Many people dread the idea of retirement. Being out of the workforce may mean a lack of purpose for them. In addition, there is the financial side to retirement, where a lower income may be another source of stress as ageing brings children’s college education and potentially higher medical bills.
Retirement doesn’t have to mean an end to your professional life, however. In fact, this could be a new start for you to contribute to your field in different ways that still enrich your life and give your purpose — and some money.
So what types of jobs can you do if you are in your sixties or older? Here are a few options to consider.
Consulting
Your long professional experience and knowledge can be invaluable to many growing companies. Starting a consulting business can help you balance your work and life, meaning work as little or as much as you want and need. It also will help you remain fulfilled as you see your experience contributing to the success of new professionals or businesses.
Consulting isn’t for everyone, however. If you had practised setting strategies that match business goals, and seeing them through to completion, consulting can be right for you. If your past role was narrow and focused on excelling at one area, you may not have the skills for consulting. Your skills can be employed in other ways, however.
Freelancing or contracting
In this situation, you can be occasional projects in your field without the commitment to a full-time job. Similar to consulting, these opportunities will help you maintain the lifestyle you desire and make some additional income.
Freelancing and contracting can be stressful, however, if you never had experience with handling clients, pursuing payments and making sure you’re on top of the legal requirements. But once you work out these logistics, you can enjoy doing some work that keeps you connected with your industry, adds to your experience and bring you some money, as well.
Teaching
Many schools and college look for teachers who can practically share their career experience. Although you might not be a top teaching level, you might be able to pick a few classes here and there, which allow you to share your skills, knowledge and lifetime experience.
If you are good at communicating with others and transferring your knowledge, teaching can a great opportunity. You will get to shape young minds and budding professionals. In addition, this is a prestigious position that can be fulfilling for many people who are looking to keep working without returning to jobs similar to what they did in the past. Money might not be great, but it is certainly an income that can be predictable over the course of the classes you’re teaching.
Odd jobs
Many people find retirement an opportunity to try something that is totally different from their career. If you’re a bookworm, you might find a part-time library job enjoyable — even if you spent most of your adult life in urban planning or number crunching. Finally doing something that you personally love can be a relief and joy.
Odd jobs can also be your resort if your career doesn’t provide opportunities for consulting, freelancing, or teaching. If you still want to keep busy or make some money, working a few hours with a retailer, for example, can help you pay the bills, get some personal interaction and stay involved.
In doing any sort of odd job, it is important to focus on your goals rather than the job itself. It can be disheartening for someone to have to work at an older age just to pay the bills. Think of how your career — with all the successes you achieved — is intact and your current job doesn’t tarnish any of your accomplishments as long as it is a decent job that you find a way to enjoy.
Volunteering
If money is not a factor, volunteering can open many doors for you. With your career experience and knowledge, you may be able to join boards of directors, pick up volunteer positions with trade associations, etc.
You can volunteer in your industry or in relevant fields. All you need to do is to get involved, and show decision makers the type of knowledge you can bring to their organisations. Volunteering often brings many networking opportunities that may lead to other paid jobs, if this becomes a need in the future. So if you’d like to remain involved and position yourself as a potential contributor, volunteer your time to help others in your industry.
The writer, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.