According to the latest word from RetirementJobs, there is a wide range of employment possibilities for those who might be thinking about leaving their full-time gig for a post-retirement opportunity. It’s just a matter of matching their skill sets with an area of interest.
RetirementJobs offers an "Age Friendly Employer Certification" program that recognizes employers who meet their best practices. This includes anything from management style and recruiting practices to flexible scheduling and health care benefits. A few of the companies that have made it into these illustrious ranks are Bank of America, Starbucks, Borders, Staples and Target.
So for anyone looking for an “I’m-not-quite-ready-for-retirement” opportunity, here are ten areas to investigate.
Teaching Aide
Generally a teacher’s aide or assistant requires a background in education and child care as well as formal education beyond high school. And what’s great is that just like back in school, summers are relaxation time. That means workers are still free to enjoy the fruits of their retirement with long lazy summers and fun-filled vacations.
Retail Associate
One of the great things about retail is that entry-level positions require no formal education. And once employees gain several years of industry experience and/or training within specialty areas like cosmetics, automotive, furniture, and electronics, there are even further opportunities. Plus, retail offers the opportunity to work flexible hours and part-time.
Finance, Tax and Banking
Depending on the discipline, requirements for this area range from no formal education up to formal education of four to six years plus relevant experience, and everything in between. Opportunities include highly seasonal tax preparation positions, which require technical training, to year-round part-time bank teller jobs.
Driver
Got a driver’s license and a clean driving record? Check out positions for drivers in a variety of industries from local city bus drivers to messenger and delivery drivers to taxi cabs. Or check out shuttle buses, especially important when there are large airports in the area. And a lot of these positions offer flexible and part-time hours.
Customer Service
For anyone who gives good telephone service and likes to assist others, customer service reps generally require no formal education or training; however, some jobs may require employees to pass an in-house technical training program to understand the company policies and products. Long-time management employee, Nick, changed careers to become a CSR at the age of 53. Because of his veteran status, he was referred by his state Employment Development Department to go through the company’s special training program. Nearly four years later, he still loves his job.
Non-Profit
For those who have spent their entire career working in the for-profit sector, now may the time to switch to the not-for-profit side of business. It doesn’t necessarily require formal education or training, though the more background someone brings the higher the position he might expect to obtain.
Healthcare
An ever-popular and growing industry, healthcare offers positions that require on-the-job or technical training and/or certification such as home healthcare or personal aides as well as degreed positions such as LVNs (licensed vocational nurse) and RNs (registered nurse). What’s great about this field is all the part-time, per diem and on-call opportunities as well as the chance to help others.
Hospitality
Hotels and restaurants in particular offer great opportunities in hosting, banquet, catering and housekeeping. These positions generally don’t require any formal education, just a good disposition for dealing with a lot of different people and the willingness to learn. Many positions offer flexible work schedules and part-time hours. And in addition to an hourly rate, there may be gratuities.
Contract/Temporary Professional
For those who only want to work occasionally, this may be the way to go. Depending on individual skills, formal education and relevant experience within a profession (i.e., administration, law, information technology, human resources, engineering, science, accounting), workers might find some great short- and long-term work.
Self-Employment, Franchise or Business Owner
When someone works on his own, he determines how much education and experience is required, though it’s always wise to have some experience in small business management, sales, and customer service. Keep in mind depending on the business, there may be a need to get licenses and certification or make a personal investment. The good news is: more than 97% of U.S. employers have fewer than 100 employees.
So for anyone considering making a career change instead of retiring, now may be the right time to make that move. And there are plenty of options from which to choose.
Deborah S. Hildebrand - Deborah S. Hildebrand is a freelance writer & HR consultant with 20+ years in human resources & a Bachelor's degree in Business.
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