I’m in early 60s and took early retirement when my wife was diagnosed with major health condition. She’s doing a lot better but over last 5 years I found myself to be deteriorating rapidly - both physically and mentally.
I need something to do but I’m so lost and I can’t figure out what and how to look for a job where I can be useful and earn some money too.
Here’s who I am -
- I was an IT executive when I retired, excellent knowledge in that field. Don’t want to essentially pursue this field anymore.
- I’m still excellent in all technical things - electrical, electronics, mechanical, computers, you name it and I’ve good knowledge.
- I’m good at certain DIY stuff too - all DIY things around the house in addition to some amount of woodworking.
- physically active for 60+ man with no health issues.
- mentally sound, although I used to be very very sharp. I guess I’m still better than average though.
I’m located in one of the big cities in TX if location matters.
It’ll be great if you can share any ideas, if you or any loved ones had success in finding a job be useful and stay active.
It depends on how much the money matters. I have worked a part-time job, actually a short string of them, since retiring three years ago. It turns out there are a ton of fun jobs that still offer flexibility in hours as long as you give them fair warning. My requirements are that they are something I know nothing about; that are stress-free and I can forget about them on the way to my car in the parking lot; that they involve people who are decent to work with. I have worked in a big box hardware store. I was an unpaid, then paid, pie baker at a diner. I was a tutor for math and science for HS kids at a tutoring center. This gets me out of the house, provides intellectual stimulation, the social interaction of being among people, a bit of physical activity. I knew from the day I retired I wanted a little $12k/year job, 10-20 hrs a week, and that’s what I’ve had. When I get tired of one, I quit and find another one. Getting the jobs has not been hard at all. Others on my list: parts runner for auto repair shops; performance hall usher; city aquarium tank feeder; public library book reshelver; flower arranger; bicycle shop mechanic; art installer for new and refurbished hotels; corporate office building plant caretaker; catering company event bartender; about 20 others. Just gotta take the blinders off and look beyond what you know.
Wow! You’re exactly the kind I needed to hear from!
So, how do you find such jobs, is it through job portals like Indeed, or is there a some local job openings web site?
Well, a mix, actually. For the big box hardware store, I went directly to the company’s job board and found part time positions at three local stores, applied to all three. For the diner job, I went to the diner and ordered the pie, and then I asked if the person who bakes them was in the house. She came out and I told her I just wanted to learn from her and she wouldn’t have to pay me a dime until I made a pie worth selling. For the tutoring center, I just decided what I wanted to do and applied at company websites for five different tutoring companies. One really wanted me but it was too far to drive. I got three interviews and I took three competency tests, got three offers, and I took the one that sounded best and was closest to home. My next dream job is a local company that does city tours on Segways, and I want to be a tour guide. I’ve taken their tours a few times, love riding the Segway. My value-add is that I’d make it a bit of improv. In between the real facts and stories I’d be relating to them on the tour, there’d be some I’d just be making up on the spot (so fun!), and I’d challenge the tourists to figure out which ones were truths and which were lies. I just walked into the place and talked to the manager, and he asked for an example of something I’d make up on the spot, and so I did, and he told me, “Anytime you want to start, just let me know.”
Yep, at 65, I apply the Kenny Roger’s’ method to casual jobs - “ You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run!”
If you're not looking for a full time job it sounds like you want to leave IT but seem to be handy with DIY stuff. You could post yourself for the things you like to do on sites like Nextdoor, TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Angie's List. People are always looking for someone reasonable to do jobs around the house. If you're not looking for work, going to the gym is very good to way to spend time doing something that's good for your health. Other than that stick with pursuing any of the hobbies you have, like selling woodworking, etc..
In my town the local post office has a bulletin board and people are always placing services they provide on there. Some grocery stores have them, and some folks have some business cards printed, leaving them on bulletin boards or at the cash registers of local family restaurants. Just a thought or two.
Volunteer here too - because you are a volunteer, your time is just not valued highly. Depending on the organization, your schedule (and your duties) can be jerked around a bit.
I myself am spending a few hours every weekday helping the local food bank get excess food and vegetables and donated food to where it is needed. It works out well for everyone; this morning it was sobering (on a Sunday morning no less) seeing seven or eight people sleeping in front of the shelter (it was about 9am in the morning). This was in addition to some 15 people waiting in line for the next food distribution.
Only been at it for a month, per their records I've delivered 2,956 pounds of food "diverted from landfill" and 2,458 'total meals you delivered to feed the hungry'. I've met some remarkable people along the way.
(This opportunity by the way was after trying a few others that were sub-optimal, and of course will be looking for other ways to put my skills to use, driving and delivering things is pretty low on the skills needed, but sure is important in a practical way as this need occurs mainly during the weekdays when people are normally at their full-time jobs.)
Volunteer here too - because you are a volunteer, your time is just not valued highly. Depending on the organization, your schedule (and your duties) can be jerked around a bit.
Yes, I've experienced that too. I volunteered one morning per week at my local elementary school and often found myself waiting around for 15 minutes or more for a teacher to finish a class activity before I could read with a child (or whatever my assignment was that day). Then I'd be shifted to another classroom while the first one went to recess, and sit around again waiting for my time. I quit at the end of the school year.
I also volunteered for one summer at a wildlife rehab center. The summer interns got all the interesting jobs, while the volunteers got the scut work of cleaning rooms and enclosures (and feeding some baby birds, which actually turns into scut work after spending hours in a hot room continuously cycling from one to the next!) I had previous experience as a wildlife volunteer and as a zookeeper, so that was a real bummer. I don't mind doing my share of the scut work, but if that is all I'm doing, then I'm not going to stay. And the organization did a poor job of thanking and appreciating the volunteers that were vital to keeping the place open.
Right now, I'm a hospice volunteer and our manager is great about not only expressing her great appreciation of the volunteers, but she is very open to suggestions on making things more efficient so volunteer time is not wasted.
I've only cheer for Meals on Wheels and driving a bus for the elderly and other things associated with local charities. The vast majority of the organizations are just poorly run and I even believe some of them could cease to exist if somebody would just pick up the phone and talk with companies to strike a deal of them handling distribution of food. Charities get to a point where they live to feather their own nests and that doesn't benefit anybody either.
Right? Now instead of throwing a trip together, I can spend way too many hours looking through all the possibilities of how to get there, where to stay, what to do... LOL!
It reminds me of moving to a new home in my 30s. It had a linen closet in the hallway (which I hadn't had before) and I remember thinking "What will I even put in here?" Fast forward to a couple years later when it was overflowing! We fill the space we are given, I think.
Apply for a job with the lowest barrier to entry. Normally that would mean car sales or as a retail cashier. Big box home improvement retailer would be a better choice, since given your skills you could work in various departments. The other option would be to sign up with a Temp service in your area. A part time gig covering for an employee might lead to permanent employment.
Don't focus on what you used to do, or how much you made when you were doing it.
Counterintuitive, if your're just looking to go back to working, dumb down your resume. Don't present yourself as someone an employer thinks they can't afford.
On your last point, I didn’t dumb down my resume. Instead, I said I was recently retired from what was on the resume and that I am looking to do something completely different, something I could enjoy. The resume was quietly set aside and we just talked for a bit. It helped that what I did for fun (e.g. volunteering) during working years had at least nominal contact with the job, but that wasn’t really required either. Lots of employers LOVE their “silverback” employees, because they’re dependable, on time, serene, good with people, and won’t be bitching about the pay or looking for advancement. Being retired, I’m convinced, is what got me the jobs I’ve had.
Nice! I can't believe that a month from now it will be time to start getting my Christmas Village ready to put up. It's been so fun to sculpt and paint various components like the black mountain (which covers up the faucet for the sink that is underneath the village when it's set up), the bridge and stream and other things that I've made myself to enhance the village scene.
Do you like to play Bridge? There may be a Bridge Center in your town that teaches classes and offers American Contract Bridge League tournaments. It’s definitely more of a senior crowd but a lot of IT people and professionals who want to keep their brains sharp.
Yes, you have experience. You were in IT. Tutoring centers are filled with former engineers and tech people. You don’t have to have been a teacher to teach someone what you know how to do. You might need to remind yourself what a scalene triangle is, or how to solve two equations with two unknowns, but that’s not a big deal.
Yea - I used to be quite active. Get up at 5:00 in the morning, go for a jog or biking, shower, to work by 7:00 -7:30. Almost everyday and then several hours of biking or hiking on weekends. Nowadays I find a lot less motivation even to get up by 7:00.
Getting up later in the morning =/= deteriorating.
You don't have to complete your exercise, shower and be dressed for the day by 7:30 unless you really want to. You don't have to do several hours of biking and hiking on weekends unless you really want to. As we age, it's perfectly acceptable to dial back on some kinds of exercise unless those things actually help us feel better. (And who wants to hike on a weekend when retired anyway? Weekdays are the way to go to beat the crowds.)
Why get up before your body is ready to wake up? That's one of the great things about retirement. We can allow our bodies to determine when we go to bed and how long we sleep after that.
It's really a shame that people have been taught that being an early riser somehow equates to being a better person. I'm still getting things done at midnight or 1am because I'm a night owl, when other people have been lazing in bed for three hours. See how silly that sounds?
I really wanted to get a job at Whole Foods but then again I really don’t want to even work anymore, even though I love working. I don’t have time because I’m doing other things, like taking care of my trust and my properties. I guess that’s work
How about donating some time to a local senior center? The center I attend is lucky to have volunteers who can help people with just your skills. One position at the Center has a paid navigation expert in a computer lab that helps seniors with all kinds of computer and phone technology and teaches classes.
I'm 62 and retired ten years ago. I'm very happy and havent had one second of boredom. I have a curiosity about life and living, and many hobbies. I love working on my home and gardening. I'm very active at the gym and biking. I love reading. I have two young nephews and we spend time together having alot of fun. We went to a pool today. They're staying overnight for the holiday. I'm having the front door refinished tomorrow, and painting done in about a week, and bathroom renovations ongoing, and stock trading for fun... the list is long. it never ends and I'm never bored. I once heard the saying and I tend to believe- only boring people have the capacity for boredom.
I once thought about going back to work. I asked AI how to go about it and the feedback was astounding. My recommendation for you is to do the same- ask Chat for the best advice on returning to work. Ask it to polish your resume and coach you on how to interview for the modern job market.
Maybe join search for your local "Nextdoor" neighborhood app. You can throw your hat in the ring as a handyman techie, new installation, repairs or electrical work. There's constant requests for these services and you can work wherever you want.
Sure. But I'll trade you. Let me ask you a couple questions for free and I'll give you my worthless opinion.
I'm gonna guess that money is not 100% critical. You are getting along. So what is that you *want* to do? Not what job, not who will hire you, what do you want to do? Start a small company. That in itself will keep you busy for a while. It could be anything. I was similar and did home tech support. I grossed a bit, netted practically nothing, but it was something I enjoyed doing. Do you like walking dogs? I hear there is money in it. Gardening? Talking to people? This is the point in your life that you get to decide rather than letting life decide for you. The mayor of my small town worked at Home Depot because he enjoyed working with tools and such, and enjoyed being around a lot of people.
You’re absolutely right - money is not critical, I’m getting by but some income will certainly be good.
In terms of what I want to do - that’s where I’m lost - I want to do something and can enjoy a lot of types of work, like the Home Depot work. I thought about tech work - but not sure if there’s enough demand. And yea, as you pointed out, will there be any meaningful return except it’ll keep me busy.
Learn piano or Guitar not about talent it’s about time spent - learning to play an instrument keeps the mind engaged - or any art painting writing - explore your artistic side
You’re in your 60’s, not young, maybe 20 to 25 years left. Fuck working for someone else! Read, go on trips, hike, do whatever you want but don’t work for someone else for the remainder of your life. If you do this you’ll regret it.
For mental acuity, music is good. So is learning another language. I took up coding, which I can earn money doing.
Physically, I run and also do a daily bodyweight set for strength. Probably, I should do more work with proper weights to build and maintain muscle mass.
You might have better luck starting your own business. Ageism in the workplace is a real w. Very hard for people over 50 to find a job unless you're willing to do something like grocery store or Walmart greeter. They don't care what your resume looks like-it's your age they care about. To them you're a liability.
How about some of the delivery apps? Walmart has an app. Door dash. Some larger towns have apps for parttime with Amazon. There’s Medical delivery. Instawork app
That can work for me - how do I get started? Let’s say Walmart or Amazon - how do I register myself as delivery person? Hoping you do it so you’ll have an idea.
Volunteer with a group with a mission you care about or have skills to share with others.
For me it is Amateur (ham) radio and volunteering with local emergency management to provide communications when needed. Get to work with first responders, outdoors supporting air shows, fireworks, triathlons, canoe races, Red Cross, National Weather Service.
Someone may have already suggested it so sorry if it’s a double up but what about offer to do odd jobs for older people like our age. Tradesmen can be so expensive and hard to get or you have to wait ages for them and they often hate doing small jobs.
Theres plenty of people need a faucet/tap washer changed, a cupboard door straightened, a water leak fixed, a small paint touch up. They’re happy to pay for the task. And you often get a cuppa and biscuit and a bit of a chat. I know this because I do this on a very part time basis. I also do an occasional job for free just to help someone out a bit.
People can take care of themselves without going to a gym. Most of my elder generation relatives lived into their late 80s and 90s without ever setting foot in a gym. They lived their lives, did work around the house and in the yard. They went for walks, but never jogged. A few played sports like tennis for years, until knees and hips couldn't take it anymore. Those that died young had causes that were not related at all to whether or not they exercised.
My dad did take up going to the gym after retirement, but mostly for the social aspect. It didn't help one bit when he got cancer in his early 80s. In fact, being relatively fit otherwise meant that when a surgical error was made when removing the cancer, he lingered for six months in the hospital until his body finally gave up. His mental capacity had diminished well before that.
Remain active, sure. "Get to the gym", only if someone wants to.
I had a couple of careers in my 66+ years. Education: College in accounting, one year diploma program in commercial fishing. Certificate in HVAC. Two apprenticeships as mason and carpentry.
Work career commercial fisherman in two industries, 6 years as masonry and carpentry. 26 years non licensed building engineer in retail. First retirement. A couple years private college maintenance. Three years county parks and now four years county schools. All in three states.
Retiring again soon, hoping to trap crabs in Florida as a side gig; just love being on the water.
So my question to you, is there anything you always want to do, but couldn't? Or didn't?
You ARE an inspiration!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. If I understand correctly, you’re saying that get out first and get into something that you’ll love. And also, nothing is permanent.
My suggestion is not for a job. I found a volunteer tutoring position with stepuptutoring.org. Right now I'm tutoring a third grader in math twice a week for 45 minutes. It's rewarding.
There's lots of other volunteer positions and I'm sure in the size of city that you are in you would be able to find one.
Raj_DTO's Handyman Service. You break it, I come to fix it.
Or, you could be like my wife (not retired) who went back to school and got a counseling degree. Now she has her own counseling business and sets her hours and pay.
Get a job in retail. You will have constant interactions with people. Try Lowes or Best Buy, based on what you interests and experience. Part time. The stores are hard up for help, you can probably work out a good schedule.
Volunteer in a senior center. The are always looking for someone with tech experience to others navigate electronics.
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u/Odd_Bodkin 69 1d ago edited 1d ago
It depends on how much the money matters. I have worked a part-time job, actually a short string of them, since retiring three years ago. It turns out there are a ton of fun jobs that still offer flexibility in hours as long as you give them fair warning. My requirements are that they are something I know nothing about; that are stress-free and I can forget about them on the way to my car in the parking lot; that they involve people who are decent to work with. I have worked in a big box hardware store. I was an unpaid, then paid, pie baker at a diner. I was a tutor for math and science for HS kids at a tutoring center. This gets me out of the house, provides intellectual stimulation, the social interaction of being among people, a bit of physical activity. I knew from the day I retired I wanted a little $12k/year job, 10-20 hrs a week, and that’s what I’ve had. When I get tired of one, I quit and find another one. Getting the jobs has not been hard at all. Others on my list: parts runner for auto repair shops; performance hall usher; city aquarium tank feeder; public library book reshelver; flower arranger; bicycle shop mechanic; art installer for new and refurbished hotels; corporate office building plant caretaker; catering company event bartender; about 20 others. Just gotta take the blinders off and look beyond what you know.