Ready for Your Encore? Event Offers Help

Tampa Bay boomers who want to go from thinking about changing their lives or careers to actually doing it shouldn’t miss Encore Connect: Your Roadmap to What’s Next.

AARP is sponsoring the Encore Tampa Bay event Wednesday, March 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Student Center at USF St. Petersburg. A successful 2014 town hall introduced the concept.

“This year, what we want to do with Encore Connect is to take it to that next level,” said Encore Tampa Bay founder Bevan Rogel. It’s not a job fair, she added, but a chance to get personal guidance from experts, coaches and others.

The event will feature elements of AARP’s Life Reimagined program, said Michelle Cyr, AARP field coordinator for Tampa Bay. “The idea here goes beyond the reflection of ‘Where have I been?’ to ‘How do I make that next step?’  ”

Kerry Hannon, an author and AARP job expert who mixes advice and inspiration, will be the keynote speaker. “The biggest message I tell people is that you’ve got to believe in yourself,” she said.

Early bird tickets are $40 until March 13 at encoretampabay.com. After then the price is $60. The ticket price will also include a copy of Hannon’s book, Getting the Job You Want After 50 for Dummies. —George Edmonson