I just wanted to chime in regarding the Federal retirement claims dropping by 57% from January 2012 to December 2012. Times ARE changing!
I enjoy studying generations and several years ago predictions about the Baby Boomer generation was “all the rage.” Now the time has come and I find what is taking place fascinating. However, it is sad that some people are caring for aging parents while having children in college, out of college jobless, or working in a job unrelated to their degree–which may be preventing the Boomers from retiring…at least as they envisioned. (I’m a ways away from retirement, but I can relate as I helped to care for my Father, and I have been taking care of a friend with Parkinson’s disease for the past 8 years.)
Recently, I have had the pleasure of helping Baby Boomer clients land federal teleworking jobs. In addition to being a career coach, I have been a computer instructor/geek for 25+ years so it is exciting to see this happening…especially with clients who never thought they would ever be THAT computer literate to be “working from home.”
One of my recent Baby Boomer clients is a senior executive and not the most computer literate person. He was very apprehensive about applying for a teleworking position, but he had a goal of leaving DC for a job closer to his home. I remember him telling me he would never be caught dead wearing one of those “things” that wrap around his ears while talking to the “air” and he wasn’t interested in learning the “iPad.” Well, he got the job and only a couple of weeks later he tells me he is ready to learn new things. He received an iPad and gave in and “invested” in a bluetooth headset, too…and loves it! I have enjoyed showing him cool tools such as www.join.me, www.gotomeeting.com, Skype, and other things that are productive tools for the home office.
He has commented that he cannot believe how much more he can get done in a day because he does not have to commute…and I would have to add…he can have 2 hands on the keyboard or the steering wheel instead of holding up a brick phone to his ear. LOL. (just kidding…he does operate a BlackBerry well) (Please keep in mind I have had a “home office” for 12 years now and consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the teleworking environment–balancing work, being a Mom, and all that goes along with having businesses at home.)
So for me, it is fun and exciting seeing the Baby Boomers embracing technology and seeing them willing to share their sound wisdom and expertise to further their agency’s mission and help others learn the “ins and outs” of government. This client has taught me a lot as well so the benefits have been mutual. If you are a Baby Boomer on the fence about teleworking, give it a try!
So…IS this the calm before the storm?
What are you doing now, while it is calm, to prepare for the storm?
How do you envision retirement?
If you are a government employee, what is holding you back from teleworking?
Camille Roberts
What’s holding me back from teleworking? I don’t have a very efficient computer at home.
Check out and weigh in on earlier blog post:
How to Make Telework Actually Work Government-wide