50? Type in the words Senior Citizens and Google spits out websites such as

• Senior Citizens' Resources
• USA.gov for Seniors
• For Senior Citizens their children & caregivers
• Old age
• Arts and Crafts Projects for Senior Citizens
• Programs and Services for Senior Citizens
• Thoughtful Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Senior Citizens

These people are older and not every one of them is ready for the rocking chair and arts and crafts table. If I live to see my fiftieth birthday or beyond, I have no intentions of sitting back with Laurence Welk type music and a glue stick.

One of my favorite beach memories is when I had breakfast with an acquaintance at a diner famous for being known as Home of the Weasel. I am who I am and I'm not (most of the time) afraid to show it. So as with most weekend summer days, I was wearing a tank top which shows my tattoos. A gent who had experienced approximately 70 summers addressed me loudly and enthusiastically telling me how he had just got his first tattoo and ear piercing and that his very adult kids thought he was “just crazy.”

The smile that statement brought me could have lite up a cave fifty feet underground.

Being a “Senior Citizen” or retired means different things to different people. It can signify new beginnings, new explorations and adventures and a reason to change jobs into a potentially more riskier field using prior experience and expertise gained over many years.

A recently published TeliaSonera report on communication trends in Sweden found that Blogs are increasingly more popular among senior citizens age range. Close to 80 percent of the Over 60 sect sends digital photos or film clips to family and friends and as many as 28 percent stated that they will start to use a web camera during 2007. Additional surprising techie evolvements has been video games. One of Nintendo's goals was to sell the Nintendo Wii to non-gamers and a large number of the non gamers have been Senior Citizens.

So it should not be a surprise that more Senior Citizens are not only continuing to work past the retirement age, but are changing careers. Many colleges not only welcome “Senior Citizens” but offer options such as discounted and free career oriented classes. Where once a career industry may have seemed too risky to enter, someone over 50 can now decide to take the chance.

The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) website, lists companies that employ and value the older American workforce; and the many of the career opportunities do not include the phrase “Welcome to Wal Mart”.

Not that there is anything wrong with WM, but after 50, I personally do not want to deal with a bunch of complainers for $7.50 an hour.

Most city's Department of Human Services also offer career opportunity advice, counseling and referrals to colleges and career training.

SeniorNet provides the over 50 adults a place to look for education, careers and where to access online email and resources. They also provide a variety of instructional materials and lists they're Learning Centers throughout the U.S.

WiredSeniors has its own search engine that links to senior specific sites. Communities include
Seniors Helping Seniors and Discussion Forums.

When typed in the word 'Jobs' I received a page full of links that seemed full of nothing but junk. However, after reading the description and investigating a couple of the links, I found that some of the resources were authentic. What was especially nice is that Wired Seniors places an orange Seniors Friendly marker next to some of the best results.

If you are a Senior Citizen and discover you either need or want an additional income or a career change, feel secure that you can and the opportunities are out there. The truly nice thing about career opportunity searching is that you have more power to be choosy in whom you choose to work for.

In the spirit of all that is humor... and what inspired me to research and write this blog entry, I would like to share My Generation

The Zimmers

Brought together for a TV documentary, the troupe recorded their own version of The Who's

My Generation - complete with the legendary bad boy (and girl) guitar-smashing and drum-throwing. The video ends in true rock 'n' roll style, with Buster Martin, 100, the oldest working man in Britain, giving the middle finger to the camera.

CDs of Zimmer music is set to hit retail shops (in Britain) on the 28^th of May and the profits will go to Age Concern. The documentary will be a three shows series called Power To The People which will air in May but only in Britain.

If I actually make it to the senior citizen age, I want to be wearing
Knee high combat boots, pushing a flame painted walker and giving the middle finger, just like Buster.

Up & Coming Careers

1. Physician Assistant

Physician assistant is one of the nation's fastest growing professions,

A two-year physician assistant degree is the first step toward a career in this growing field. Since this is a graduate level course, you'll also need a bachelor's degree with course work in science.

Physician assistants can expect a bright career future, thanks to their role in streamlining an over-burdened medical system. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 49.6 percent job growth through 2014.

2. Marketing

Today's marketers are developing business strategies in a rapidly changing media environment. Marketing will appeal to anyone who enjoys charting business tactics in a rapidly evolving high-tech environment.

Demand for Internet and technology-savvy marketers should be strong in 2007. Sean Bisceglia, president of Aquent Marketing Staffing, comments: "There's a lot of pressure to find experience in Internet marketing," as companies recruit the next generation of marketers.

3. Video Game Design

Video game development has evolved into a $9.9 billion industry and rivals Hollywood for blockbuster budgets and long production schedules. The video game industry expects to double employment over the next few years. The industry reported 144,000 jobs in 2004; that number should reach 265,000 by 2009.

4. Network Systems Analyst

This rapidly-evolving career tops the Department of Labor's list of fastest-growing careers, with 54.6 percent job growth predicted through 2014.

5. Data Analyst

Systems analysts are big-picture consultants; if you're more apt to focus on the details, you may be better suited to a career as a data analyst.

Data analysts may design methods of collecting and analyzing data, or they may develop strategies for keeping data secure.

6. Higher Education Administration

Higher education administration offers a unique mix of policy-making, financial and business strategy, and program development. Higher education administration is a promising career for those who enjoy collaborative problem-solving and community service.

Education requirements are high, but so are the returns in this promising field, ranked among U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Careers 2007.

7. Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapy has received a great deal of publicity since the Bureau of Labor Statistics included occupational therapist on its list of 'fastest growing occupations. Occupational therapists help people with physical or mental challenges achieve independence in their daily lives.

An associate's degree is all it takes to launch a career as an occupational therapy assistant or aide. Aspiring occupational therapists prepare for greater responsibility by continuing on to a master's degree.