Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with senior

Grandfather's first laptop

XcentricOrbit — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:13:05 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations on setting up a new laptop for my 92 year old grandfather. He is essentially a "first timer" to modern computers, having never used a computer with a modern operating system and internet access, so any ideas to make it simpler and safer for him are welcome. Relevant details:

Gramps: He's 92 years old, and the last time he owned a computer was probably in the early 1990's, and it was running MS-DOS / Win 3.11. As far as I know, he's never used anything more "online" than a BBS. He is "aware" of the internet and web, though, as he watches quite a bit of TV. He recently expressed interest in a netbook or similar that he could keep next to his favorite TV watching seat. His eyes and hearing, while diminished a bit at his age, should be up to the task of using the computer we got for him. His fine motor control is a bit lacking, but the keyboard keys are large enough, and we're getting a wireless mouse just in case the touchpad is an issue.

Laptop: Since the netbooks mostly had too small of a screen for his eyes, we ended up with a 15.4" Celeron-based Acer with a steal of a price from Best Buy ($249!). It has Windows 7 installed, and for now, at least, I think we'd rather keep that than install a flavor of Linux.

My google-fu has mostly failed me, and I haven't found much related on AskMefi (a couple posts about first timer users and children). Essentially, what I'm looking for is software recommendations, tips and tricks, and even hardware and accessories to help him ease into using his first modern computer. A few things that have come to mind:

Browser: What's the best browser and combination of plugins to help him avoid scams, unwanted pop-ups / redirects, and other generally malicious sites, but still leaves the browser easily usable and not confusing? NoScript in FireFox, for instance, is awesome for me, but it seems to boggle many people who aren't aware of exactly what it's doing.

E-mail: Best client or webmail to help him avoid scams and such, but also very simple to use to keep in contact with family and friends.

Security software (antivirus, anti-spyware, etc): Which ones are the best mix of safe, lightweight, and non-intrusive? Basically, what works without getting all up in his (or the laptop's) grill?

Accessibility: Any programs you have experience with that make the computer easier to use for someone of his age? Launchers, desktop mods, etc.

Any other general software recommendations are welcome (or any important areas you think I've omitted), and personal tips and tricks you've seen or used would be great. He has a "lap table" that should be big enough to the laptop with room to spare for a wireless mouse, but if you have a accessory that you think is the bee's knees, definitely link it! Heck, even simple games you think a senior might be interested in would be of interest.

And with that, I've popped my AskMefi question cherry. Thanks everyone! One of these days, I'll get around to doing an FPP too!

Assisted living? Retirement home? Help!

Raze2k — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:13:34 -0800

Assisted living? Retirement home? Help! I could write a book about my family and our dysfunctions, but I'll keep it as brief as possible.

My grandmother has lived with my father since they came to the United States in the 1960s and that includes moving into the house that they've lived in ever since my parents were married. These three are the extent of any family my sister and I have ever known (my mother was cut off / lost contact with her family in PA and my father has no family that he's aware of in Romania).

There have been a lot of ups and downs over the years with arguments between all three adults, the likely cause being that they've all essentially become shut-ins, with only minimal contact with the outside world and virtually no friends at all. My mother and father claim to be happy with this arrangement, but you can imagine how stir crazy that might make a person. As a result, when arguments do break out, there's limited outlets for venting and everything escalates needlessly. Now throw in the fact that they've basically spent years of their lives watching television rather than having social lives and we get a bit closer to my actual question. My grandmother is 89 years old and as such, she's been hit the worst by the lack of regular social interaction and essential seclusion in her room watching television. There's a lot more detail that I could go into, but basically she's tired of feeling locked in and a recent, extremely explosive situation has left my mother not speaking to her. Consequently she feels angry, unwelcome and has spoken to my sister about moving out.

At 89 years old, her options are limited but she clipped an advertisement from the newspaper for an assisted living residence that she has asked my sister to look into; my grandmother receives less than a thousand dollars in Medicare a month and is under the impression that the residence wouldn't cost more than $1000. Unfortunately, that's most definitely not the case, as my sister's initial investigation turned up a yearly amount of close to $90,000.

So, I turn to you hive mind. Please give me your wisdom and insight into this situation.

My grandmother is far from invalid. She's lost some mobility (and feeling in some fingers), but has minimal -- if any -- difficulty going up and down large flights of stairs, getting into and out of bed / chairs herself, bathing herself and still loves to bake and cook. What she wants isn't a live-in nanny or person to make sure she takes her pills. My sister is completely in support of either taking her into her apartment or finding a 2 bedroom apartment, but I think that might be lacking.. in the sense that she'd still be a bit limited during the day in terms of social interaction. My sister says that my grandmother seemed very excited by the prospect of talking to other seniors and using amenities like an on-site hair salon; this from a woman who hasn't really left the house by herself (or more than a few times a year for that matter) in well over a decade.

What are my options in New York (either Queens or Long Island) that are affordable (Medicare + help from my sister and I) for someone who craves social interaction with other seniors (something she hasn't had in perhaps 30 years)?

Note: Despite my sister's suggestions, my grandmother hasn't gone on day trips with my sister while living with my parents mostly because she feels guilt or anger reflected back from my father. She has given up so much of her life for her son (and there's a huge back story here).

Humana Medicare Supplemental Insurance--is it any good?

I'm Brian and so's my wife! — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:07:34 -0800

Has anyone here had any experiences with Humana's Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance for seniors? My mother-in-law currently is paying $400 a month for her supplemental insurance with another insurance company. She recently called Humana and got a quote of $98 a month. Sounds a little too good to be true. Any folks out there have the supplemental health insurance with Humana? Have your experiences been good or bad?

She resides in Tennessee and is in her 80s.

Buying a Home from Grandma... Legal issues?

ganzhimself — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:21:15 -0800

We are looking at buying my wife's grandmother's home from her before she goes into a senior living facility. What sort of implications could arise for her if we can all come to an agrement on us purchasing the home? Would the house still be considered an asset of hers if it was sold to us at less than fair-market-value? We're in Wisconsin and recently my wife's grandmother decided that she can't maintain her home and wants to move into a senior living facility, possibly assisted living. If we were to buy the home for less than the fair market value, would the home still be considered as her asset if they are basing her "rent" at 30% of her income?

What do 80-year-olds want for their birthday?

Work to Live — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:41:25 -0800

Gift ideas for an 80-year-old who's virtually a stranger? My "stepfather" married my mother just before I left for college in 1982. She passed away 13 years later and he remarried about a year after that. He's a fine man, but I don't really know him.

He turns 80 in a couple weeks. I won't be there in person, so I'd like to send something to commemorate the birthday. But what? Any ideas would be welcome.

A class in L.A. to help my mom stop worrying and learn to love Excel and Word?

tyrantkitty — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:04:33 -0800

Please recommend beginning MS Excel and Word classes (offline) in Los Angeles for a computer-antagonistic but somewhat -knowledgeable almost-senior. After about forty years in publishing, my 61-year-old mother is out of a job. While she managed to make it through all forty years without learning any Microsoft programs, she reluctantly agrees that it's a good idea to learn the basics of these programs so she can beef up her resume for the job hunt.

Due to personality conflicts, assume it will not work for me to teach my mother. Though she is not dumb, she tends to get frustrated with new technology/software. Despite this, not only is her Google-fu strong, she's familiar and comfortable with multiple publishing programs (including PageMill, Quark and Publisher), all of which she's learned on-the-job. So she's not computer-illiterate. I think it's just hard for her to immediately see how one set of software skills can translate to another program. For whatever reason, it's just not intuitive for her, but once she gets the hang of a particular program, she's off to the races.

The main goal is to get her familiar and comfortable with the way Excel looks and acts on a very basic level. So I'm looking for recommendations for Los Angeles-area courses or instructors that would teach her the basics of document editing in Word and the basics of data entry in Excel (while it's probably always included, I don't think graphs or charts will ever come into play for her in a job), with patience but without condescension. Please do not suggest online classes; she and I (and an uninvolved third party I consulted before posting this question) agree that way madness lies. Physical classroom only. I would like to mimic a workplace setting (where she's done all past successful computer learning) as much as possible.

Other preferences (but not necessities): close to the Miracle Mile area, course duration of just a few days and 2-3 hours per day, the less expensive the better.

Exit, stage...center?

thankyoumuchly — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:41:25 -0800

What are the next steps for a Theater major going into her Senior year of College? My younger sister, a college Theater major, will be starting her Senior year this upcoming Fall. I would like to help her transition, over the next 18 months, into the working world as a well prepared thespian. The catch? I don't know the ropes.

Here's the background: I am in business, my father was in business. My older sibling is in health care, my mother was in health care. Myself and my older sibling had graduation/senior year/interview/job world questions answered by Dad and Mom. Our parents provided us guidance on everything job related such as "how do I interview for jobs my Senior year... should I choose job X or Y... what steps should I be taking now... how should I market myself?".

Our parents still have good advice for our Theatrically inclined younger sister, but they can't provided her with the same type of intimate industry knowledge that I received.

I'm turning to the hive mind for answers! What are the do's and don'ts? Should my little sister be attending job fairs, create a portfolio, apply to the Screen Actors Guild, hire an agent? What am I missing? Please be honest, I can take it (remember I'm in business, the truth no longer scares me ;). She is open to my advice but I have two left feet when it comes to keeping her in the lime light after the curtain closes on college (o boy, maybe she and I should do a comedy/acting routine).

The end goal is to make sure my little sister doesn't miss her que when it comes to the next steps she should be taking in her upcoming Senior year to ensure she has a job, or is in a viable position to market herself to parts in plays, movies, etc.

Thank you in advance!

Alaskan Cruise Travel Tips?

cyniczny — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:50:39 -0800

Heading on an Alaskan cruise with my 2-year old son, my husband and my 64-year old mother who just finished chemo/radiation for lung cancer. Suggestions, tips, thoughts on making sure everyone enjoys the time? The back story: planned this trip last year for this May, prior to the cancer diagnosis. Mom was diagnosed at Christmas and has been getting chemo/radiation treatment since January. She just finished a little over a week ago and is pretty weak. No hair loss (longer term, lower dose treatments ordered), but she has a hard time with her stamina and eating (radiation hit the esophagus). This Alaskan cruise is her life-long dream and with the diagnoses, she considers this part of her "bucket list". However, the cruise wasn't originally intended to be this, so while I want to ensure she is happy and has a great time, I also want to ensure that everyone has their needs taken care of.

So, the actual question is related more to gathering suggestions from folks on how I can best make this a great time, not tire my mom out too much and survive traveling with my toddler. He's never been on a plane and we'll be taking a 3-hour plane ride, meeting my mom and staying over night. Next day, we have a 3-hour car drive to the port. Tips, tricks, suggestions for keeping the toddler happy?

And finally, my husband is a huge photography buff and is very excited about going to Alaska. We don't want to pre-book excursions in case something occurs with my mom or toddler, so suggestions around day trips we could take that would be "mild" or something that he can do by himself as part of a larger, more adventurous group? We're taking a round-trip from Vancouver, BC up through Glacier Bay. Ports include Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan.

Other info is that we're cruising for a week which coincides with my husband's birthday, mother's day, and my birthday!

Sorry this is so long and rambling - we're leaving next Tuesday and all of the sudden, the reality has hit me smack in the face! Thanks in advance for the guidance.

Yet another question about parents, finances, and roommates after college.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:12:10 -0800

CollegeTransitionFilter: Help a sad little CS student deal with figuring out where to live, what he can expect in this economy, and how to deal with an unexpected surprise for his besieged parents. I'm an undergrad senior going to a relatively prestigious research college in the rust belt. I transferred here from a community college where I had a near 4.0 to nearly getting kicked out of my current school after my third semester. I decided that a career in science (I was a bio major competing in a school known for its pharmacy/medicine programs) was not for me and instead decided to finish out a major in CS. I had avoided a computer science program mostly because I figured I could get a job anyway -- I was one of those kids who had Linux running and was hacking away in C before I got to college.

Unfortunately, due to some leftover teenage depression (mostly from dealing with LGBT issues from adolescence), the community college dance, and flunking out from my previous major, I'm slated to graduate at the end of next fall semester, giving me a total of 5 1/2 years for getting a stupid BS. I feel like crap over it, but the hivemind has hashed that out before. The problem? I slightly miscalculated how long it would take for me to graduate, and they don't know they have to pay for another semester. I've debated lying to them ("I'm going to grad school!"), but I'd honestly rather not do that.

Asking them to help pay for things wouldn't really be so bad, except I think they may be splitting soon. The problem is, their marriage is like the world economy -- slowly and unpredictably circling the drain. I don't want to give my mother and father an excuse to be miserable ("We can't do anything now, anonymous is still in college..."), but on the other hand I've been here for far too long not to graduate.

The second issue revolved around how I'm going to plan my life after that's finished. I live in a three bedroom apartment off-campus but still in the college's neighborhood, and I'm completely miserable. I did the random roommate search thing since most of my friends had graduated, and I ended up with a male roommate who's pretty amiable and a female roommate who has soured me to the idea of living with anyone for a while. Without going into too much detail, she's been unemployed since I've moved in (>6 months), always around, really moody (which I think has something to do with the fact that she may have bulimia), and does not like me for whatever reason. More than 80% of the time when I enter a room she's in she'll start humming loudly to express her disapproval of my existence.

All that said, I can tolerate my living situation until my lease is up in August. This leads me to my last question: how quickly can a new CS major with a decent major GPA (>3.25) and a bad general GPA (~2.5) with some job and open source experience expect to get a job and support myself? My current student job involves light sysadmin work, some programming, and some helpdesk stuff, and I'll get a good reference out of the bargain. I've written some docs and patches for open source stuff, but nothing major. I'm really tempted to move in with my parents at the end of my lease -- I can wait around til the rent is cheaper mid-winter and save some more money for post-college living. However, I think that could be a terrible idea because I could end up getting marauded there if I don't find a job -- they'll say something to the effect of, "We're not helping you pay for an apartment, there's nothing wrong with you living here", and my past depression will creep up like every other time I've lived with them. On the other hand, I don't want to be stuck in a place I can't afford if my parents don't feel like subsidizing me any longer if they divorce. I can cook well and I'm not particularly materialistic, but living alone with my savings I figure I'll only have enough to live two to three months on my own if I don't get a job.

Side note to anyone who suggests therapy: I'm in it, but I think this is one of my therapist's blind spots...she's an old hippy who seems to relish in the idea that the capitalist excesses of the last few decades is receding.Which I would agree with, if it didn't mean moving back in with my parents.

How do I not get taken advantage of ?

Taurid — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:10:50 -0800

What is the best approach for me to take and continue helping my senior neighbor out without being taken advantage of by her and/or her children? I have an elderly neighbor ( in her eighties) who my family has been helping for the last 17 years. We've done things like cut the grass, clear her driveway ( and sidewalk) of ice and snow, drove her and her husband (before he passed away two years ago) as well as taken her to appointments, out for suppers, and on day trips, etc. Recently however, she has been having fainting spells and her heart is not that good. There is a good possibility of her driving license being canceled because of her health. She is very upset about losing her independence. She has three children, two of them have licenses to drive, have their own vehicles, and are capable of taking her places but seldom volunteer to. They live close by. My neighbor lives alone in her own home.

Why season matte enamel?

Kemayo — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:46:33 -0800

Why does my Ikea SENIOR casserole, which has a "matte enamel interior", come with instructions for seasoning? It was my understanding that seasoning cast iron cookware was only relevant when the iron was bare. It seems pointless if it's just going over enamel...

The seasoning instructions are in a little booklet with care instructions for the SENIOR line. I thought it might be that, say, the frying pan was bare cast iron, but according to the website, they all have the matte enamel interior.

(It seemed, from look/feel, entirely plausible to me that the interior could be bare iron. However, I'm not terribly familiar with cast iron cookware.)

yes, I'm in denial

randomstriker — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:03:37 -0800

What would my mother be using KY Jelly for other than the obvious? She gave me an antique dresser. In one of the drawers was a bottle of the stuff. She phoned me and asked if it was there, and asked for it back.

Now maybe I should just be an adult about this, get over my squeamishness and accept it might be for what it's for. But please give me plausible reasons to at least hope that it was for something else, so that I don't have all these icky images in my head.

How to succeed in AP English Literature?

zenja72 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:55:50 -0800

Help a high school senior make the most out of AP English Literature. Pretty basic: I'm a high school senior about to take an AP English Literature course... Tell me about your AP English Lit experience, where you failed, how you succeeded... What the classes were like, what books you read, how you took notes and read books... Relevant links, thoughts, etc.

Also: while test taking information is fine, I'm in this class to get the most out of it, not to get the best score on the test... although that would be fine too. Thanks!

First Day Advice

trashcan — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:05:37 -0800

First day of work at new job, tips please... Hi

I am starting a new job next week as a senior finance manager, responsible for 8 direct reports in a company that has had some issues with previous incumbents.

These Issues were of poor work standards and poor team building. The team have levels of sick days, high staff turnover and no work has been done at the company for a few months on some key issues.

Now, my style is pretty relaxed...but I dont want them thinking that they have got an easy run, because they haven't - if they perform well, they will be rewarded with a great boss...if not then they will be moved on, efficiently and within UK employment regulations.

I would appreciate some ideas on how I should act though, other than being myself, over the first day and then maybe the ensuing weeks to best enamour myself with the direct reports, owners of the business and other members of the workforce.

Cheers for the thoughts

TC

Cellular Panic Buttons?

lucidreamstate — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 04:36:42 -0800

Does anyone know if there is a medical alarm service (like LifeFone or MedicAlert) that works on a cellular network instead of old copper wire land-lines? My mother and father have both recently had some pretty scary medical episodes (heart attack and a stroke, respectively). They're still pretty independent after all this. Both of them are mobile and they're working with their doctor to get in better shape. They own and operate a small bookstore in a small town several state-lines away from me (I'm in NYC).

In addition to a bevy of other things, we want to make sure they have some backup in case of another medical scare, so we've been looking into medical alarm systems. ("I've fallen and I can't get up" type gizmos).

There are some recommendations for services here, but I'm looking for something very specific.

My parents will still be putting in hours at their bookstore, as well as making the occasional trips to WalMart or spending an evening out having dinner or at the local community theater.

Their town is well covered with cellular service so I'm wondering if a medical alert "panic button" exists that uses cell networks. Preferably, it would have some sort of GSM locater in it that would give the responders an idea of where my parents were when they hit the button. A regular cell phone is way too complicated of an interface for my elderly parents if they're in the middle of a medical incident

VRI seems to offer the service, but their website make them seem sketchy (lots of talk of "low low prices", which is not my first concern in a parental medical emergency). I also found info on the Samsung Jitterbug A110, but CNet says they aren't made anymore, and most of the user reviews are crap.

So, does anyone know if a device like this exists that is reliable? (Or at least as reliable as the cell phone networks?) Does such a device exist?

(And if it doesn't, are there any VCs reading this post?)

What do you do for drug-induced depression? Well, it's more complicated than that...

Sallysings — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:05:47 -0800

My mom-in-law is suffering from 1) a new life in a nursing home 2) diabetes 3) Myasthenia gravis 4) the prednisone that is controlling the Myasthenia 5) her other son who rarely visits and pretty much cuts her out of his life. What can I do to help? She's 77. Last year, she had another Myasthenia crisis, and had to be hospitalized. A few months ago we had to move her out of her own apartment and into a nursing home since her doctors believed that she can no longer live alone because she was falling so much. She feels that her independence is gone and her other son all but forgotten about her. We call her everyday, but the prednisone makes her extremely negative (she's normally a chirpy, positive person. This mamma is entirely different than the one I met 3 years ago. I'm positive that it's the drugs she's taking for diabetes, myasthenia, as well as parkinson's.)

The past few months especially has been very trying for her; her older son has been all but absent (he is the executor of her estate, and his absence means that nothing's been transferred into the nursing home account to pay for her rent there) - he visits only every so often and often does nothing but upset her more. The last visit, my sis-in-law told mom that "I know you don't love me because you didn't call on my birthday." - mamma can hardly remember what day of the week it is nowadays, let alone her birthday!

Lately I find that she's surrendering to the effects of prednisone. She used to try to fight it, I think - and lately she's been rude to other people in the nursing home and taken a major dislike to some of the stuff, and even using racial slurs in private (she's not like that either - afterall, I AM chinese and she accepted me wholeheartedly) to refer to some of them. When I tell her "you're not like that why are you saying that" she'll say things like "you're right it must be the drugs talking" then she'll go on to pick on other things that are negative. The worst thing is, none of us seem to be able to shake her out of that negative rut. It used to be so easy to maker her laugh, and now as much as we try, she just finds it hard to smile.

This will only last another 3-4 months, since they're going to re-evaluate her condition and wean her off the prednisone the upcoming summer. But meanwhile, how do we:

a) Make her older son take responsibility of being her financial executor
b) Cheer her UP!

The suggestion that we take over her finances officially has been raised, but we on this side are afraid that once that has been done, her other son will just vanish and never visit or call again (he has done so and disappeared on her for 8 months, last year for "upsetting" his wife over christmas.)

Help me get a clue on my future options.

Ash3000 — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:19:36 -0800

I'm about to graduate and have no clue about the options for my future, and no one to talk to about it. Help me get a clue. I'm a senior in NYC, 22 years old, and don't even know what my options are. I'm very shy, very few knowledgable friends to ask, and my advisors are just plain awful. I have no idea what I should be doing right now. I see my options for post-August as:

1. Law school, which, if I want to go this fall, I really need to get cracking on. GPA 3.43, LSAT 168, political science major, history minor-equivalent, and an additional undergraduate writing program, extensive leadership experience on local and state level. But do I even want to go this fall? This is not something I'm entirely uninterested in, but it's really something my parents think I'd be amazing at, whereas I'm completely unsure. I'd basically only be applying to top-20 law schools where I can handle the debt because I only want to go to a place where, having gone, it increases my options in and of itself.

2. Teach For America. I have a friend I think extremely highly of who is in the second year of this, and, similarly, thinks I'd be well-suited for it. But honestly (and this might sound awful), I just feel very tired. I've kept an incredibly busy schedule all four years of college, a demanding courseload, leadership of a statewide students organization, etc etc. I kind of don't want to throw myself immediately into something that sounds so exhausting, so quickly, when I might have a year to do something I didn't really do in college, i.e. enjoy being young.

3. Working on a presidential campaign for one of the '08 Democrats, whether it be on policy, field operation, or whatever else. I might very well love to do this, having volunteered extensively for Dean in 2004, but I have NO idea how to formally get into this.

4. Anything else. I really, honestly, have no idea what my other options are, I just don't have enough human contact to know. Is it typical for people to get jobs in prep for any of the above, or something else? Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Is is standard to get a summer internship before whatever you do in the autumn? Is it standard to work somewhere for two years, then get cracking?

This probably all seems rather haphazard, but it's my state of mind right now. I feel like I'm on a track where time is ticking down SO fast and if I don't stop and examine where I'm going, I'll be somewhere in a year I never exactly wanted to be, simply because while everyone else knew the ropes, I half-heartedly sent out applications. Can anyone help on this front?

I haven't fallen and I can get up...for now.

wogbat — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:24:50 -0800

In the last couple of weeks I swear that I've seen a story, read a story, a dreamed a story about senior citizens and falling. The gist was something about senior citizens being too cautious about walking (taking tiny, slow steps) and that leading to more falls. I think. After that it is fuzzy. Do they then suggest stretching, yoga, or something else? I can't remember. Does this ring a bell? Or maybe the idea was to to teach them to fall...Or maybe have them take bigger steps...my memory fails me.

What is a good way to ask my girlfriend to prom?

bd — Wed, 03 May 2006 17:50:41 -0800

What is an excellent way to ask my girlfriend to prom? I am a senior in high school and need to (in a romantic, inexpensive, and creative way) ask my girlfriend of a year and a half to prom. What are your ideas?

Please, nothing too cheesy.

What's the next logical career choice for a senior analyst?

DCTapeworm — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:03:23 -0800

What's the next logical career choice for a senior analyst? I've been a Senior Analyst (Business and Process) for about four years now, and can't seem to break a 'glass ceiling' in terms of pay rate or promotion beyond the Senior Analyst title.

Worse, I can't seem to find a new career path related to being a Senior Analyst that would supplement career advancement.

I have have 2 MBA's from accredited universities in Texas (information systems, social work), and I have a dirth of experience as a program manager and as an analyst with Cingular and Microsoft. I also have a ton of knowledge about methodologies (RUP, SDL, etc.) and have applied them with numerous projects.

Should I get involved with some networking? Where can I got to get some inspiration or ideas? I really need some help or advice if anyone has the time.

Thanks in advance. :)

What's a good career move for a senior analyst with a social work background?

DCTapeworm — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 22:16:13 -0800

What's a good career move for a senior analyst with a social work background? Also, is there a nationwide organization for senior process and business analysts? My wife is a senior process analyst for a large software company. She's looking to make a career move that draws upon her skills as an analyst, her social work background, and her masters degrees. She's hoping to take the next logical step as a Senior Process Analyst, but she doesn't know to what.

Are there any national or local organizations that involve analysts of all kinds (or just the business and process kind) that she can tap? BTW, we live in the greater Seattle area.

Thanks in advance for any advice given. :)