Finding Work That Matters

During my lunch hour today, I attended a lecture by Marc Freedman, author of "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life" at Stacey's Bookstore in San Francisco. I learned some interesting terms and concepts. Career recyclers build on their expertise in one field to transition to the next--like a salesperson who becomes a development director for a nonprofit organization. Career makers figure out how to take a lifelong interest and parlay it into a job that helps others. Career changers thrive on the uncertainty and excitement of starting fresh. I've certainly known what it feels like to be a career changer as I moved from financial services in my 20s to the travel industy in my 30s, a stay-at-home Mom in my mid-30s and a preschool director, and now I'm back in financial services in my 40s!

He also discussed the concept of social entrepreneurship which I found quite intriguing. According to the Skoll Foundation, "social entrepreneurs are proven leaders whose approaches and solutions to social problems are helping to better the lives of countless underserved or disadvantaged individuals." The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a world where all people, regardless of geography, background or economic status, enjoy and employ the full range of their talents and abilities. Skoll, who was the first employee and first President of eBay, believes that strategic investments in the right people can lead to lasting social change. The Skoll Foundation’s mission is to advance systemic change to benefit communities around the world by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs. For more information about the Skoll Foundation, please visit their website at http://www.skollfoundation.org/ According to Freedman, often the jobs within an organization are not big enough for people so they turn to social entrepreneurship. If you want to learn more about Marc Freedman's book, please visit his website at http://www.encore.org/?gclid=CP7wvdiotY0CFQEgYAodaDrKFw