After my career ended I re-invented myself. Some call it an encore career. A total change? Well yes in that I am serving very different needs to those in my career.
As a recreation planner I worked with people who wanted to improve the range and quality of their recreational, leisure and sporting experiences. My mentoring business is one of helping people to improve the range and quality of their life experiences.
It wasn’t planned, it just happened through a quirk of unexpected circumstances. They weren’t looking for a recreation planner, they were looking for what I was good at doing.
My career work had taught me to suss out peoples’ strengths and individualness, to listen to and serve the needs of the heart more than the head, and not to impose my personal values or judgement on their choices.
The depth of what you have learned and developed over the years is too good to throw away when you leave work. Better to recycle it to meet a different need, where they come to you saying “hey we need what you are good at doing”.
Have some fun exploring community needs – local or wider – that could benefit from using your recycled abilities.
