Monday, February 9, 2009

Rethinking retirement: More boomers choosing to work


By Taylor Gandossy


Posted By: Jeffrey Kam


(CNN) -- As a high tech executive, Jean Dibner managed people and money. Now, instead of supervising employees, she controls clay and bronze, drawing in details instead of dollars.

Jean Dibner, a former high tech executive, is now an award-winning sculptor.

"I had accidentally stumbled upon sculpture when I was taking a pottery class," Dibner said, explaining her leap from the high tech world to art. "It didn't matter if I was good at it or not, I really did want to try it."



A decade later, after voluntarily retiring from the high-tech world, her sculptures are award-winning and mostly commissioned.



As companies pare away pension plans and the future of Social Security seems increasingly precarious, more and more baby boomers are choosing to work beyond the age of traditional retirement.



But others, like Dibner, see a prolonged career as a way to explore new interests or test untried talents.



Nearly six in 10 baby boomers who intend to work after retirement say they want a job that gives them a greater sense of purpose, according to a 2005 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey.



"The baby boomers were the first generation to have a lot more career freedom, but it seems like [for] at least some of them, that ended up not being the case," Randall Hansen, a career advice writer for the Web site Quintessential Careers, said.


1 comment:

  1. Thanks for including a quote by me in this blog entry... I truly believe it's important for anyone -- or any age -- to find work that you can be passionate about... and many boomers who are retiring early from jobs are now finally giving themselves a chance to discover careers that truly inspires them.

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