How to Handle Inappropriate Job Interview Questions: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Handling inappropriate job interview questions is never easy. As a person seeking employment, possibly a baby boomer or a senior, you have a job interview. Suddenly, you begin to realize that the person interviewing you appears to be asking you inappropriate questions.

How should you handle these kinds of questions?

Jobinterviewquestions.com offers words of advice about different kinds of job interview questions and responses.

Note that there may be other things happening in an interview, like the following:  

Misunderstanding of job interview questions:

Initial interviews can be confusing for employers and potential employees. There may be serious misunderstandings that need immediate clarification with your potential employee. Even though you may not be certain as to what to say or do, you can suggest to your interviewer that you are serious about the job. He or she may be having some fun at your expense and this may help to get your interview back on track.

Pre-screening or preliminary interview questions:

Discernment is important when going for a job interview, as it may actually be a pre-screening by your interviewer or a preliminary interview. These kinds of questions help to determine the more appropriate job candidates. Potential employees who pass this interview will return for a second job interview.

Be aware that with high unemployment rates and an increased number of potential job candidates, employers can be more selective and weed out applicants that are not suitable. How you respond to these kinds of questions is important. Be professional in your comportment and answers.

Job skill testing questions:

When an interviewer does an interview, there may be job skill sets or specific kinds of training that are required. If you do not understand what the interviewer is referring to in respect to certain terminology, it is advisable to ask questions. Make certain that your questions are always polite and well phrased. It may mean the difference between getting and not getting the job.

Suitability for employment questions:

Nowadays, employers may be seeking motivated, professional people, even for non-professional jobs. These may be entry-level jobs or a foot in the door for potential candidates seeking a job with a particular business, company or organization. The questions you are asked may not seem to be appropriate to you, but they may be the kinds of questions that are asked on that particular job. Your ability to handle them and to answer them appropriately, may get the job for you.

Sexual harassment questions:

Employers should not be asking anything that a potential employee might misinterpret as sexual harassment questions, but it does happen. Responding in a polite manner may disarm the employer who tends to embarrass potential employees on a regular basis. Note that the level of sexual harassment one receives on a job can vary and thus, sexual harassment questions may help the employer to learn whether you are able to deal with those kinds of questions. Letting him or her know that these kinds of questions are not appropriate is important and you may receive an apology.

Personal relationship questions:

Questions about your personal relationships are not appropriate for employers to ask potential employees, but sometimes, they are necessary depending upon the kind of employee he or she is seeking and the kind of job you are looking for. For example, perhaps an employer wants to hire only young, single mothers or fathers. He or she may be seeking older people with previous job training or only heterosexual employees. You may ask why the employer wants to know this kind of information and then accept or reject a job in accordance with your own personal preferences.

Trick job interview questions:

Job interview questions can be revealing and thus, a trick question asked by a potential employer, may catch a potential employee off guard. For example, “Why should I hire you?” may take you by surprise.

Before going for an interview, go online and learn the kinds of questions that employers ask prospective employees. Be prepared to answer them. Asking questions of your own may help you to gain the respect of your future employer.

Remember that employers may be interviewing many people. You might just be the right candidate, so stay optimistic.

How to Turn Your Passion Into a Career: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

What are you truly passionate about? As you go through life, you may develop a passion for one thing or another. You can have multiple passions, over the years.

Passion usually surfaces as something that delights, excites and entices you to continue over time. You can virtually get lost in your passion.

In order to turn it into a career, begin to see your passion in terms of being an opportunity that could become a new career for you. 

Perhaps your passion involves some kind of a collection, artistic expression or poetic voice. You love working at it. You may not know or understand why it draws you. Whatever your passion is, with a bit of ingenuity and effort on your part, you can turn it into a career regardless of your age, physical health or mental status. Be aware that your passions can change over the years, so go with the one that is timely now. It may lead to something else, at a later date.

In other words, act on it when you become aware that something is or has become a passion to you. 

Discovering your passion may take some trial and error on your part. You may need to explore different realms to discover your true passion. Ask yourself what you can be engaged in doing and never tire of? What do you see as your world, one that no one else enters while you are engaged in it?

Once you discover what your passion is, you may want to do some serious research into how others have turned that same kind of a passion into a career. You will find that this may be something you can pursue for the rest of your life and possibly create a substantial income from it, over time.

Be aware that the word career has many, different contexts. At times, turning your passion into a career means fulfilling your lifelong dream. Would that not be wonderful?

The financial, equality leveling of retirement often places those who have had lifetime careers in a position where they have to find another way to survive. Changing careers is not necessarily easy, but often necessary. Sudden, early retirement can make life difficult financially, forcing a career change. This can be frightening and foreboding. It may involve feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.

Why not turn your passion into something that gives you a sense of celebration instead? The work of the past is over and the challenge of your passion lies ahead. Now you can play in your new world in terms of your dream career!  

So when you have to make a career change, why not make it a change for the better?

Begin to work on something that involves your previously undiscovered passion or develops an existing one even further. Life will be more interesting and fun, too.

Finding Your Own Space in the Crowded Places of the World: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Do you panic when you need some space? Some people do, particularly baby boomers and seniors, as everyone needs his or her own space, at times. The question becomes one of how to find your own space in the crowded places of the world. 

Finding one’s own personal space is a concern that is as old as history, as people have always sought to find their own space in the crowded places of the world or away from them.  

Some people instinctively need more space than others do, particularly when it comes to crowded places. The problem of finding personal space is growing, because the number of crowded places is rapidly increasing, along with the growing population of the world. 

Perhaps you are a person who can come and go from any kind of a crowded place and feel comfortable regardless of where you are. If so, you are fortunate, as not everyone is able to do that. On the other hand, you may be a person who instinctively avoids crowded places and may not understand why you instinctively seek an isolated spot in crowded places.   

Altitude, heat and humidity are factors that you may not pay much attention to or be aware of when you are travelling. If the oxygen level in a crowded area is similar to that to which you are accustomed, you may be comfortable in a crowded area, regardless of how many others there are around you. If not, you will probably seek to move into a more isolated or secluded area, where you can relax.

At times, being in a crowded place can trigger symptoms of claustrophobia, similar to those experienced when you feel confined in a small, enclosed space like an elevator or a closet. Panic may ensue if you start to feel too closed in. Maybe you have difficulty breathing, feel dizzy or become fearful. You instinctively know that you have to get out of there and seek to do so immediately.   

Travelers confronted with crowded places at airports, convention centers, restaurants, hotels and market places often need to find places of personal space or solitude, as massive crowds of people can seem to be overwhelming. Maybe the place they are in feels too small for the large number of people who are there.

Finding a space that you can call your own in crowded places when travelling is not always easy.

Crowds can be frustrating, if you are not used to having people milling around you, all of the time. Crowded areas can seem confusing too, particularly when you are in a new or strange area looking for someone or something. In a foreign country, a sea of faces can be frightening, particularly when they are all wearing masks to prevent the spread of infections, like the flu.    

People who travel a lot or who work around large numbers of other employees are less likely to panic in crowded places, but they still need their own space. The size of the space that they need at work or elsewhere varies from a few square feet to a few square yards or more. Not having enough space can trigger negative emotions, like anger.

Fear of people can cause one to avoid large crowds or crowded places. Perhaps it is the noise and the flurry of activity that seems overwhelming. Sometimes, there may be concern related to potential strife, rioting and violence.

At other times, the feelings may include other factors like the fear of fire in a crowded room or the possibility of food poisoning. Foreign markets often have large numbers of people with unusual, nauseating, heavy scents or others smells, like those experienced at a fish, meat or poultry market. Perhaps there are live animals in the vicinity, too.

People with allergies instinctively seek their own space in crowded areas, as allergy symptoms can flare up from heavy perfumes, foreign or strange cooking odors, as well as smoke from cigarettes or other substances. Even smoke from one cigarette can trigger an asthma attack when someone has allergies.       

Perhaps the secret to finding your own space in the crowded places of the world lies within you, whether you are aware of it or not.

“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.”  Marcus Aurelius

How you react may not be so much who or what is around you, but how you feel personally. You may be fortunate enough to be able to find a personal space that is only yours, even if it is not very large, where you can meditate, even in a crowded place.

Before travelling, do online research with respect to where you plan to go and what you expect to find in terms of large crowds. Be aware that you may possibly encounter difficulty dealing with large numbers of people in crowded places and decide how you will deal with that in terms of your own space, ahead of time.   

Relaxation techniques, like yogic practices, often prove beneficial to those needing personal space. Finding your own space in crowded places of the world may take a bit of ingenuity on your part, but it is always possible. 

Best Places for Retirees to Find Work: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

The best places for retirees to find work are often the least expected ones. Sometimes a retiree can be lucky and find other work almost immediately. At other times, it takes concerted effort on his or her part.

For some, retirement means no longer working, but not everyone wants to quit working just because he or she has reached retirement age. For you or others, retirement may mean that you have a pension that replaces your salary. It may signify financial security for you, but if it does not, then as a retiree, you will need to find work or better still, find work that generates additional income.

Consider the following tips about the best places for retirees to find work.

Where should you and other retirees begin to look for work?

Retirementjobs.com suggests that they are “filling a void by helping older workers keep their skills and expertise on the job.”

About.com. “Senior Living” suggests that the best place to work post retirement may be the place where you are already working. Can you stay on there after your retirement?  

For others, the best place to work may be at home. There may be things that you can do at home or from your own home, that will generate extra income for you. Many retirees with an eye to the future have established concrete plans in this regard. If this is the case, a home-based business that is already established may be the best place for you to work as a retiree. No longer is there the stress of having to contend with outside employment and employers.  

Working after retirement may mean going out to do seasonal work for places like motels, gardening or landscaping centers. Small businesses like restaurants, call centers, day care centers or private nursing homes hire casual employees who are retired, but still desire to work.

At times retirement comes early and is unanticipated or unexpected. Finding outside work post retirement may not be that easy, particularly if where there are large numbers of workers forced to retire, at the same time. The competition may be fierce in employment centers.

A retiree may have to draw on his or her own unique skills related to specific hobbies like photography, music or art in order to create his or her own work. He or she can do any amount of work, as there are no limits to available work unless the retiree has physical, mental or emotional limitations. The trick may be to find something that pays the retiree an appropriate amount of money, at the same time. How can you, as a retiree, generate sufficient income to supplement your old age pension?

How should you go about finding the best place for you to work as a retiree? Remember that everyone is different and wants to do different things upon retirement. Perhaps you have ideas about post-retirement work. Others may not always understand or agree with them, but they are not the one who is retiring.

Begin by drawing up a resume reflecting your previous educational and employment experience. Add your areas of expertise, additional skills and training programs. Obtain appropriate references from former employers or organizations you are associated with or have worked for in the past. Do not focus on your age or your retirement status, but instead on what you can do for an employer or a company.

Begin searching for work online where you can use your computer skills. Upgrade your skills as necessary. 

Once your online resume is ready, send copies of it to potential employers via e-mail or print copies and deliver them in person, at the same time making contact with local employment agencies regarding available work in your immediate area. Make certain that you include your e-mail address, fax and telephone number.

Many large companies, businesses and organizations will also hire retirees. These places can be an excellent place of employment. For example, you may find work in their security department or work as a greeter in a mall. The salary scale may be lower for retirees, but with your pension, you may be able to survive, even thrive financially. 

Some employers will not hire retirees, so it may take a while to find appropriate work. Do not give up, as there still are compassionate companies and organizations who hire retirees immediately.

Many employers welcome the high level of expertise and experience that retirees have as retirees have excellent, people-related or work-related skills they can draw from to enhance their companies or organizations.

It may be possible to work with a volunteer agency or organization for a while, in order to become familiar with a new community and its job opportunities for retirees. Brainstorm with other retirees in the area and see what they are doing. You may be able to work with them.  

Think positive in terms of finding work as a retiree and know you will succeed.

How to Help a New Colleague Get to Grips With the Job: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Are you a natural mentor? Many baby boomers and seniors are able to mentor their new colleagues. The word mentor describes how you can help a new colleague get to grips with the job. Without realizing it, you may become his or her mentor. Mentoring is an art. Some people make better mentors than others.

Freedictionary.com suggests that a mentor is “a wise or trusted adviser or guide.”

Mentoring a new colleague can be challenging, exciting and an informative learning experience for you, as well as fun for both of you.

What are some of the ways you can respond as a mentor to your new colleague’s expressed or unexpressed need for help on the job?

Consider the following suggestions.

Initial impressions are important, so introduce yourself to your new colleague and welcome him or her warmly, as that will help to put him or her at ease. Making the job environment a welcoming place is important. Introduce your new colleague to other employees on the job, while you do some basic orientation with him or her.

Note the following statements:

“I will help you.”

“I have been there.”

‘I know exactly how you feel.”

These three statements will put you in the position of being a mentor, who your new colleague will start to feel comfortable with, in respect to turning to you for assistance. He or she will begin to trust your advice and recognize that you are a sincere person, who is able to help.

Be friendly, as a new colleague often becomes good friends with his or her mentor. 

Treat your new colleague with respect as he or she may be a professional person, with a far higher level of education, training and expertise than you realize. Seek to learn where the problematic areas on the job appear to be in relation to him or her.

Be open to learn things with and from your new colleague, as you begin to draw upon the resources he or she has to offer. You will be glad that you did.

Find out what your new colleague is familiar and comfortable with, in terms of his or her job description, as well as things that seem to be overwhelming to him or her. If you have access to a job description and training manual, perhaps one that is online, give your colleague access to it. Go through it with him or her, if necessary.

Understand that he or she may need time to become oriented to the expectations of a new job. Be honest with your new colleague about the job requirements and train him or her properly.

Make certain that your colleague is able to function in the new job environment and is able to work safely and operate equipment properly, as well as carry out assigned procedures or tasks correctly. A new colleague’s lack of familiarity or lack of knowledge about a job should never endanger anyone’s life. Remember that ultimately the responsibility for whatever takes place may be yours.

There may be new skills that your new colleague needs to learn. Take the time to demonstrate these new skills to him or her. If necessary, work side by side with your new colleague, until you are certain that he or she is familiar with the assigned tasks, understands them correctly and is competent to function on his or her own.

Communicate with your immediate supervisor, so that he or she is aware of the level of work the new colleague is able to handle. Further training may be necessary in certain areas. You may want to participate in upgrading along with your new colleague.

Remember that in mentoring you are setting an example. You may soon find that he or she is mentoring others, in the same way that you did with him or her. Always set a good example when you are mentoring a new colleague to help him or her get to grips with the job.

How to Know When Job Stress is Affecting Your Health: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Is your job stressing you out? Maybe there is someone or something at work that you cannot cope with and it is resulting in adverse physical, mental and emotional symptoms. Many baby boomers and seniors who are returning to work are under stress for various reasons.

Men.webmd.com suggests that there are several health risk related factors on jobs including elevated tobacco and alcohol use. There is also the risk of becoming overweight, having an elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Ask yourself what kinds of symptoms you experience when you are under stress at work.

For example, you wake up one morning and feel that you cannot face going to work and want to call in sick. Instead, you give in and go to work. By ten that morning, you have a mild headache, feel dizzy and are nauseated. At noon, your pulse is racing and you know your blood pressure is rising. You experience difficulty breathing and begin to have intermittent chest pain. Suddenly, you have a severe headache and have difficulty focusing on your task.

You ask to leave work, which angers your supervisor, as there is no one to replace you. He or she feels your forehead and says you do not have a fever and therefore, are not sick. Your supervisor suggests you are imagining the symptoms and cautions you that if you leave, you may not have a job to come back to. You, as well as others, are shocked at these kinds of comments. You request pain medication, but the nurse at your work place is not available. The next morning you call in sick, because you simply cannot face going in to work again.

  

If your job, someone on your job or something job related is stressing you out, you will know. Your body will tell you when you are reacting to someone or something, where you work.

It may be time to consult with your physician and undergo a medical assessment.

Stress can be the direct result of problems on your job. If there is someone like a supervisor who is harassing you, you can experience strong, adverse feelings about your job, as well. Stress is usually a combination of things affecting you and your health in a negative manner. Perhaps you have simply become tired and bored with your job and do not realize it.

From a medical perspective, you may be ill, have allergies or be reacting to toxins in the immediate, work area. At times, bouts of stress lead to repeated symptoms that occur only when you are at work. These symptoms can become increasingly serious and result in a stroke or heart attack, if ignored. An immediate medical investigation into any job related untoward symptoms is important. You should not ignore symptoms like dizziness, nausea, headaches, elevation of blood pressure, difficulty breathing or intermittent chest pain on the job.

Do you get angry easily or cry frequently at work, for no reason? Are you and others always fighting on the job? When these kinds of incidences are recurrent where you work, they may be the result of job related stress.

Medical investigation can rule out other possible causes of illness or disease processes.

Your doctor may advise you to seek employment counseling, a change of jobs or a transition in terms of your employment environment. Be aware that there may be health and safety related concerns in your current place of employment that need investigation, as they can affect others, as well. Reporting abusive and non-compassionate supervisors or others may lead to their dismissal.      

It is normal to experience some stress on any job, but when the stress is affecting your mental, physical and emotional health, note the recurrent symptoms and report them at work, as well as to your family doctor. You may save your own life, as well as that of others.

So You Want to Work After Retirement: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

You are retiring shortly and still want to work. There are others like you, including many baby boomers and seniors.

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“Should you work after retirement?” you ask yourself. 

Working after retirement becomes a matter of personal preference. At times, working appears to be the best option for a retiree because of his or her financial status upon retirement, but to work or not to work is a decision made by each person who retires.

Working after retirement can provide a financial solution that enables a retiree to do things that hitherto, he or she has not been able to do like purchase a new car, a boat or travel to exotic places. Sometimes, family life takes precedence and the retiree’s work becomes that of helping sons or daughters raise their grandchildren.

Goal oriented or job directed retirement would appear to be preferable to a non-work oriented or an unplanned retirement. Many people make plans in advance for their retirement, exploring different realms of discovery, their pastimes or other employment challenges ahead of time, while focusing on their retirement options. Others just let retirement happen and deal with their situation and circumstances then.

“Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to.” These are the words of  Harry Emerson Fosdick

Forced retirement is not optional. A person forced to retire early does not necessarily receive sufficient income to retire comfortably and has to find work because continuing employment is essential in terms of financial survival. In this kind of a scenario, re-training or upgrading prior to or immediately after early retirement may be advisable, as it will increase the number of possible employment options.

Continuing to work after retirement is often a good idea, as it can help the retiree remain mentally, physically and emotionally healthy. Of course, not everyone who retires is able to continue working or wants to work, particularly not full time. Part time work may be more appropriate. Traveling, pursuing hobbies or other activities may appear more inviting. At times, a retiree needs time to rest and wants to return to work later.

A person who is accustomed to a lot of physical activity may have limitations by the age of retirement, but will probably be happier doing some kind of work that uses his or her excess energy, like working as a tour guide for a park or planting in a greenhouse. Sometimes, working in childcare as a helper in a school environment or taking care of seniors fills the need to work.

Remember that many retirees have a strong work ethic. Finding suitable post-retirement employment is not necessarily easy as there may not be suitable work available for retirees. The options may be limited, but usually a person who is serious about working can find work of some kind. Seasonal employment is one option for retirees to consider.

Senior centers and employment offices may have suggestions for retirees who want to work. Many charitable organizations employ retirees to work on various projects. 

Working boosts the retiree’s self-esteem and gives a feeling of accomplishment. It also sets a good example for the younger generation.

Creating one’s own work is one solution for a retiree who wants to work post-retirement. Starting one’s own business, at this time in life, is not necessarily easy, but is another option to consider. Perhaps you as a retiree, have special skills you could use to mentor others or want to develop further.

Should you work after retirement? Do you want to? Begin to make plans that are appropriate for you and your family. Explore the Internet, as well as other avenues and you may discover that your true life’s work has just begun.

The Emotional Impact of Art for the Artist: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Are you a potential artist who loves artwork? As a baby boomer or senior, perhaps you want to be an artist. If so, you might also wonder what the emotional impact of art will be for you as an artist, particularly with respect to your own work. Will it affect others the same way? 

The emotional impart of art for the true artist may be as powerful as it is for any other person who loves art. For some artists, the emotional aspect may be even more intense.

The article, “The Emotions of Creativity” suggests, “Emotions disturb equilibrium – at equilibrium we’re neutral. Exceptional art isn’t neutral and neither are significant artists.”

Emotional, creative attachment to one’s own artwork often leads the artist to cling to his or her work or to hide it, rather than to share it with the world. The artist may not want to share his or her artwork because it is too personal with respect to his or her own emotions, thoughts and feelings, either expressed or hidden in the artwork. It may be embarrassing because artwork is simultaneously revealing and concealing. Amateur artists can be particularly vulnerable in this respect.

Fear may be one of the initial emotional responses an artist has in terms of his or her own artwork. An example of this might be that of an artist portraying death associated with a dark graveyard.

There is a whole gamut of emotions artists experience when creating pieces of artwork including love and hate, joy and sorrow. Many artists fall in love with their own artwork; others hate their own work.

Many times, pieces of artwork originate from inspiration triggered by the artist’s strong emotions or emotional attachment to something or someone. As the artwork progresses, the emotional intensity experienced by the artist may increase. It may also decrease, particularly when the artist becomes frustrated with it.

The artist may have such overpowering positive feelings about his or her work that he or she demands immediate approval and recognition as an artist. He or she may be aware that others can experience similar intense, emotional impact from his or her artwork.

At other times, there are powerful, strong feelings about artwork that may be negative or extremely negative. Extremely adverse feelings aroused in the artist’s emotional realm may cause him or her to destroy his or her own artwork.

The artist may experience contradictory thoughts about his or her own self worth, at times exaggerated in a positive or a negative manner, in artwork based on the artist’s emotions.  Exaggerated positive, emotional feelings might result in the artist attempting to display his or her artwork to others, even forcing it on those who normally do not like artwork. He or she may create antagonism towards others by being too infatuated with it and insistent on the merit of a piece of artwork.

Other people may not be able to relate to a piece of artwork, if they do not perceive it in a manner similar to the emotional involvement of the artist. They may also have very adverse thoughts and feelings about it, regardless of the artist’s emotional attachment to it.

Be aware that negative criticism can often devastate an artist and render him or her impotent with respect to continuing in the field of artwork.

Artists seeking immediate fame and fortune from their artwork become disillusioned and may turn away from the occupation, even when their artwork is excellent and appreciated by others. This may happen if there it is only a money-oriented career or hobby. An artist painting only for money may give up quickly when he or she does not get wealthy immediately.

For those seriously considering becoming artists, it is important to deal with the personal, as well as the emotional impact of artwork on others. People may express pleasure or displeasure, but an emotional reaction one way or another is better than no reaction.

Artists are generally individuals who work alone and are able to continue in their realm of endeavor without the continual, positive, recognition and reinforcement of others. They can survive negative criticism and do not over-exaggerate positive aspects of the criticism by others.

Carving one’s own niche in the art world is not easy for any artist, but worth pursuing for artists who are truly gifted in some way.

You might be a person who is able to express your emotions, thoughts and feelings in your artwork in such a powerful way others can relate to it in a similar manner. Remember that emotions always play a powerful role in artwork. When there is no emotion, the artwork may be blasé.

Regardless of the response of others, pursue your art-oriented goal and develop your skills. Who knows, you may be a Michael Angelo, at heart.

Ways in Which Frugality Pays: Tips For Baby Boomers and Seniors

Can one get rich by being frugal? That is one possibility. Having peace of mind is another. 

What exactly does the word frugality mean?

The freedictionary.com website defines the word frugality, not in terms of miserliness, but rather in terms of the economy, suggesting frugality is “practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources or costing little; inexpensive”.

How does frugality pay? What are the benefits and implications of living a frugal lifestyle?

“Frugal living does not imply additional thriftiness, rather it implies better money management and to live smartly."

In terms of dollars and cents, frugality means learning how to manage one’s money in a better, smarter way. 

Not everyone learns how to manage money smartly or properly as children, teenagers or as adults. For many people, these kinds of lessons are not the kind that are learned until they are confronted with hardship, job loss, unemployment or a lifestyle in a negative, economic situation of some kind. Most people look at money as something that they have to spend and enjoy; perhaps they some save for a rainy day, but not as a rule of thumb. Most people overspend or wind up in debt.

One of the basic rules of frugality is learning how to distinguish one’s needs from one’s wants. Being frugal, one learns that basic needs must be or become a priority.    

Perhaps one of the largest problems related to the need for frugality in our era, has to do with the rapidly declining, global economy. There are many seniors and a large number of baby boomers about to enter into retirement. 

Many people who are now elderly seniors were forced to learn frugality and practice it prior to, during and post World War ll. Many of the older baby boomers grew up in homes where frugality was an accepted and appropriate life style for every community, particularly in conjunction with large families, which were the accepted norm of that day.

Addressing frugality in this era, the basics of frugality are still the same, namely that of good economic money management and learning how to live smarter.

Living better does not necessarily mean spending more money. With good money management practices, it can mean spending less money and saving more money. Frugality pays, as one sees his or her basic needs being met. After one becomes financially secure is the time to fulfill the personal desires one harbors. Even then, frugality is still a good practice.

Financial independence is one of the primary benefits of frugality. It involves a strong work ethic, which many seniors and baby boomers have learned, while the younger generation may not understand its merit. Teenagers and young adults can learn to break free of dependency upon their parents and grandparents by learning how to manage their money better and learning how to live smarter financially. Freedom from debt and ongoing or recurrent monetary crises is another advantage of frugality.

In closing, one must address rising global, humanitarian needs and suggest that those who are accustomed to frugality are in a position to assist others in some way, while those who are not may need assistance from them.

Will one get rich being frugal? Some do, but getting rich may no longer be their primary goal as values change over the years. What originally seemed so important in terms of the accumulation of wealth may no longer matter, in the light of the love of one another.          

Knowing Your Own Mind is Good Business Sense: Tips For Baby Boomers and Seniors

Who knows your mind better than you do, especially when it comes to business? As a baby boomer or senior returning to work, you have probably worked in many different employment scenarios where good business sense may or may not have prevailed. 

Good business sense comes down to common sense, but not everyone understands common sense, when it comes to business. Trying to function with principles and practice that reflect someone else’s mind is like looking at a mirrored image that may be exactly opposite what your own good business sense advocates.

Lewis Green from the “Marketing Profs” website, in an article entitled “Why Putting People First Makes Good Business Sense” suggests “Putting people first is a different and a better way to think and to measure success.”

He offers a number of business guidelines suggesting those of "a company that never violates its values or acts unethically, because your focus is on people, not profits.”

Your own personal moral, ethical and legal business sense is an extremely important part of good business sense. The love of others is one of the foundations for a successful business.

Consider the following example of how knowing own mind in terms of good business sense can become compromised, in an adverse employment situation.

You begin to work for a business and find that you no longer have the option of choosing to follow your own good, business sense. You are now in a position where you have to revert to the non-moral, non-ethical and non-legal principles and practice of your new employer. He or she appears to have the mind of someone to whom you cannot relate.

You are shocked and stunned when you see what is happening in this business, because it is hurting, not helping others. Ordered to carry out business practices that should never be part of any legitimate business, you experience instant revulsion. It goes against everything that you know in your mind to be good business sense. What is going on does not even fit into the category of common sense, as far as you are concerned.

What should you do? This can be a difficult decision for baby boomers and seniors.

You realize that although there should not be, there can be non-moral, non-ethical and non-legal principles and practices in any business. This kind of business is not something you feel comfortable with in terms of your personal values, work ethics or employment standards.

You also are aware that this business is an immediate reflection on you and your personal value system. It compromises your own business sense. Common sense prevails, as your conscience tells you it is wrong for a business to operate in this manner. Attempting to resolve the matter is your instinctive reaction.

You try to speak to your employer about the non-moral, non-ethical and non-legal business principles and practice of the business. He or she glosses over what you say and orders you back to work. All of your attempts to rectify the adverse situation prove to be in vain.

Your employer offers you the option of quitting, stating you have to follow company principles and practice, whether you agree with them or not. If you do not work under their business guidelines, your employment will end immediately.

You opt to quit, rather than having further confrontation with your employer about adverse business principles or practices.

Quitting your job because of non-moral, non-ethical and non-legal business principles and practices may put 

you in a difficult position, because you have to start looking for work all over again. Quitting for personal reasons is acceptable on an employment record. Fired on an employment record may make it difficult to obtain other employment.  

Knowing your own mind, you are determined to use your common sense this time, as you seek other work. You soon find appropriate employment that accurately reflects your good business sense. Because of this experience, you have come to know your own mind better.   

Business: What Roles Do Leaders Play in Creating a Culture of Trust: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Understanding the role of leadership in a culture of trust is essential. Creating a culture of trust begins with proactive leaders who set positive examples for leadership in businesses around the globe. Businesses with leaders who assume the role of creating a culture of trust are invariably destined to succeed.

What is a culture of trust and why is it so important in business? This may be a question that baby boomers and seniors returning to work are asking. 

“When trust exists between employees and management, and more importantly with customers, business will thrive.”

Good leadership is always important as it is vital for businesses to thrive, not merely survive, particularly in an era where there is a declining global economy with competition that is relatively high.

Leading a business into a culture of trust is not necessarily easy.   

Inc.com offers a strategy for leaders building a corporation on trust, defining trust as “the state of readiness for unguarded interaction with someone or something.”

In business, there are three important, vital and distinct kinds of trust, capability trust, contractual trust and communication trust.

For example, a leader who allows others to make important decisions shows capability trust for them. When leaders are consistent in terms of establishing and maintaining agreements there is contractual trust, while information sharing shows communication trust.   

Leaders who demonstrate consistent integrity and honesty in a business regardless of its size, immediately begin to establish a culture of trust in terms of employees and customers. They set an excellent example for others in the business community, as well as the global community.

Leadership that continually strives toward building trust relationships between leaders, employees and customers demonstrates effective, business practices rooted in appropriate moral, ethical and legal principles.

True leaders establish and maintain appropriate trust relationships that help to identify and eradicate any potential or dormant paranoia that could destroy a business quickly, if or when it surfaces and becomes an active paranoia based upon ungrounded fears.

Good business leaders often play the role of goal-oriented, powerful, motivational people who relate well to others and their families. Their attitude is positive and constructive leading towards inevitable business success.  

Many true, natural born businesses leaders are exemplary in terms of their global business management. The people who work under them feel secure, happy and content knowing that they can turn to their leaders, at any time.     

True leaders mentor others who also understand the significance of continuing to develop businesses that demonstrates a culture of trust.