|
Retirement Jobs.
Active Retirement Living - and generating an Income!
Retirement jobs are a bit of an oxymoron! You are retired after all.
Hopefully, your retirement financial planning has ensured that you are supported in some manner. So, are retirement jobs for seniors all about the money?
“Are you still working Greg?” I was bemused by the question. I was only 58 at the time, healthy and energetic, filling a leading role in an expanding company, and loving my work.
“You ought to be taking it easy Greg, life is short!” Pub talk, I thought and held my counsel, out of respect for his point of view. I simply replied,
“Yes I am, but I’m going at 60.”
Not only was I still working but I had no intention of stopping completely after I “retired”. My ideal vision of retirement involved staying in the workforce.
I wanted to pursue a second career, using my best skills and experience accumulated over decades. But I wanted more leisure time with family and friends, than I had in full time employment.
By way of contrast, around the same time I was doing a Coaching course at the Irish Management Institute, and I said to one of my classmates that if my health,
energy and motivation held up, I could see myself working until I was 70. “Why put any age limit on it Greg”, she replied. I liked that sentiment.
My friend in the pub was reflecting a traditional view, collect your watch and retire to a life of leisure. It used to be ... retirement jobs ... no way!
But the Baby Boomers see retirement from their primary career differently.
A Merrill Lynch US survey found that 76% of that generation plan to do some work in retirement.
Why would people want to pursue a second career in retirement, why Retirement Jobs?
One of the main reasons is Money. The global financial crisis has reduced the value of houses and savings/investment portfolios so that additional income is required.
Even if you are one of the fortunate few for whom extra income is not a priority, there are other reasons why you might want to continue working.
An acquaintance of mine, Damien, is the quintessential extravert. Sometimes I envy him! He appears so comfortable and at ease meeting customers and in social situations.
He is energetic and enthusiastic in the presence of people. He is in his late forties and a long way off retirement. When the time comes, if I were coaching him,
I would remind him to seek retirement jobs or retirement hobbies that maintained his involvement with people.
(Read - Personality and Job Choice as well as Joe's Story).
Some people love to work - creative occupations for example, and derive great personal satisfaction from their vocation.
(Read - When can I retire?)
Another reason for retirement jobs is the fear of adjusting to a different lifestyle. People who don’t realise that I am in active retirement often ask me
if I get bored or if I have a problem filling my days! I didn’t simply retire from my primary career; I retired to do something else.
Or maybe, like Michael's Story - you are bored! You believe you are not finished after 40 years working.
You want to continue learning, challenging yourself and deriving satisfaction from a job.
Whatever your reason for seeking a retirement job, the good news is jobs are available for the over fifties! Sure the current climate is challenging,
there are fewer jobs and more candidates, but 2009 won’t last forever.
True, you are not so young anymore but you do have the freedom to do something you would love to do, really want to do.
Why not aim for a job that feeds your self-esteem by the very doing of it, because you get to use the skills you most love to use,
in the field you most love to work in, moving towards those goals you would most love to accomplish? (Read - Top 10 Retirement Jobs)
What you don’t want is a job that does not suit your personality.
So how do you get noticed? When last did you attend an interview? Is you resume up to date? At the risk of “teaching my grandmother to suck eggs”,
may I suggest that you seek some coaching to position yourself for the best chance of success. (Read - Retirement Job Search)
Stay in touch and subscribe to my monthly email newsletter, "Retirement Stories". It is full of new stories and tips on planning for and enjoying an active retirement.
Subscribe Now..
Back from Retirement Jobs to Retirement Stories Homepage
|
Recently Added Stories
Also - Go to Retirement Sentiments -
where you will find a full index of stories available on retirement-stories.com.
Planning for Retirement - By Pat Price - How the best laid plans ....
Gardening as a Retirement Hobby - By Regina Kessler ...
Senior Adventure Travel: The Mountain Kings of Africa:
If you're looking for retirement ideas, you might try an adventure holiday...
Retirement Wishes Vs. Reality: About Schmidt - "About Schmidt", staring Jack Nicholson,
is one of my favourite movies. The film has wonderful characters, evokes strong emotions
and the theme or plot is relevant to those of us recently retired - or just about to ...
Retirement for Couples: Darby and Joans Story -
If you are one part of a couple who live together - you may already know some of the challenges that
we face in retirement. But, let's draw back a bit - let's have a look at the journey that brings us to this point. ...
Where to Retire?
Where to retire is one of the major questions to occupy many of us in the years approaching retirement!
Sometimes the answer is closer than you think!
|
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.