A few months ago, I was discussing my decision to go back to school and reinvent myself with some classmates. I was surprised to find that “reinventing yourself” is a foreign concept to some people. So, what does “reinventing yourself” mean?

We have all experienced change in our lives – some of us more than others. Every change involves some degree of reinvention that changes who we are. For me that change occurred when I moved back to my hometown to help my parents. The decision to move from a large city like Dallas, TX to a smaller rural town like Murphysboro, IL (Southern Illinois) was fraught with change.

I had changed and so had Murphysboro. I am no longer a “country mouse”, but instead am a “city mouse”. I enjoyed living in the city and I missed all the things a city has to offer. The most important change was in the job market or lack of one. I had worked in the IT industry for almost 30 years; an industry that is booming in most areas.

Unfortunately, there were no jobs in the IT industry or in any other industry here. I moved back to Illinois when everyone else was making a mass exodus. The lack of jobs and massive taxes are only a couple of reasons that people are leaving.

Anyone with aging parents knows the struggle that comes with suggesting they move from their home to another home or another city. In my case I was met with an emphatic “H@#@ no!” They want to live in their home and who can blame them. Since I knew they couldn’t be convinced to move, I had to come up with another strategy that would place me in a position to support us all.

I decided to reinvent myself. I have always loved learning and believe that learning should be a lifelong endeavor. I decided to go back to school online to reinvent myself. A little research revealed that I could combine my technical skills with a writing degree to work remotely. I love to write and have written everything from poetry and short stories to articles and essays. I found that many companies are looking for creative and technical writers to write content for their websites, manuals, blogs, whitepapers and more.

The Internet played a huge role in my reinvention. I decided to attend SNHU online so I could be available to my parents. My research also showed SNHU is accredited and offered the degree plan I was interested in. Any hesitation I might have had about going back to school online or on campus were laid aside by statistics that showed that the number of non-traditional learners in their 40s, 50s and 60s was rising. When I returned to college in 2012 the U.S. Department of Education reported the number of non-traditional college students at over 8.2 million – over 800,000 were 50 years of age or older.

People are living and working longer. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Stories abound about older adults returning to school to improve existing skills or gain new skills. Many companies recognize that the workforce is aging and are including age in their diversity policies.

While I was working toward reinventing myself I find some work that could get us to the goal. I utilized the skills I had to get jobs as a freelance writer and tutor. The Internet not only helped me find jobs, but I would not be able to work without the Internet. I am a tutor teaching English as a Second Language to Chinese children. I live in Murphysboro, IL and my students live in China. I work as a freelance writer for several organizations. This work is great experience and adds to my portfolio.

We all reinvent ourselves several times over the course of a lifetime. Each change or reinvention is a grand adventure – a grand adventure that takes a lot of hard work and self-discipline. So how do you reinvent yourself? Once you decide to reinvent yourself make use of the tools at your disposal. Use the Internet! It is a wonderful tool. Make sure you do your due diligence – research, research, research! Keep your eye on your goal – stay focused.

Happily, I am nearing the end of my journey and will soon have my degree. My reinvention will be complete – for now.