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May 16. 2012
Page 5
O
Taking the Road Less Traveled
Creating a work
plan for a
second career
Do you find yourself w orrying
about your job prospects and your
ab ility to retire c o m fo rtab ly ?
Y ou’re not alone. In fact, in a re
cent AARP survey, people 50 and
older said they were “very w or
ried” about everything from the
sto c k m a rk e t a n d p o litic a l
gridlock, to losing their jobs, en
during another recession, and
bearing the brunt o f rising taxes
and health care costs.
While we should all be deeply
concerned about the future, we
shouldn’t stop m aking positive
changes and planning for retirement
or a second career. If you already
have a job and you plan to keep it,
think about new skills that would
help you compete with younger
workers.
The Society for Human Resource
M anagem ent recently surveyed
employers about skill-gaps they
were seeing in their workers and job
applicants. Problem-solving, pro
fessionalism and communication
skills all topped the list.
What can you do to fill the gap?
AARP and the Society for Human Resource Management have tips for people 50 and older on
starting second careers.
You could take on additional job
responsibilities, sign up for classes
and seminars to improve your writ
ing, computer and technology skills,
and maybe even freshen up your
wardrobe.
Likewise, staying in the workforce
doesn’t have to mean remaining in
the same job, doing the same thing
you’ve been doing for the past 20
years. The possibilities are limited
only by your willingness to prepare,
Debt Crushing College Dreams
everyone agrees that a col
Congress fails to lege While
education is the pathway to
greater success in America, student
help low-
loan debt is leaving too many gradu
ates stalled at the starting gate. Rec
income students ognizing
the relationship between
by
M arc M orial
As graduation season swings
into high gear, a new economic cri
sis confronts thousands o f this
year’s high school and college grads
- crushing college student loan debt.
Last week we learned that stu
dent loan debt in Am erica has
climbed to $ 1 trillion, which is more
than credit card and other consumer
debt. According to the New York
Times, “Ninety-four percent of stu
dents who earn a bachelor’s degree
borrow to pay for higher education
- up from 45 percent in 1993.”
The average student comes out
of college saddled with more than
$20,000 in debt. This is a tremen
dous burden for young graduates,
many o f whom are having trouble
landing that first job. Faced with the
prospect of even more debt, many
put off going to graduate school.
And for those lucky enough to find
work, high monthly student loan
bills may mean working two jobs or
moving back in with mom and dad.
education and economic growth,
President Obama has made raising
America’s lagging college gradua
tion rates one of his top priorities.
It is no secret that rising tuition
costs are a major cause of stagnant or
declining graduation rates, especially
in communities of color. Currently,
the President is urging Congress to
renew a 2007 bill, passed at the height
of the financial crisis, which lowered
the federal student loan interest rate
from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent.
If Congress fails to act, the cur
rent rate will double by July 1, in
creasing the average student debt
burden by $ 1,000over the life of the
loan.
The irony of this debate is that
both sides in Congress support an
extension of the 3.4 percent rate.
But like earlier fights over raising
the debt ceiling and extending the
payroll tax cut, Congress is arguing
over how to pay for it.
continued
on page 7
your determination to make things offer flexible scheduling and the
work and your imagination.
opportunity to work from home. If
There are literally thousands of you have patience, good telephone
great “second-career” jobs out there etiquette and good people skills,
for the50-plus. Here are a few ideas: this may be a good option for you.
Call center or customer service
Good people skills and personal
opportunities are growing, and they ity can also help you land a job as a
museum docent, tour guide or se
nior companion.
If you speak another language
fluently, then translation work might
be a route to explore.
W hat if y o u ’ve got a stellar
driving record? You may not want
to become a truck driver, but what
about seasonal chauffeuring -
you could do high school proms
in the spring and weddings in the
summer.
Retired educators might con
sider tutoring - it satisfies the
urge to m entor and teach and still
leaves plenty of time for other
pursuits. Form er educators and
issue experts might also consider
a d ju n c t fa c u lty p o sitio n s , or
te a c h in g one o r tw o c o lle g e
classes per semester.
To hear helpful tips from experts,
jo in A A R P ’s free upco m in g
webinars: Navigating Today’s Job
Market on Thursday, May 24 at
aarp.org/moneywebinars. You can
also
v isit
a a rp .o rg /
readyforretirement for more infor
mation on these and other financial
security issues.
Stay close.
Go far.
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