"Older but wiser" is an old adage that Boomers could put to good use when it comes to establishing a freelance career. Often, your background and experience can be a plus in freelancing, unlike in the traditional job market, where younger employees are sometimes favored over older ones. Freelancing is essentially a form of self-employment in which you offer your services on an hourly or contracted job basis, directly to a client company, or via "resellers," who provide you with work on behalf of their clients. You may have heard this referred to as the "gig economy," (working on specific assignments rather than as a part-time or full-time employee) but that's just a contemporary term for freelancing.

There are several attractive aspects to freelancing. Freelancing offers you the ability to be your own boss, set your own rates (although they must be competitive), and enjoy a flexible work schedule. Contrary to popular belief, freelancing is not just for creative types; it used to be that a freelancer typically was a writer or graphic designer, but these days, companies are looking for freelance workers with a wide variety of skills. There are, for example, freelance software engineers, legal assistants, accountants, marketing project managers, and so on.

Carol Tice is an "older" freelancer who worked in banking and law for more than three decades and transitioned into a full-time freelance writer. She has some great advice for Boomers who may want to consider starting a freelance writing career in an article on her blog, "Make a Living Writing." When I read it, I was impressed by the fact that Carol's counsel could just as easily apply to any older freelancer, not just a freelance writer. The five steps she suggests are:

1. Take stock of your skills
2. Step up your marketing efforts
3. Keep learning
4. Manage your time
5. Plan ahead.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.makealivingwriting.com/older-freelance-writing-career/