Later Life Career Transitions

Dr. Harlan has described her 2013 qualitative study of older adults engaged in later life career transitions. Their problem lay with recognizing turning points in their lives and discerning physical, emotional, and professional factors that provided enablement for changing trajectory in later life. Often, that meant silencing the internalized, socially-influenced voices that whispered, or sometimes screamed, words of disabling discouragement. It meant becoming aware of their authentic self and finding flow between the demands of transition and their resources for transition. Timing held relevance for the importance of this study. Baby Boomers are experiencing factors and turning points explored in this study. Study participants described later life as a vulnerable time to walk through career transition doors, but all had their eyes set on achievements lying beyond the doors. They had lived life long enough to know when something was meaningful and they were seeking ways to thrive, to make the greatest contribution to society through their career transitions.