The Bliss of Working Just to Earn a Buck (not movin' on up)

 It was for the Boomer generation that the Career Guidance Industry came into being and exploded in growth. The post-war boom plus access to a college degree gave us Boomers unprecedented opportunities. Here we were the emerging Knowledge Worker. No longer was the focus on getting/holding jobs. It was all about careers. Inside the career box was the shot at movin' on up.

The career experts were supposed to assist us in maxing those opportunities. There were "oughts" about everything from matriculating at night for the MBA to the importance of face time to dressing for success (including those cute bow ties for The Professional Women).

Did all that help us with upward mobility? Or not? The reality is that once inside an organization you tend to learn fast how the game operates. So, come on, how much did we really require outside guidance?

What most of us did derive from that abundant external expert prompting is the kind of daily angst our parents' blue-collar labor never imposed on them. Like a Greek Chorus there became embedded in our Knowledge Worker consciousness: You Must Do This. You Must Not Do That. 

For many of us Boomers as well as members of the X Generation relief from that binary mindset came when our careers ended. Sure we might continue to use the skills from a profession. But we got it that there was no more runway on the career path. Increasingly that state of being is called "semiretirement." Most of us experience it as bliss.

In addition to leveraging our Knowledge Worker skills, of course, there are myriad other options on how to earn a buck from our labor in semiretirement. 

If we could shake off ego we can grab the kind of work which used to carry stigma. For example, what about full-time, part-time or contract opportunities in loss prevention, hands-on personal services, in delivery and/or whatever in fast food? 

More and more open is starting enterprises online. In 2005 I began my semiretirement as a digital  influencer. After I had managed to lift myself out of the career box I have gone to put together several other ways, like instinct-driven Cave Man, to bring home the bacon. Essentially my objective in semiretirement is to earn enough so I don't dip into savings or investments. And, that's about it.

Life is hard. Especially hard is transition. Get answers – and peace of mind. Jane Genova is a results-driven confidential intuitive coach, tarot reader and content-creator related to careers. Complimentary consultation (please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)