Repurpose Your Career | Career Pivot | Careers For The 2nd Half Of Life | Career Change | Baby Boomer

In this episode, Marc reads the first two chapters of his new audio book. The topics are vetting the company, and answering the dreaded question, why do you want to leave your current position? Marc uses case studies and examples to explain the purpose of these important themes. Listen in to learn how to make sure the company you target is really the company where you want to work.   Key Takeaways: [2:33] “Vetting the Company.” A client told Marc about interviewing for a new startup. After getting to the final interview, she lost. The employee that was hired was fired in six weeks. The company came back to this client, and she declined. [3:05] Before approaching a company about a job, do your due diligence. Research the company on sites like Glassdoor.com. Go to the hiring manager’s profile on LinkedIn and check their recommendation section. Have they given recommendations to their employees? Have their employees recommended their manager? [3:47] Connect with recruiters or HR Professionals at the target compa

Marc introduces the common themes of the eight career changes or pivots recapped in this episode. First, they had an idea, and did not act on it. Second, there was a moment or event that vaulted them into action. Third, no matter how well they planned it, things did not turn out as planned, and they needed to adapt as they went along. Marc reviews some of their stories, with clips characterizing the three phases in common. He shares some guest clips for each of the three phases. Listen in for a variety of experiences and tips for pivoting to, or changing, careers.   Key Takeaways: [3:08] Marc interviewed Dr. Joel Dobbs in Episode 3. Dr. Dobbs was an accomplished pharmaceutical executive. Now he has a portfolio career that includes consulting, teaching, and coaching. He planned this out well. Dr. Dobson noted that his life was half gone, and he was inspired by the book Halftime, to do something different. [5:28] Dr. Dobson took a pause to reflect, and sought things that would lead to a new life of significance

Richard Eisenberg is Marc’s expert guest in this episode. Richard is the Managing Editor for PBS’s Baby Boomer website, NextAvenue.org, a site for people 50-plus, and Editor of the site’s Work & Purpose and Money & Security channels. He previously worked at Money Magazine, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, and USA Today. He is the author of How to Avoid a Midlife Financial Crisis, and The Money Book of Personal Finance. Richard lives in New Jersey, and will be 61 in July. Marc and Richard start the discussion with Richard’s career history, how he heard about Next Avenue, how he got involved, and what were the attractors that brought him to work for a virtual company starting in his mid-fifties. Richard comments on some of the issues faced by the fifty-to-seventy demographic, and what Next Avenue is doing to educate and inform about these challenges of mature life. Richard tells of the surprises, mostly pleasant he found at Next Avenue.   Listen in to learn about this online resource with great information to

In this episode, Marc answers questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. Listen in for ideas on exploring the job market, transitioning from teaching, the relevance of resumes, and tips for competing against internal candidates!   Key Takeaways: [2:14] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. Elizabeth invites listeners to listen to Episode 20, and connect with her on LinkedIn to share experiences. [3:25] Q1: I am 57 and have recently retired from teaching H.S. science. I am seeking a freelance, travel freelance, or consulting job. I love to write, but not for a corporation. I love to travel and compare educational systems to create learning activities. I tried to start an early-learning school, but did not get enough students. Can you help me? [4:22] A1: Marc talks about teaching H.S. math. He said teachers live a very isolated life, and are disconnected from the world. Marc w

In this episode, Marc says he has been getting tremendous feedback from his appearance on the Think, Believe, and Manifest! Online Radio podcast, and he decided to use it as an episode of the Repurpose Your Career Podcast. This time, Marc is the guest! Marc shares career pivot advice and anecdotes from his own career and the pivots of his clients, with host Constance Arnold. Listen in for a refresher course on how to plan for your career pivot.   Key Takeaways: [1:31] Constance Arnold introduces Marc and he goes over his history at IBM, a startup, and his near-fatal bicycle accident, his high school teaching stint, his work with a not-for-profit, another startup, and his inspiration for a career pivot system. [6:15] Marc says people are living longer, and are often dissatisfied with the direction of their current career, so they pivot incrementally to get where they want. The most common way to do it is to repurpose their industry knowledge or their business skills. [7:45] Marc has an intern, Elizabeth, who f

Marc first gives statistics about the Repurpose Your Career Podcast so far. The show is in the top half on LibSyn, after seven months of availability. Marc thanks you, his listeners for your support. Kay McManus is the Founder of K-Kan, Inc., a firm that provides, office, home, and record organization, as well as administrative, accounting, and business development services. Kay leads with integrity. She and her staff are detail-oriented, personable, supportive, and effective, whether organizing physical or electronic items, designing efficient storage systems, orchestrating a move, assisting with downsizing efforts, or serving as a company’s marketing rep. In addition to being an active member in the business-related and networking groups, Kay is involved with fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society, other charitable organizations, and working on the family ranch. Marc says, “Let me confirm that Kay can.”   Kay discusses her beginnings, the various skills she developed along the way, and the hap

Brie Reynolds is Marc’s expert guest in this episode. Brie is the Senior Career Specialist at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for remote work, flexible schedule and freelance job listings. She helps people empower themselves to find jobs that fit their lives by providing practical information, resources, and insights into flexible jobs and the future of work. With a background in human resources and career advising, Brie has 12 years’ experience working with jobseekers and employers, and she offers career hiring and work/life balance advice through the FlexJobs blog, media outlets like Fast Company, Forbes, and NBC News. Marc and Brie start the discussion with an overview of the origins of FlexJobs, the growth flexible opportunities, how Brie got involved, and the types of work FlexJobs features on its site. They talk about the four measures of flexibility of a job, the types of companies offering flexibility, the types of jobs offered, and the reasons a person might seek flexibility in employment. Brie offe

Marc answers very late in life career decision questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. Listen in, for ideas to pivot your career very late in the second half of life!   Key Takeaways: [2:11] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. Elizabeth invites listeners to listen to Episode 20, and connect with her on LinkedIn to share experiences. [3:23] Q1: I am 70 and retired when I was 52. I had a long career as a programmer and project manager. The money is starting to run out, and I need to go back to work. What do you think I should do? [3:40] A1: There are three factors. He retired about 1999 from a large technology company. He thought his retirement money would last forever, but the Dotcom bust blew that away. He also retired very young, without a plan. His skills are very stale. His network is largely retired, also. The technology space that he knew no longer exists. [5:14] M

In this episode, Marc is recording the show in the hospital with his wife. He talks about making stuff up, dealing with assumptions — most of which are wrong — and how things do not go as planned. He discusses insurance, planning to retire to another country, checking things out, and being set back by plans gone wrong. Listen in to hear how, regardless of how carefully you plan, you should never assume, or make stuff up.   Key Takeaways: [1:46] Marc has had numerous times over the last six months where reality has bit him in the butt. Marc and his wife are on the Affordable Care Act, and in October their premium went up 50%.They changed to another plan, for $1,100 a month with a $13,000 deductible. Marc Listens to Money Matters, and an interview gave him an idea. [3:17] On Money Matters, RetiredBrains.com had analyzed countries for retirement, and they gave some recommendations in an interview. Trying to stay real, Marc considered Ecuador and Mexico, and planned to research and visit each country to evaluate

Jennifer Winter has always understood the importance of seeing the big picture, while always focusing on the small details. Doing both well enabled her to grow, along with Turner Broadcasting. She began her career in print publishing before moving to sports, where she coordinated sponsorships in every sport the network broadcast — NBA basketball, Major league baseball, NFL football, PGA golf, NASCAR, figure skating, and more.   After 21 years at Turner, and after rising to the position of Vice President of Sports Sponsorship and Marketing, Winter transitioned back to her home city of Austin, where she has brought the same skill to her role of Director of Programming for Texture Media. Her role is to ensure that the company has both the strategy and resources in place to grow and succeed. As she has done throughout her professional life, she is helping shape the creative vision of her company, while at the same time, ensuring that it has the plan and the resources necessary to execute that vision on time and o

Mark Anthony Dyson is Marc’s expert guest in this episode. Mark is The Voice of Job Seekers, career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. He helps the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and underappreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. Marc knows Mark from the hosting of his great The Voice of Job Seekers podcast, one of the few career-related podcasts that I listen to. Marc and Mark discuss the social impact of unconscious bias, and how the older job seeker may be affected. While unconscious bias is a fact, you can prepare to handle it by not accepting the perceptions that as an older worker, you lack energy, are not a good fit, or won’t be able to keep up. Mark discusses trends in legal issues related to ageism, and how building relationships, embracing technology, and networking with professionals can help the older job seeker navigate the unconscious biases of hiring managers. Listen in for behaviors to avoid, and

In this episode, Marc answers career pivot job search questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. Listen, to pivot your career in the second half of life!   Key Takeaways: [2:05] Elizabeth shares her story, and how Marc has helped guide her to her latest pivot, which has worked out well. You can learn about her career pivots in Episode 020. [2:50] Q1: I am in my 50s. Faced with divorce, I panicked and went to graduate school. I owe $11K on my school loan with two more years to go. I will have a child in college next year. I don’t want to take debt with me into retirement. I am working part-time in my field of study. What is Marc’s honest opinion, should I quit school, or continue? [4:01] A1: Ask yourself, will this Master’s degree make you educated, or employable? You need to know before any Master’s program. Ask the college to show you alumni like you in age, background, and experience, that have come out of the program with a job. [5:11] You have sunk $11K into this. Do you hold onto a bad investm

In this episode, Marc discusses his new book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, now available on Amazon; and the paths he took to write it and the two books that preceded it. Marc starts by describing his departing the corporate world and starting a blog, how the blog led to a white paper, a website, and then a book, and how wrote two more books, earning additional credibility at each step. Marc explains the art of self-publishing, and what you can expect in writing your book.   Key Takeaways: [1:42] Marc left his last corporate job in January, 2011, and in June he started a blog, called the My Career for My Life blog, with two, three, and then four posts a week. It took Marc months to find his voice and learn his readers’ interests. He listened to learn. [2:16] In late 2011, Marc hired Susan Lahey, who interviewed him, and wrote the white paper, Don’t Retire, Even If You Can, a Baby Boomer Manifesto. The CareerPivot.com website launched in February 2012, along with the white

Mike Martin made a career pivot after 30 years in industrial sales, first as a volunteer instructor and substitute teacher. Mike realized that instructing had a very fulfilling feel to it. Night college courses in teaching seemed the next logical step. This eventually became full-time aviation school at a college in Killeen, Texas, then two years of rail operations, instructing train operators on the new light rail extensions on the Harris County Metro line. Wanting very much to use his pilot experience and passion for aviation, Mike joined Dart Drones in 2016 as a commercial drone pilot instructor. Dart is growing, and Mike is also helping Dart develop specialized curriculum aimed at target industries, and he even got to write a blog piece on the FAA knowledge test given to pilot candidates. Mike is very happy now, and says he has found a good place, and the future looks bright. Dart Drones has been on Shark Tank. Please see the link below.   Key Takeaways: [:56] Marc reads a listener review from M11395 on i

Amy Blankson is Marc’s guest in this episode. Amy has become one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between positive psychology and technology. She is the only person to be named a point of light by two presidents, President George Bush, Sr., and President Bill Clinton, for creating a movement to activate positive cultural change. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Amy has now worked with organizations like Google, NASA, The U.S. Army, and the XPRIZE Foundation, to help foster a sense of well-being in the digital era. Amy received her BA from Harvard, and MBA from Yale School of Management. Most recently she was a featured professor at Oprah’s Happiness course. Amy is the co-author, with Shawn Achor, of award-winning children’s book, Ripple’s Effect, and the mother of three girls who remind her on a daily basis why it’s so important to create a happier future for all. Marc and Amy discuss Amy’s family background in psychology, positive psychology, and happiness, and focus on her new book, Th

In this episode, Marc discusses what you repurpose when you make a career pivot, and he examines the pivots of three clients to illustrate what he means. Marc starts by reading a review on iTunes, and then discusses the three career pivot examples. More information about each client example will be found in Episodes #020, #024, and #028.   Key Takeaways: [:56] Marc takes this episode to examine the components of a career pivot, and what you are repurposing. He does this by reviewing the late-career pivots of three clients. [1:15] Marc thanks everyone who has left a review on iTunes of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. On this episode he reads a listener review from iTunes user Unpobregato, who calls the podcast a lifeline. You can read the review on iTunes. [2:26] In preparing a career pivot, you have two things you can repurpose: your existing skills, or your industry knowledge. The examples on this episode did one or the other. [3:01] Example 1: Elizabeth Rabaey was interviewed in Episode #020. Elizabeth w

In this episode, Marc shares the chapter, “To Get What You Need You Must Know What You Need” from his upcoming book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the Second Half of Life, currently available for pre-order in March, and available on Amazon, in April, 2017.   Key Takeaways: [:57] Marc starts this episode by thanking you listeners for your reviews. Repurpose Your Career now has a Five Star rating! Marc shares one review, and will share one review per episode, for the next few weeks. If you haven’t left your review, Marc has instructions for how to do it, linked below. [2:50] If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. When you’re tired of wandering, figure out what you want to be. What do you want out of life, and what role does your job play in that? It’s not just about pay, perqs, or a nice boss, but about your underlying needs that you may never recognize. Take an assessment to see. [3:40] Marc tells how one woman was surprised at her need for status — to be aligned with

Elizabeth Rabaey has had to take multiple pivots to get where she is today. It wasn’t just one step. Elizabeth is a creative, with a love for details. She spent 25 years working for a Texas-based environmental engineering consulting company, providing project management, and technical assistance on many innovative engineering projects. During the last three years, she transitioned to the marketing and business development side of the company, which enabled her to combine both her creative and technical skills to promote the company. Recently Elizebeth found a new job working for an international company as a marketing coordinator. She provides her marketing, content development, and social media support for the North American division of her company, that sells equipment, products and services to the mining industry. She’s taken multiple steps, and in each one along the way, she’s learned something, and gained new skills. Marc and Elizabeth discuss several topics, including why she initiated her career pivots

John Tarnoff is Marc’s guest in this episode. John is a reinvention career coach, speaker and author who helps his fellow baby boomers transition to meaningful and sustainable careers beyond traditional retirement. Fired 39% of the time in his colorful career as a Los Angeles-based film producer, studio executive, and tech entrepreneur, he currently co-runs a graduate management program for a top university. In 2012, he developed the Boomer Reinvention Coaching Program, to help his generation stay active, engaged, relevant, and solvent. He is the author of Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50. Marc and John discuss the twists in John’s career, before he pivoted to career coach and author. They share experiences and give advice to Baby Boomers looking to prepare for or to find a job for the second half of life. Listen in for an enthusiastic boost!   Key Takeaways: [1:49] People ask John why he wrote this book! John is a guy who’s been fired a lot. He came late to the game, as part of a s

In this episode, Marc answers Baby Boomer job search questions with his trusty sidekick, Elizabeth Rabaey. Listen, to pivot your career in the second half of life!   Key Takeaways: [1:55] Elizabeth is a marketing coordinator for a company selling mining equipment. It is a new job for her, and she is enjoying learning new things. She will discuss her career pivots in a later episode. [3:09] Q1: My two friends and I are 60+ years old. We live in expensive cities where homeownership is daunting. I moved to Seattle expecting to stay, but now I’m willing to move just about anywhere for worthwhile nonprofit work. Where should I look? [3:55] A1: This person in their late 60s moved to Seattle to find worthwhile work, without really understanding the location. After two years of being unemployed, the goal is to teach ESL. Some states require certification, others go by ability. Marc suggests finding two locations, network, and ask about requirements, and work to qualify there. [6:07] Nonprofits want to know who you ar