By Marci Alboher, Civic Ventures’ resident expert on later-life career transitions

We asked if you had questions, and you most certainly did! We can’t answer all of them, so we picked the ones that were asked many times or the ones that raised the most universal issues. Barbara Chandler Allen, a 2010 Purpose Prize winner, who founded and runs a nonprofit called Fresh Artists, answers the first three questions. And I answered the last three.

If your question isn’t answered here, look for answers on Encore.org. Specifically, check out our Get Started Guide, the top five encore career job fields, or current job listings. And watch for more opportunities to ask and answer questions as part of the Launch Pad contest.

Salleh: Barbara, where do you get funding to do all that you do, and what is your business model?

Barbara: Fresh Artists is basically a corporate art program. We approach businesses and corporations and say, “You have vast expanses of white walls. We have brilliant, affordable artwork that carries the value-added gift of civic engagement. Your staff and your clients will admire you for supporting this innovative, entrepreneurial nonprofit that delivers art supplies and exciting educational programs right back to the kids who made and donated the artwork in the first place.” We have also been fortunate to have several generous foundations support us in our first three years, but the core model is a social business, not a charity. We have a product and have found a market for this product. Also, we are fortunate to have many volunteers and in-kind gifts of services.

Caitlin: I've worked in a purpose-driven career all of my adult life (social services). It's been great work, but I don't have a lot of savings as a result. I would like to move into work that still feels like the right livelihood, but steps up my income significantly. Entrepreneurship seems like the best route, but I'm not quite sure where to begin.

Barbara: I wonder what kind of social services you are in currently and what constitutes a step up in income. If helping people has been your career, I might look at all aspects of keeping people in their homes and start a small business providing service to support this. You could develop a business providing shopping, errands, respite care or pet care to home-bound folks. You could market yourself to an in-home nursing company to take some of the more mundane chores off their plate. I have a friend who started a pet care service—vet trips, grooming, walking—for home-bound people and it was very successful. Flexible hours, too. Personal chef services are getting to be lucrative.

The trick is to do your research. Dig around and find out who is doing interesting things. Look at upscale glossy community-based magazines and read the back ads. Can you provide an adjunct service or find something that people need doing and are willing to pay for?

The bottom line is to try to line up your skills and experience with a service that people need. Once you’ve got the idea, learn by talking to others in similar fields, potential customers, other entrepreneurs, local bankers, business students who might help develop a business plan, and so on.

Ann: I was downsized nearly two years ago and am not ready financially for retirement. I have begun to think about starting a business employing personal care assistants who would work with aging adults to help them live independently. Do you have suggestions for how to get started?

Barbara: Internships are not just for teens and college kids! I believe that internships for mature folks are a terrific way of scoping out a prospective new business. I recommend finding the most highly respected service of this kind in another city, a city where you know someone you could stay with for a couple of months.

A good way of finding them is to call the head social worker at the best hospital in that town and ask who they recommend. Then make an appointment with the head of the company, and, if you like them, offer to be an intern for that agency for two months. Be forthright about your offer—they help you learn about the business, you provide free labor for the duration of the internship and agree not to start a competing business within X miles (like 100!). Be prepared to offer to sign a non-compete agreement to show your integrity. And be prepared to be a line staffer doing real work that is needed in the organization.

If you are lucky enough to find the right match, this can be an invaluable way of seeing that business from the inside and finding a mentor who might stay in touch and help you well after you have left their employ. Rotary Clubs and local Chambers of Commerce can be a good way to find a connection like this in another community.

Barry: How does one realistically overcome the constant objection that “you are overqualified” or is it simply code for too old at 57? I would be happy to pass on my skills and expertise without the need to be the boss any longer.

Marci: There’s no simple answer for this one. Age discrimination is certainly a fact of life. And many employers just haven’t considered older people for some jobs. You may find some useful information in a Civic Ventures survey of nonprofit employers. One tidbit: Many employers are concerned that older employees won’t want to learn new skills or will have outdated technology skills. Be honest with yourself about whether you have an age issue or a technology deficit. And if it's the latter, fix it by taking the right courses or figuring out some other way to get up to snuff. You can also learn to emphasize things that will shake employers out of their stereotypes.

But if an employer doesn’t value your experience, the organization may not be an ideal fit for you, even if you are able to change some minds. Better to focus on places where you see evidence that older, experienced people are already part of the team. It would be a good idea to tailor your resume so that it shows your strengths as a mentor and adviser. And certainly talk about mentoring in your interview and explain how gratifying it is to you to pass on your expertise.

Grant: I’m a 57-year-old who just lost my job to restructuring. I’m considering finding a full-time job outside of my profession that would pay less, be less stressful and have me home at a reasonable hour. Is this something other boomers are doing? What are the challenges? And what are your thoughts?

Marci: You are in good company, Grant. Lots of people want to decrease their hours and dial down the pressure of work, while still doing work that’s meaningful and substantial. These are realistic goals. But most jobs don’t come with “less stressful” labels.

Your job search will have to begin with a self-assessment. Examine your talents and skills, then move on to a phase of research and exploration where you learn and test things out. Ultimately, you’ll apply for jobs. Maggie Mistal, a career coach I admire, calls this process “soul search, research, job search.”

As you get into your research and network with people in fields that interest you, then you’ll be able to start figuring out what kinds of positions match your lifestyle goals.

Bill: My expertise is as an electromechanical technician. I want to work with either disabled, elderly persons or disabled American Veterans. How would I transfer my skills to attain this sort of work?

Marci: I’ve got one word for you, Bill: Volunteer. Contact a veterans organization that engages community volunteers and start volunteering immediately. In no time, you’ll figure out a way to match your skills to some unmet need. Volunteermatch.com is a great resource to help you identify volunteer opportunities near where you live.

Learn More

If you’ve got more questions, check out our Get Started Guide, the top five encore career job fields, or current job listings. And watch for more opportunities to ask and answer questions as part of the Launch Pad contest.

We’re asking you to help us pick the first finalist. With your vote you can:

• Help involve parents in school discipline. Learn more about Fannie's idea here.
• Help support homeless LGBT teens. Learn more about James’ idea here.
• Help bring back traditional crafts to create jobs. Learn more about Martha’s idea here.
• Help people with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Learn more Janice’s idea here.

Then cast your vote for one of them here.

The person who gets the most votes will become the first finalist in the Launch Pad contest. You can vote once every 24 hours until the polls close at midnight EST on Jan. 18.

In the meantime, we’re going through the rest of the submissions and picking 24 additional finalists. In just a few weeks, we’ll post pictures and descriptions of all 25 finalists and their ideas, and you’ll vote to help us choose five winners.

The winners will receive $5,000 each, plus the help and support of the Encore.org community. They’ll get a chance to get their idea off the ground. And we’ll get the chance to applaud their encore.

In the meantime, vote for one of the first four Launch Pad contestants here. Spread the word to your friends on Facebook here.

If you're having trouble finding your encore career, consider shifting your focus from filling jobs advertised by others to designing a job tailored to your unique strengths.

At a career development conference in 2009, Denise Bissonnette completely changed my view of career development. She said professionals in the work force need to stop thinking of the job search as merely seeing what is available. Instead, we need to bring an entrepreneurial spirit to our search, creating "employment proposals" while keeping an eye on emerging social trends and businesses.

Employment proposals can work for all kinds of career paths, from bookkeeping and technology to retail, service and construction. Denise told stories of clients who proposed creating a nighttime parking-lot security position at a hotel, a site preparation and cleanup position with a paint crew, and a range of other examples. All were people who said, "Here is a need that your company seems to have, here are the skills that I can use to fill that need and here is how it will give you a competitive advantage."...

Read the rest of the article posted on Encore Careers

Read more about the movement for encore careers on MSNBC.com.

To read more about the article check out the Encore blog post.

The Launch Pad contest could not have been timed better since President Obama declared this past week as "National Entrepreneurship Week" to celebrate entrepreneurs and small businesses in the US.

Launch Pad contenders from around the country can submit their ideas on how they want to make a difference in their communities on this site through December 20. Nearly 100 inspiring submissions have already rolled in.

On January 17, 2011, Civic Ventures will name 25 Launch Pad semi-finalists. From January 17 through February 14, people will be invited to vote online for the idea they’d like to see realized.

Contestants can submit ideas in the following Launch Pad categories: education, social services, environment, health care and helping others engage in encore careers, second careers that combine passion and purpose with a paycheck.

The announcement of the Launch Pad contest follows last week's news of the 2010 Purpose Prize winners, 10 people over age 60 who are making extraordinary contributions in their encore careers. The Purpose Prize, an award of up to $100,000, is given annually to individuals who are using their experience and passion to tackle society’s biggest challenges.

Are you an entrepreneur? Tell us your idea and you could win $5,000 toward putting it in to action.

We know how important it is for you to see the ideas other people are submitting and glean inspiration from their creativity. We’re currently building this section of the website, and waiting for a few more submissions to come in to fill it up. Once it's live, the section will be organized in five categories for easy browsing: education, social services, environment, health care, and encore careers.

Be sure to check back soon to browse the submissions, and signup for updates here.

Civic Ventures^® created the Launch Pad contest in the hope of inspiring and promoting ideas — your ideas — to bring positive change to communities across America.

The objective is simple. We’re looking to identify five Americans over age 45 and over who are using their life and work experience to make a difference where they live. The five winners will get $5,000 each towards making their ideas a reality, and dozens more will take part in the 2011 Purpose Prize Summit where they can meet other change-makers in the Encore Career community.

The Launch Pad consists of two phases: one for submission and another for voting. The submission phase runs through December 20th, during which anyone over 45 can submit an idea to the contest. Civic Ventures will then name 25 Launch Pad semi-finalists to kickoff the voting stage of the contest. Of the 25, the top five vote getters will be named the winners.

The contest is just getting started, but there is no need to waste time getting involved. Here is what you can do on the site, now:

• Submit your idea: don’t be shy, enter your idea in the contest
• Spread the word: share the Launch Pad site with your family and friends
• View our resources: get inspiration for your idea or encore career

Getting Started with Your Career-Changing Idea

We understand that change can come in many forms, and to help you with your submissions, we focused on five categories where your help can make the biggest impact.

• Education: From starting a volunteer mentor program for students, to providing supplies to local elementary schools, to making continuing education a priority in your community — your project could empower individuals of any age who value education and developing new skills.
• Social Services: When individuals fall through the gaps of society, giving them a hand can be the most rewarding gesture of all. Projects that help low-income families, feed the poor, and help individuals empower themselves through job resources are wonderful ways of inspiring change.
• Environment: Many communities have started to embrace ‘green’ initiatives as a way of keeping our environment cleaner. Introducing a new recycling program, creating a marketplace for local produce, or introducing low-energy light bulbs are just some of the ways to embrace the green mentality.
• Health Care: The health of our communities depends on the health of its residents. Vaccination programs, free health screenings, and organizing volunteer clinics can make a big impact on the health of all.
• Encore Careers: Helping individuals find careers with purpose can be a job in itself. Creating programs and networks to ensure every person can transition to a job with purpose creates a more driven and passionate community.

Every community can use a hero; let us help you make your project a reality. Getting started is as easy as submitting your idea.

Watch videos of the five $100,000 winners
Read about the 46 individuals named 2010 Purpose Prize fellows

Now in its fifth year, The Purpose Prize has recognized more than 300 winners and fellows for making extraordinary contributions in their encore careers. Learn more about The Prize.

Five adults over 60 have been awarded the $100,000 Purpose Prize for their work and five have been awarded the $50,000 Purpose Prize.

This year’s $100,000 winners are:

• Allan Barsema of Rockford, Ill., who creates innovative online networks of social service agencies to ensure that homeless people get the help they need quickly, efficiently and effectively. More >
• Barry Childs of Marylhurst, Ore., who improves the lives of vulnerable children and their families in Tanzania by creating farming cooperatives, building classrooms and opening clinics. More >
• Margaret Gordon of Oakland, Calif., who connected the asthma that plagued her low-income community to the pollution of the nearby port, she has fought to improve the area’s environmental health. More >
• Inez Killingsworth of Cleveland, who helps homeowners avoid foreclosure by negotiating with banks for more favorable terms on mortgages. More >
• Judith Van Ginkel of Cincinnati, who leads a program that provides in-home services for first-time, at-risk mothers — including parenting support — to improve the lives of young families. More >

The $50,000 winners for 2010 are:

• Barbara Allen of Lafayette Hills, Pa., who engages children as philanthropists to create artwork that brings in donations that pay for desperately needed art supplies for inner-city Philadelphia schools. More >
• Dana Freyer of New York City, who helps rural Afghans alleviate poverty, build sustainable livelihoods and restore their environment by revitalizing woodlots, vineyards and orchards. More >
• Hubert Jones of Boston, who brings children together to sing songs of hope, faith and promise, uniting young people across differences of race, religion and economic status. More >
• Donald Stedman of Raleigh, N.C., who counsels schools on the best ways to engage seriously disabled students, then helps to assess technological and teacher training needs. More >
• Bo Webb of Whitesville, W. Va., a community organizer who is building a movement to stop mountaintop removal, an environmentally destructive method of mining for coal. More >

This year’s 46 Purpose Prize fellows are working on issues including providing quality end-of-life care to terminally ill children, increasing affordable housing options, training professionals to investigate war crimes, addressing chronic unemployment, promoting alternative fuel sources to protect the environment, providing culturally relevant support services to immigrants, preparing prisoners for finding jobs and rescuing teenage girls from prostitution.

As more people choose to age in their homes, they will need assistance from home modification specialists, health care navigators and medication coaches. Others will take the conversation about greening our world from dream to reality. Those in construction and contracting fields will focus their attention on weatherizing buildings and retrofitting structures. And still others will be part of transforming the way children are cared for and educated.

Clearly this is good news for those who have the ability to plan, but how can you make use of this research if you're looking for an encore career now or in the next few years?

1. Review the sections of the reports that provide job descriptions, qualifications and training. Scan those to see if any appeal.
2. If something piques your interest, but you don’t think the job is yet there, is there any interim path you can envision to help get you prepared?
3. If you’re not yet ready to move into an encore career, volunteer and start to build relationships in the sectors that interest you. When you’re ready to look for a position, you’ll have a sense of what you might want to do and a network in place to help you.
4. If you are entrepreneurial, look at these studies for ideas of trends that will provide opportunities. You might think of a way to provide help to an aging population, much like Elaine Santore did with Umbrella Group of The Capital District, which matches up individuals over 50 with handypeople to help with household chores.
5. As you read the lists of new and emerging jobs, remember that those are merely illustrative of jobs of the future. Try to imagine others.
6. If you’re already in a field, such as nursing, where increased demand is expected, think about whether you’d like to work differently in the future. If you’ve worked full time, maybe you'll want to cut your hours. If you’ve worked exclusively in hospitals, perhaps you’ll want to work with people in their homes.
7. Tap into organizations looking at new ways to use human talent to address important needs. See what’s going on at your local hospital or schools, or in nonprofits in your community. Community colleges will also give you a good sense of what is going on in your area as they develop programs to address needs of all age groups.
8. Adopt a lifelong learning mindset. Whether you’re moving into an entirely new sector or shifting to a new role in a field where you have years of experience, if you want to be competitive, you’re always going to be training for the next position or to remain cutting edge in your current one.
9. Many of the jobs in these studies are some form of mentoring, training or coaching. If you thrive when teaching others, think about ways to use your experience to guide others in these emerging fields.

What do you think about these research reports? Know anyone already working in these fields? Share your comment below.