Purpose is Ageless
The college years are a time of questioning, exploring, and testing out possible career identities. Young adults grapple with existential questions about their futures and where they fit in the world. Yet these questions about career, purpose, and direction are relevant across the life course, especially in today's shifting world of work with tremendous possibilities but few roadmaps.
This is particularly true for people in late career, where old models of "retirement" no longer fit. A growing number of adults seek opportunities to move from their career jobs to new ways of working and living in an evolving new life stage, what we call "encore adulthood."
For those at pivot points in their careers and lives, colleges and universities can be ideal settings to explore possibilities and experiment with options. This is why we started University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC) Initiative.
UMAC is a transformative experience that prepares people for the next phase of life – a gap year for grown-ups.
Benefits of UMAC
- Learning across the generations. Having conversations that matter with the next generation is rewarding and energizing. Fellows join young adults on campus, and have opportunities to mentor and learn from students.
- Access to a world class university. With lectures and performances, centers and institutes, research and outreach, the University of Minnesota is a vibrant learning community and a rich resource to explore. Check out the many ways that UMN is driving innovation in our state.
- Growth and renewal. Work and life today are all-encompassing. UMAC helps fellows step back, imagine what’s next, test out new possibilities, and gain clarity. UMAC offers guidance, structure and new experiences to help fellows move forward in ways that reflect priorities at this life stage.
- Social impact. Encore adults want to make a difference in the world, but it can be challenging finding the right opportunities. UMAC helps fellows learn about social issues (e.g. climate change, poverty, global health) and then apply their skills in new ways in a nonprofit organization, gaining practical experience while expanding connections in the social sector. Here is one fellow’s story.
- New ways of working. From side hustles to portfolio careers, phased retirement to the gig economy, the career landscape is shifting. People want (and often need) to work well into the later years, but they don’t want to work the same way. UMAC helps fellows navigate the new realities of work in the 21st century.
- Supportive community of learners. Finding an encore is often a do-it-yourself endeavor. UMAC fellows join a community of peers offering insights and support as they step out of their comfort zones. We help fellows build a valuable network of connections in new sectors and communities.
Undergraduate students turn to a college campus to figure out their futures. With UMAC, encore adults return to campus to explore their encores.