For many years, you looked forward to that day when you would bid
world of work a fond farewell and ride off into sunset of your golden years.Initially, it felt wonderful not to have to go somewhere each morning. Days, weeks, months of leisure lay temptingly before you. At last there would be time to do everything you wanted. No stress, no strain, just pleasing yourself for a change.
You can't quite remember when everything started to change. Maybe it was when you realized that you couldn't really afford to do all traveling you had planned. Maybe it was third day of puttering around in garage trying to ignore boredom and emptiness you felt inside. Maybe it was when you looked around mall in middle of afternoon and realized that you were one of youngest people present. Maybe it was when you watched evening news and suddenly felt like an alien in a strange world in which you no longer belonged.
Whatever happened, you wake up one morning and know that you have to rejoin world for sake of your sanity, your self-respect, and your deep need to be productive: to count, to matter, to have community and personal value. With a determination, and a strong sense of relief, you step out on road to un-retirement.
The following strategies may help make your journey more satisfying, more successful, and more fun.
1. Assess your current needs.
Before running out to look for work, take stock of your needs, your comfort zone, and your long-range goals. Are you looking for just "something to do" or do you intend to continue or develop a new career? Review your financial requirements, your willingness to make a long-term commitment, your health, your abilities and limitations, your family situation. If you only want to work part-time, or temporarily, or if your primary concern is to avoid stress of your former work, consider entry-level unskilled work. If you yearn to return to your prior career, consider offering to work for previous employers as an independent consultant. It will provide you with some considerable tax advantages while benefiting your employer who will no longer have to furnish benefits. Many retirees see a return to gainful employment as a "rounding out" of themselves. You may have worked in one industry for several years while harboring a secret dream of doing something completely different. Now may be time, with your safety net of retirement income, to try something new, just based on personal interest and a strong desire to spend your energy on something that is personally gratifying.
2. Entry-level, stress-free work.
The pay levels for this work are typically quite low. The benefits are that you have luxury of starting immediately with few interview hoops to jump and can walk away without a backward glance when you feel like it. Knowing that you don't have to put up with a screaming boss or sarcastic remarks empowers you and removes stress of trying to please your superiors and meet their (often unrealistically high) expectations. Typical jobs are security guard, courier, sales associate. If you like working alone, with minimal supervision, night security or courier work is ideal. You work independently where presence of someone watching and judging you can be minimized. If you enjoy interacting with people, try building or manufacturing security or retail sales work where an extra perk is typical employee discount on a wide range of merchandise. If you prefer more skilled work, try contracting through a Temporary Agency. Again, if you don't like assignment, you simply request a new one.
