1. Baby Boomers Are Changing the Game...

Ask baby boomers what they want to do after they grow up, and many will say they want it all.

They want to enjoy life. They want some of the exciting perks of retirement, like travel. They want time with family. And for a host of reasons, they want to continue working well past the chronological age when their own parents retired. Many hope to cycle between periods of work and leisure, reaping the best of both worlds.

But here's news: There's a deep strain of idealism among boomers in terms of what kind of work they might want to do. The 2005 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey found that most want jobs in retirement that give them a "sense of purpose," that improve life in their communities, and that help those in need.

Experts warn of impending labor shortages in critical fields such as education, health care, and services for the poor and frail elderly. If the growing supply of boomers could fill jobs in these fields – well, that's a labor economist's dream!

Not so fast, you say? Is the American economy ready to offer a full menu of flexible, meaningful jobs to the millions of boomers who have an appetite for this type of work?

And are you, with a life full of experience, ready to take the plunge into a new kind of work?

That's where this guide comes in. It can help you think about new directions and new ways of structuring your worklife.

Welcome to your own next chapter.

Consider Your Options

If you're interested in doing "good work," in the next phase of your worklife, be open to options in the same way a young adult might be. You could:

• Retrain and work full time in a new field
• Work part time in the same field you're in now
• Work at a lower salary, perhaps in a nonprofit or educational organization
• Discover an internship opportunity or a volunteer job that can lead to paid employment
• Work seasonally or on a project basis