Answering the age-old question: What do you want to do when you grow up?
By Steven V. Dubin
It’s a strange question to hear after age 60: “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Most of us thought we had already answered that. We built careers, raised families, paid tuition bills, survived layoffs, learned new technology (sometimes kicking and screaming), and put in more hours than we care to admit. We did what grown-ups do.
And then one day, retirement shows up.
At first, retirement sounds like the reward we’ve been waiting for. Sleep late. Play golf. Visit the grandkids. Take a trip. Maybe finally organize the garage.
But after the honeymoon phase, many retirees discover something unexpected. Free time is great – but purpose matters, too.
A surprising number of seniors start wondering what the next chapter should look like. Not necessarily another full-time job, but something meaningful. Volunteering. Consulting. Mentoring. Part-time work. Starting a small business. Learning something new. Giving back. Staying relevant. Staying engaged.
In other words, figuring out what we want to do when we grow up … again.
The challenge is that the world has changed. Technology moves fast. Industries evolve. The rules of work today look very different from the ones many of us started with. That can make the idea of an encore career feel intimidating, even for people with long and successful resumes.
That’s why I wanted to let readers know about an upcoming local program designed specifically for people in this stage of life.
A seminar titled “Senior Encore: Planning Your Next Chapter” will be held at the Duxbury Council on Aging, 10 Mayflower Street, on Thursday, April 30 at 11 a.m.
The program will be led by career consultant Michael Dwyer of Emplana Career, an organization that helps experienced professionals map out what comes next after a long career.
Dwyer’s background includes work in both the private and public sectors, along with consulting experience at Ernst & Young and Deloitte Consulting. He also holds a master’s degree in management from Salve Regina University. Along with a group of advisors, he developed Emplana Career to help professionals – particularly those in fields such as technology, finance, accounting, law, and professional services – identify practical, realistic paths forward.
The focus isn’t on sending retirees back into the grind. It’s about helping people use their experience in ways that feel rewarding, flexible, and relevant.
For some, that may mean consulting. For others, volunteering or mentoring. For others, it may mean discovering something entirely new.
The point is that retirement doesn’t have to mean the end of the story.
Sometimes it’s just the start of a different one.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what comes next, this seminar may be worth attending. Even if you decide the next chapter involves nothing more ambitious than coffee with friends and an occasional afternoon nap, it never hurts to explore the options.
After all, we’re never too old to ask the question: What do you want to do when you grow up?
I’d like to hear about it. Contact me at SDubin@PRWorkZone.com and share your thoughts.
Steven V. Dubin is the founder of PR Works, a lightly used Public Relations firm based in Plymouth, MA, which helps small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies navigate the overwhelming options of advertising. Steve lives in Plymouth with his wife, Wendy. He is a contributing author to “Get Slightly Famous” and “Tricks of the Trade,” the complete guide to succeeding in the advice business. He recently authored “PR 101,” an E-book.
