6 Tips on Planning a Second Career

You'll find useful details about specific jobs in the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook. In healthcare, for instance, there are home and personal care jobs helping people with special needs such as autistic children and Alzheimer's patients, as well as a growing need for elder care. The aging population is also driving up demand for nutritionists, physical therapists, speech and language specialists, and activity aides.

The need is such that it's not unusual to find streamlined training, including train-while-you-work positions, says Ellen Freudenheim, author of "The Boomers' Guide to Good Work," available at civicventures.org.You can also score flexible schedules and opportunities to run your own business. The latter might sound tempting, but many people who start their own businesses find themselves working longer hours than they ever did in their first career.

Careerbuilder.com is a great place to start your job search. But job sites for seniors like Workforce50.com, Seniors4Hire.org, RetiredBrains.com, and AARP's annual list of the Best Employers for Workers Over 50 can direct you to workplaces that are particularly friendly to aging boomers. You might also tap into the Encore career finder for openings at nonprofits. "Small and midsize companies typically are more likely to see you as an individual and value your experience than a large corporation," Werley says.

When it comes to getting a new job, be forewarned: Age discrimination is real. There's a perception that people over 50 or 60 will be just passing through as a transition into retirement. "Employers are loath to hire someone who they think will be out the door in a year or two," Freedman says.

3. Connect with a network. It helps to find a group of like-minded people who have already gone through late-life career change. You can learn from their firsthand experiences of how they made the move. It's critical to soak up as much as you can about the businesses that appeal to you. Talk with people who work in those fields. Apply for an internship or fellowship. Consider volunteering or moonlighting to get a sense of what the job entails.

Questions to ask: What are the challenges and rewards? How about pay, hours, and the work climate? What training or education will you need? What opportunities might be out there for someone with your background?

4. Upgrade your skills and education. Chances are you'll need to learn new skills and maybe even earn a degree in a new field. If possible, take mandatory courses before retiring or leaving your current job. Professional programs, grad schools, and community colleges offer evening and weekend classes that you can squeeze into your current schedule. Your current employer might pay part of the bill, but make sure you check the fine print; you might have to reimburse tuition expenses if you leave your job within a set time frame.

5. Evaluate your finances. Your new salary may be far less than you were earning in your first career if, say, you choose to work in a more philanthropic field or have a more flexible schedule. As a result, you may need to adjust your lifestyle if you're relying on the income for living expenses. If you're already receiving Social Security benefits, keep in mind that earning income may reduce them. If you decide to embark on an entrepreneurial path, you might have to dig into savings or even take out a loan for start-up expenditures. And it's quite possible that you could be saddled with a tuition bill or even go without income for a year or so while you gain necessary training for a new line of work.