If you look a the AARP forums on their web site, you will see that postings and comments of people looking for senior jobs are the most busy forums. You are not alone in your search for a retirement job. However, it's likely that you need to change the way you think about employment for seniors.
Forget about getting a retirement job. There are lots of younger people looking very hard for work and the competition is just too fierce. So please change your mentality about finding a retirement job. You can however earn money in retirement if you are willing to contribute what you know and think creatively. I have already written two blog posts on this which are linked at the bottom of this article. But in this article, let me address the way you need to think if you want success in your senior "job" search.
Ask yourself: How can you be of value?
Stop thinking in terms of a traditional job where you go from 9 to 5 or part time and someone hires you to fit into an already existing job description. Those jobs for seniors don't exist anymore. Those routine tasks have been automated by machines or computers. START thinking in terms of what you know or what you can do that would be of value. Then match that value with people who need it.
Let me give some examples of earning retirement money to get your creative mental juices working.
Retirement Job Example #1
Let's say you like to fix stuff and you are good at it. At the same time you notice that the wheels on the trash carts supplied by the garbage collection company are always coming off. Who fixes that? Is the garbage company currently paying one or more full time salaries plus expensive benefits to get these fixed? Would you be willing to fix these on a per cart basis (say $15 per cart)?
Then call up the garbage company and create a retirement job for yourself. Simply call the human resources department and tell them you can help them fix the carts less expensively (if you cannot get the correct person on the phone, then go to their offices). If they have too much work for you, you could even hire some unemployed youths (or other retirees looking for a job), pay them $10 per cart and earn a $5 override for each one they fix. It makes no sense to try and find retirement jobs when they don't exist. However, that DOES NOT mean there are not ample opportunities for working after retirement.
Retirement Job Example #2
If you are fortunate to have expertise in a profession, such as accounting, engineering, law etc., then your search for retirement money is a no-brainer. These professions are cyclical in nature. They always have parts of the year or projects that place them in a crunch when they need help--an opportunity for your retirement job. For example, accounting firms hire during tax season (you can take a course to learn to prepare tax returns), law firms get a big case that needs to go to trial and they suddenly have more work then they have staff to accommodate. Same with engineering firms. You can be the excess labor for any professional firm if you are already an accomplished professional and are serious about your senior job search. Your past is your ticket to your new retirement job. Best of all, you can take or turn down whichever projects meet your criteria for your senior job search.
How do you find these opportunities for retirement income? You buy a list (or use the phone book) of every firm in your profession within 30 miles and send a letter offering your services when they need it. You then follow up with a call to the person who handles hiring. If you send 100 letters and make 100 calls, there is no way you wont come up with 2 to 3 firms that have an immediate need for your services and don't be surprised when you get a call 6 or 12 months later from other firms who kept your information. Jobs for retired people are abundant if you position yourself where people need you.
Retirement Job Example #3
You eat at a new restaurant in town and it is fabulous. They need business and you need a post retirement job. You contact the owner and tell him that you will distribute his coupons at no charge to your friends and neighbors (you can put these on the windshields of cars in town and get some fresh air and exercise) in return for $10 to you for each coupon redeemed. Obviously, there is some trust involved here needed to secure your retirement money. If the owner is intelligent, he will realize that he WANTS to pay you because the more he pays you, the more you will promote his restaurant. This is a great deal for the owner because he will easily break even on this deal (i.e. he will make as much money on a dinner for 2 as needed to pay for the coupon plus your $10). Next time the couple eats dinner at his restaurant and every subsequent time, he makes profit. So his investment maybe $20 (for your $10 and the $10 coupon) to get a new customer that might spend $300 a year with him for years. You could have a very successful senior job search when you start doing this for several businesses.
Retirement Job Example #4
Do anything you like on a piece work or commission basis. Almost every business will give you an opportunity for retirement money if you work for results. What businesses hate to do is hire people for a fixed salary only to find out that the employee is unproductive. Businesses are happy to create employment for seniors when they only need to pay for results they get. So if there is a product or service you really like, approach the business owner to sell it for commission only. It may be something that gets sold over the phone, something that gets sold to small groups (e.g. the cooking demonstration/free sample table at Costco) or something that gets sold face to face (walking into businesses in a retail section of town or a business park). Or if the item needs to be made, offer to make them and get paid per item. Or if the item is a service, offer to be paid for each time you deliver the service. Jobs for seniors are abundant when you know how to offer your services in a way that businesses want.
Read about more opportunities for retirement money here:
Supplemental Retirement Income
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Great post. I'm forwarding this to my dad; he's a tech nut who's approaching retirement.
Greg
I kind of relate to Retirement Job # 1 since it's kind of related to wastes. In the recycling business, there are a lot of things that can be done starting from collection, to disposal, and to recycling itself. Retirees can do a lot and they are experienced and wise. Bottom line - whatever one feels is what he decided he'd feel. It's a decision. If one feels useless, he then should decide not to feel it and do something about it. I love the post. It shows wisdom.
Do anything you like on a piece work or commission basis- this is the nicest thing to do, it will definitely be exciting to do because the demands of a commission basis is not as stringent as of those mentioned above. You can do your job whenever you feel like doing it any time. These are very interesting suggestions and I am sure many retirees would indulge into these. Thanks.
It's a great idea. The list of examples is very interesting and informative. This could help a lot of retirees that seeking for a new job opportunity.
Hi! I think supplemental retirement income will become a must in a very near future, but with this level of financial literacy it will be very hard for most of people to earn good (or at least decent) money as pensioners. Your blog is certainly a step in the right direction to improve the situation.
This is informative, i'll let my mother read this because she just retired last December 2010.
Your article is right down my alley. I have been an entrepreneur for many years and when the tourist business side of my company began to take a dive after 9/11, I took the advice of my friends and became a teacher. Well, that has been good and bad. Every time I attempt to introduce creative, innovate programs for my students I find myself looking for a new school.
So, no retirment plans for me because as has been said, the closer you get to retirement, the game shifts and you find yourself laid off or surplused (the latest game.
At 60+, I am planning on building a new business and hoping to God that I can make enough to keep me with care should I need it. After a short run of that, I hope I can go quickly and in peace.
Interesting article. I own a pressure washing company in Jacksonville, FL, and I always worry about not having enough money for retiring. I do some trading on the side, but it usually doesn't make me much of a profit.
Thanks!
Moj Denar, I think most people would agree that supplemental retirement is ALREADY a must, not just in the near future!
I enjoyed this article. Someone needs to get this conversation started.
Freddy K
that is really brilliant idea for retired persons. i like this article and looking for more interesting stuff from you.
Extra income after retirement is usually necessary. People don't plan out their money spending ahead of time, and then unforeseen circumstances appear. Don't ever go back to work after retirement. The internet really can be a decent source of money, even if its not a salary, or a true income.
online job can still be catchy business for retirees, but isnt the reason why you are retiring is to free from stress? i think a restaurant or a spa business is a good choice for retiress
Amazing share, I've only 3 more years to retire and then I can choose one of the alternatives you shared here.
I own a pressure washing company in Jacksonville, FL, and I always worry about not having enough money for retiring. I do some trading on the side, but it usually doesn’t make me much of a profit.
Making money on the Internet can be a good way to plan ahead and start preparing for retirement. There are many ways to go about earning residual income online!
everything is getting more and more expensive nowadays. Even retirees have to look for opportunities to continue having income.
You make some very good points, and offered some new ways for retirees to think in terms of employment. The area I live in has a higher population of older citizens, and many retirees are choosing to go back to work.
The reasons are two-fold. Some need more than 24-hr relaxation, but most find that even with good money management their retirement income just doesn't go as far as needed.
I think It may not even be around when you retire. And even if it is, it'll be a very small amount.
People get used to spending within their income, what happen after retirement is they need to adjust from what they'll be getting from the benefits. But a lot still wants and needs to work. they need some light jobs you've given. nice of you to have this thinking.
I think the charge time for retirement was to try to invest. possible through forex, mutual funds, or try an internet marketing business
I think the best place to find a part-time job as a retiree may be with your current employer.
The best way to earn money in retirement life not so easy but some step could be effective Like trading through forex, email marketing, logo designing etc.
This is a great resource for retirement jobs. I think it is important for those approaching retirement to stay busy and active mentally and physically. Great article!
Stop thinking in terms of a traditional job where you go from 9 to 5 or part time and someone hires you to fit into an already existing job description.
Driving, courier work, Lots of opportunities delivering medical stuff from docs to hospital, if you can drive someone will always pay to have something moved from 1 place to another. We transport pets all over the UK and Europe.
I think it's important to not only earn a little money in retirement but to also keep active and keep meeting new people.
Taking advice from this post can help do that.
Don't forget the power of using all of your valuable life experience in a "job" like consulting. You can do it from home, using the phone, a blog, email, or webinars, and it just takes a bit of advertising to get started. This is also a career where your age never counts against you!
Good post. Thanks for the opinion on Annuities; I personally favor to use skilled people.
Many retirees enjoy mystery shopping. The work is flexible and enjoyable and the free meals and merchandise you can earn as a secret shopper are nice extras that can make your budget go further.
As with many other ways of making money, there are scams to watch out for. Never pay to register as a mystery shopper and never wire money to anyone you do not know.
If you are looking for opportunities for retirement money, mystery shopping could be your answer.
Excellent suggestions. When you're ready to search for jobs in your retirement check out USA Job Blast for the latest jobs around the USA.
Thank you for the brilliant suggestions. I am doing freelance editing online these days for a extra income. You won't believe how much freelance work there is on certain forums. If you are looking for a retirement job and you love reading - Go google: "freelance editors". It doesn't pay millions, but enough to sustaine yourself and your wife/husband. It also keeps you busy - Which I believe is imperative to any senior person.
For retirees, online jobs are always a good idea.
You work from home and have limited stress
Personally i'm planning to have passive income for my retirement years its a real scarey thought to have to face retirement with little money to live on.
Is very hard for the retiree to have a another job because he is considered unreliable.
Many people retire and then unexpectedly become bored and start to seek employment. There is nothing wrong with this especially if there are plenty of local jobs available.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average retirement age in America is 62, and the average length of retirement is 18 years.
Extra income after retirement is usually necessary. People don’t plan out their money spending ahead of time, and then unforeseen circumstances appear.
The tips are very helpful and timely to my needs! I will be retiring soon but I would love to still do some work as part of my daily exercise. I even planned to contact my friends and some of my neighbors to inquire what I could do for them. There's work in every corner as long as you are willing to do it.
This post is very informative and useful for retirement plan.Nice to read the content of this post.
For retirees, online jobs are always a good idea.Hopefully I`m still young
It is very important to get a job after retirement in medium class families.This is a post which is giving good ideas about retirement jobs.
I never thought for retiring because my incomw from the internet as the internet marketer
Why retire when there are so many options
Jobs for retired people are abundant if you position yourself where people need you.This is wonderful quotation.it's very impressive
"Retirement Jobs", what a great post! Thanks for sharing the info, it could be helpful to so many people nearing retirement.
That's why i think better for us to make a business eventhough it's a small business. Coz if we focus it can be bigger and we don't need worry about retirement
This is a very useful reading. I will let my aunt know about this because she's retiring next month.
There are some very interesting tips, one i would like to add is to start a website, every hobby can be turned into some extra money...
Good one and highly help for the elder people. I would suggest this to all elder people I know.
You have written very inspiration things to follow that how can you make your value when you are older and finding the job. Basically many people thing that they have grown old very and now they cannot do any job or nobody will like to hire them. So, this post is very much interesting in terms of looking for a job when you are older enough. I truly recommend to read this and i have bookmarked it to refer some of them who always feel worry about the job like me.
I really like this retirement job idea.It is very important as the old man after being retired feel bore and often doesn't get proper company with them.If they heard about this retirement jobs they will be glad because by this they can pass there time happily.Thanks for the post.
I never thought for retiring because my incomw from the internet as the internet marketer
This is a really good read for me, Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I ever saw.
Very useful huh..at least i have all this idea as i growing older...
What i think is , only if you have expertise in any of your work like web design , data entry , etc then today their are lot of options available online to earn extra income and to pass time.
Don't let your age stand in the way of getting a retirement job. If anything you have years of experience and wisdom that would benefit somebody.
Fiind something to look afetr my retirement
I would consider getting into internet marketing. It starts off slow, but if you find a topic that you really enjoy blogging about it becomes more of a hobby than a job.
Ossm post Really I would suggest this to all elder people I know
Good one and highly help for the elder people... online jobs are always a good idea.