The Second Career Bio

There are many reasons why second careers are on the rise. Some people retire early because a second career was part of the plan. Others had to pivot because of the pandemic and found out they love their newfound career, and the last reason is that the second career was a complete surprise that they never saw coming.

Regardless of the reason, a second career bio is going to be a necessity. The difference in a second career bio is that you will want to leverage information from your previous career, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with your current second career. In fact, the more opposite that they are, the more magical the second career bio becomes.

In second career bios, age doesn’t matter. For example, many find their passion in teaching, and the older you are, the more wisdom you’ve developed, which would make you a better teacher. We have found that those who have a second career that they are pursuing feel it is what they should have done in the first place.

Second career bios paint a fuller picture of your work ethic. Many who have been motivated to pursue that second career do so because they feel that drive to provide the service or product. 

Your professional bio should include information about your previous career and any awards or any accolades you have received. You want to communicate about the bridge you crossed to get to your second career.

Here is an example that we have found to illustrate why second careers are so popular. John and Gill Dalley are the co-founders of Soi Dogs Foundation, one of the most successful global non-profit organizations. They save dogs and cats from abuse and the meat trade in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, and a few other countries. Both John and Gill had very successful careers — Gill was in banking, and John was a chemist. 

Gill passed in 2017 from cancer, but her message in this clip is what a second career represents, regardless of what the career is.