Go Down a Different Path: Alternative Options to a Traditional Career
By Bradford Dworak
Go Back to School
Use this downtime as a chance to go back to school.
Robert Lapiner, dean of continuing and professional studies at New York University, says baby boomers are heading back to the classroom in big numbers.
Many of these students, he says, have some sort of formal schooling and are coming back to hone their skills or expand their knowledge base to become more marketable.
"A lot of older people who are retired are coming back for the pleasure of learning, and universities have taken on this role [and they] open programs and public lecture series," he says. "They keep a lot of very well-educated but engaged older people informed about what is going on in the world and culture."
Marlene Romba recently went back to school after staying home to raise her three children for more than 25 years. Her husband recently lost his job, so she knew it was time to head back to her job as a nurse. After being out of the profession for so long, Romba went to a community college for a four-month refresher course to get acquainted with the newest technology.
"Part of me was scared out of my mind to go back; another part was challenged to see if I could do it. I was also excited to learn new things," Romba says.
Once Romba got an updated education, she was able to find a job in healthcare, proving it's never too late to get back into the game
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