If You Are Approaching Retirement But You Wish To Continue Working – What Are Your Options?

You held a senior management position in Finance, Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, etc for the past many years. You are now a few months away from the [tag] mandatory retirement age [/tag] at your company. Although your [tag]retirement income[/tag] will be more than sufficient to sustain your current life style, you are not ready to say good-bye to the corporate world, so what would some of your options be and how will you go about achieving them? Here are some options/suggestions:

When income is not a concern, giving back to the community is a wonderful thing. You may consider volunteering on a board of directors in a non-profit organization that provides services to kids, adults, or seniors. There is a very big emphasis today on improving board governance and ensuring integrity – from finance to fund raising and so on, therefore and individual holding senior management roles is very attractive and important. In case you have a non-profit organization that you believe in and would like to contribute to, simply approach the Executive Director and let them know that you would like to become a volunteer either in the Finance Committee of the Board, the Executive Committee of the Board or the Board of Directors itself. You will be pleasantly surprised to find out how many sub-committees these organizations have from fund raising initiatives to governance issues, hence non profit organizations are constantly on the look out for volunteers with rich employment experience.

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When income is a concern, Private as well as Public Corporations are always in need of qualified contractors that are able to "hit the ground running". With your extensive work experience either in finance, human resources, sales & marketing and so on you are very qualified to take on a series of interim or fixed term management roles. Your services will be welcomed by a start up organization where they require to set up policies, procedures, hire new talent and so on or a turnaround situation where they require expertise with lenders, staffing, negotiations etc. Then there are always interim roles such as covering for a maternity leave; system implementations or performing a role of a vacant position while the organization carries on its search for the permanent candidate.

Your first step in all of these situations is crafting a resume that details your [tag] professional experience [/tag] and achievements. In case you require assistance in crafting your resume, there are many resume services available today. It is a fee for service, and they can be located with a simple Internet search. Prior to engaging a service, ask for references. Along with your resume you will require a cover letter. Each cover letter must be tailored to the position that you have in mind. Once again, there are services today that will be able to assist you in crafting the cover letter. To identify positions, you may want to contact your immediate network of colleagues, clients, and friends and let them know that you are available and interested in contract work or interim management assignments.

A very important link in your network is employment agencies that specialize in the placement of candidates in short and long term assignments. Research the market for these organizations; understand what kind of positions they recruit for, the type of clients they service, their recruitment process, their customer service practices and so on. Share your profile with the agency; let them know what you are looking for, follow up with the recruiter from time to time so that you may be top of mind when an assignment matching your skill set comes up.

Remember that we live in a society today that recognizes the value of a long and successful career and the varied skill sets that individuals bring to many organizations. Rest assured that you are not alone in seeking post retirement employment.

Wishing you much continued success!

Tali is the President & CEO of Controllers On Call (http://www.controllersoncall.ca), niche staffing organization specializing in the placement of middle to executive level accounting, finance and human resources professionals in contact and full time positions. She writes and publicly speaks about topics related to employment.

You can also cruise free as an expert in a pertinent subject. Historians, anthropologists, naturalists, and ornithologists are in especially high demand. Your job on the cruise would be to present a series of lectures and to be available for informal questioning. It helps to have a PhD (or at least a Master’s) and to have published articles on the subject, but an affable personality and a willingness to share your knowledge with others can stretch your credentials. After your first cruise in this will be a good reference will ease the way at other lines.

Free cruises are available to doctors and nurses who are willing to be on 24-hour call (plus a salary is an added inducement). They are also available to athletic directors and coaches who can help organize recreational activities as well as musicians and entertainers willing to perform. Many are offered to cosmetologists who can barter their services for a ride.

There is also a strong demand for “hosts” and that simply means a distinguished single gentlemen who is usually 55 years old and up. They serve by dining and dancing with the many unattached older women taking these vacation cruises. Besides free room and board, hosts are encouraged to make use of an unlimited bar tab available for themselves and their new female friends.

The suggestion that the notion of a 'new retirement' for the baby boom generation involves both work and leisure is actually not that new at all, but a continuation of past trends. They used a term "downshifting" to suggest what goes on as people begin to move out of longtime jobs. Downshifting is postponing retirement, reducing hours, or shifting to a less stressful, simpler, or sometimes a more meaningful and personally satisfying type of work.

Going to a down shifting mode retirees are given the option to get out of the day to day routine and still stay active in work they enjoy. The Internet has made this a reality in today's world as retirees are setting up their own websites and working as they like when they like and how they like. In the winter they may go skiing, and in the summer travel abroad. This is known as a "work and play" mode of retirement.

Many retiring baby boomers will rely increasingly on their own savings for retirement rather than traditional pension, which means they may have to work longer. But if the want to work smarter and enjoy their work they simply get an Automatic Authority Site Builder and teach from their years of experience and knowledge while earning a nice income.

Many retirees are becoming "returnees," people who leave work entirely but then return and start their own business on-line. As they soon learn, retirement is not all it is cracked up to be unless you won the lottery somewhere along the line and have 20 cruises and international trips lined up.

While many people have downshifted and others expect to folks often are leaving it up to fate rather than planning it as a stage in their work life. Others will keep working for a variety of other reasons. Many use their knowledge for teaching and reach people with different. They are doing exactly what they want to do with the exact person they want to do it with, and are having fun, and we are helping others while earning a nice income. The best way we have see so far are in one of 2 programs. Automatic Authority Site Builder Income and SBI Retirees Income

As an early "Baby Boomer" ie, one of those human beings born in the period after World War II and until the early 1960s, I've been giving a lot of thought during the last few years about how much longer I will work and what I'll do after I retire. It could be a dilemma; on the one hand, after 46 years at work, I've had enough working for an employer 8am to 5pm every day except Saturday and Sunday. On the other hand, I'm in good health and don't want to give work away just to spend the remainder of my days pottering about in the garden. So what's the solution?

First, I've changed my mind about the idea of retirement. To me retirement is a dirty word. It means leaving work and hanging around waiting to die. After all, isn't that what people do? They leave work and after a few years pottering about, die. The certainty of death is very good at creating focus. It's not that we morbidly focus on it all the time, but that we know it's getting closer and need to make the most of what time we have left. I'm thinking more and more each day of "refocusing" instead of "retiring".

My idea in refocusing is to give my employer the flick and then do something I enjoy that will keep me active, alert, and perhaps bring in some supplementary income. Rather than refocus on one activity, which is rather like leaving one job for another, I'm working on diversifying my activities. I believe a balance of perhaps charity work – giving back something to society, running a small Internet business, and some short-term, part-time work will suit me. I want to choose how much time I devote to anything I do.

If you are a Baby Boomer like me, why not think about refocusing instead of retiring?

Here are some suggestions for a balanced refocusing:

Do some gardening: Gardening can be relaxing if you enjoy being outdoors. It also gives a sense of pleasure and achievement seeing a prize rose blossom into a beautiful work of art, sculpted by the hands of an unknown master designer. Your house will look special as your efforts start to pay off. Choose a time of day that is suitable to you to avoid excessive heat or cold, sunburn or being run over by peak hour traffic. Maybe start off with half hour per day and increase it if you want to.

Work for a charity: Find a charitable organisation that suits you and volunteer to deliver books to older people, deliver Meals on Wheels, do some menial tasks about the houses of the elderly, or find someone who'd like you to read to them once or twice per week. This will get you out of your house, away from your spouse (if you have one), and enable you to feel good about helping someone who needs and appreciates your help. Remember that one day you may need someone to help you.

Do some part-time paid work: This need not be in the area in which you have spent your life's work. If you were a rocket scientist, get a job as a doorman at a hotel or club, you'll meet hundreds of interesting people and perhaps enjoy the socialisation. If you were a taxi driver, perhaps get a job registering vehicles for a car dealer on a commission basis. Whatever you do, find something you enjoy and do as many or as few hours as you wish or your employer will allow. My Uncle was almost 80 and washed dishes at a Chinese cafe a couple of lunch times per week. A friend is in his mid-sixties and does occasional driving jobs for visiting celebrities. Another in his sixties works one day per week taking bets for a bookmaker.

Work from home: There are literally thousands of jobs you can do from home including earning money on the Internet as an affiliate, drop-shipper or Ebay seller. You could run a book exchange or look after the homes of people who are on holidays or out of town. You could walk someone's dog, water their plants, feed their animals, pick up their dry cleaning. There are really endless opportunities to make money. And if you are doing it more to keep active than to put food on your table, it can be fun.

Research a topic of interest: If you have always wanted to know something about the Norwegian pink-tailed swan, do some research and perhaps put your findings into an ebook for sale on the Internet. Or just enjoy the research and keep your knowledge to yourself.

Take a trip: Among all of your other activities, take time to take a trip somewhere you have always wanted to visit. You don't have to go for two years, you can go for a few weeks and go more often. Travel provides a good break from your routine and is good for self renewal if you are feeling as if you are in a rut.

Do nothing: That's right, do nothing for at least part of your week. Sit in a chair and listen to some nice music. Dream some pleasant dreams, read a good book, watch a television show, or simply doze off and have a good rest. Or perhaps have a half bottle of red wine and then doze off, it will be much easier!

Whatever you do, don't retire and sit around waiting for the Grim Reaper. The more you wait, the quicker he will arrive. Make a decision now to refocus and plan to do a range of tasks that will keep you physically well, mentally healthy, and if possible, add to your income. For all we know, we only have one life … don't waste a single minute of it.

Make every minute count!

Copyright 2005 Robin Henry

Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet marketer who sells his own ebooks and a range of
affiliate software and other digital media. He helps small to middle-sized businesses and individuals improve performance by accessing smart technology and processes and personal development. He runs his business from Alice Springs, Central Australia. More information about money earning opportunities for retirees of others who stay at home can be found at Internet Marketing Offer

1. Retire the word "retirement" from your vocabulary. Look it up: it means to "withdraw" or "retreat." Words can shape reality, and it's time for this one to go. Doesn't "renaissance" or "graduation" better describe your post-career life?

2. Realize that retirement is a relatively new concept in human evolution. A few generations ago, before social security and full-time leisure became culturally embedded as the "norm," elders remained productive members of society, relied upon for their insight, wisdom and skills. No modern society can afford the planned obsolence of its most experienced people.

3. Restructure your priorities around what is most important to you, like deepening relationships with family and friends, community service, or the arts. Now is the time to bring your professional life into line with your deeper values.

4. Renew your zest for education. The learning cells of your brain are hungry for new and stimulating challenges, and the welcome mat is out at many schools and universities.

5. Revitalize your energy by finding a community of people who embrace growth and change. Don't get stuck with the "been there, done that" crowd. If you rest, you rust.

6. Rekindle your spirit for risk taking. "Do not fear mistakes," said jazz immortal, Miles Davis, "There are none." If not you, then who? If not now, when?

7. Respond to new opportunities. Remain open to the infinite possibilities the world has to offer. Your full potential lies ahead.

8. Recharge your system by moving your body regularly. Walk, dance, swim, do yoga, take up hiking or biking. Find something you really enjoy and make it a part of your daily wellness program. Buddy up to stay motivated.

9. Revisit your childhood dreams. It's never too late to be who you might have been. Go for it!

10. Remember that the wisdom to discover and act on your deepest passion and purpose is within you.

Enjoy the journey!

(Adapted from Top Ten Ways to Retire Retirement, copyright 2young2retire.com)

Marika Stone is co-founder of http://www.2young2retire.com, the website of retirement alternatives, and co-author of Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life (Plume 2004). She has been a journalist, teacher of writing, public relations executive, and small business owner.