Boomer Challenges and Opportunities

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Wake up call for Boomers

All through their lives, boomers have been given everything they wanted. America built schools and other resources to give boomers what they needed. Their numbers have driven the economy. First their parents provided support and resources. Communities built new schools for them. Then entering the workforce, they created economic waves as they moved through the stages of life. It seemed that boomers were blessed and that their entire lives would be secure and comfortable. Being indulged all their lives, they couldn’t be responsible for raising enough children to support them in old age. Now we are seeing the consequences.

Today their run of good luck is over. As they reach retirement age, the security is gone and retirement is no longer a promise. Jobs are not a lifetime commitment. The workplace has changed and their isn’t enough money for social security benefits or medicare. The job market has changed as well. You can’t expect a lifetime career with one employer or even expect that your skills you started with will last you through your working life. When boomers need to find new jobs, they have problems. Jobs have changed and the ways the job market matches employers and employees has changed also. It’s a new world for a job seeker.

Another Job? 

These days boomers are scrambling to stay competitive in an every changing job market. Sometimes they need new skills but more often they just need to learn new ways to market themselves by taking advantage of social media. Staying fresh and having a presence on social media is only one step, however. Boomers also need to consider the idea that a job is no longer the ideal way to earn money.

There are always entrepreneurs and boomers have their share as well but the message that most boomers followed was: get a good job, work hard and retire after 30 years. It was an appealing message 40 years ago but today something is wrong. Those companies which promised lifetime jobs and secure retirements can’t deliver. Retirement accounts have lost value and even if you can still retire, it’s not as comfortable as promised.

 Or Start a Business

So what can you do? You can continue playing the game you learned when you entered the job market. You can upgrade your marketing with social media skills and freshen up your work experience to match younger workers. But you can also look at taking control and becoming your own boss by learning to be an entrepreneur. These days you can start low cost businesses on the web. There are internet based businesses using affiliate marketing and product sales and web based tools that provide inexpensive platforms. Network Marketing or mufti-level-marketing is another excellent and low coast way to build an independent income. Many people have accepted second hand information to reject Network Marketing but the industry is sound. Just a bit of research can show you how effective this business vehicle can be and show you the opportunities.

Whatever the choice, the critical element for success today s making an investment in becoming an effective leader who can chart his own course. It also means associating with people who have similar goals Finally it means associating yourself with mentors who can help you stay on course. There is time to make those changes and get your life back where you want it to be. But to make it happen, you need to make a commitment to yourself. You can accept your lot and limp along or you can take control and transform yourself into the person you need to be. It is all up to you.