Baby boomers back for encore
24 September, 2013
With more and more members of the workforce now choosing to work beyond the standard retirement age of 65, it appears baby boomers are championing the rise of what’s being labelled the ‘encore career’.
According to a recent research paper published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, encore careers refer to new career paths that are usually adopted by workers aged between 55 and 65, providing them with a greater degree of autonomy and flexibility and often involving formal study.
After spending 40 years as a nurse specialising in cardiac care, Sunshine Coast local Chis Gilmour became one of the growing number of Australians that hit the books again, waved goodbye to their former job and embraced the encore career.
Mrs Gilmour said she’d long had a love for interior decorating and finally decided to pursue this in 2011, obtaining formal qualifications and launching her business, Island Living Interiors, in 2012.
“It’s an old cliché perhaps but interior decorating is my passion in life and I felt it was well and truly time to pursue it; my friends had been telling me for years to turn my creative streak into a business venture,” Mrs Gilmour said.
“It was a big decision to make and required me to travel to Brisbane for lectures at TAFE on top of my nursing shifts, but I’m so glad I made the switch.”
Mrs Gilmour said while she enjoyed nursing and interacting with patients each day, she found it very rewarding to now be practising her hobby day in, day out.
“I love the challenge of striking the right balance between aesthetics, functionality and affordability in the homes I decorate. This formula worked well when renovating and decorating my own homes for resale and assured a quick sale with a profit margin in mind,” Mrs Gilmour said.
“I haven’t waved goodbye to my former career completely; I’ve definitely brought some of my previous skills across to my new business.”
“As a nurse, you learn how to become a good listener and recognise people’s needs. This has come in particularly useful when meeting with clients and gaining an understanding of the type of look and feel they want in their homes.”
Kawana Waters Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Kerry Ricketts said baby boomers often performed extremely well in their encore careers, as they’d had plenty of life and work experience and were pursuing a career they knew was suited to them.
“Statistics show young Australians in particular are changing careers more and more frequently these days, with many unsure of what the right type of career is for them,” Mr Ricketts said.
“Many baby boomers have the advantage of having tested the waters. Years of experienced have shown them their strengths and interests, so when they commit to a new career, they usually excel.”
This was undoubtedly the case for Mrs Gilmour, who took out a Brisbane North Institute of Tafe Student Achievement Award when studying interior decorating and continues to receive rave reviews from clients.
Island Living Interiors client and mother of two Jill Deveney said Mrs Gilmour had captured the essence of her home and personal taste perfectly, integrating styling seamlessly between all rooms in the house.
“Chris quickly identified opportunities to better use our spaces and turned our disused living space into a functional and stylish living room,” Ms Deveney said.
“She saved us so much time through her ability to source everything from industry suppliers and worked well within our budgetary requirements.”
“I wished she’d found her calling in interior decorating sooner so we could have been working with her for years!”
Mrs Gilmour said she was enjoying the career change and immersing herself in the design and decorating world.
“I love using the works of designers like Greg Natale who produces some really inspired rugs and wallpapers, and Jonathan Adler, who is a very accomplished designer and ceramicist and very much aligns with my eclectic and contemporary approach to styling.”
As Principal of Island Living Interiors, Mrs Gilmour said she felt lucky to be able to pursue her new-found career on the Sunshine Coast.
“The Sunshine Coast region is such a perfect part of the world to run this kind of business as there are many people moving into the area and long term residents that I can advise, source specific décor items for and coordinate experienced trades people to provide positive outcomes for their permanent or holiday homes.”
“The beautiful scenery in the area is also a great source of inspiration.”
For more information regarding Chris Gilmour and Island Living Interiors, visit www.islandlivinginteriors.com.au.
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More information
Media contact: Kristen Roder – Fresh PR & Marketing
P: 0406 546 461 E: kristen@freshprm.com.au
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