Post retirement work: what are your options?

Drone pilot?🚀

GardenArtist, I remember your professional background and that type of work knowledge stays with you almost forever. Check around and see if any firms are looking for an "on call" expert, which could lead to part-time or full-time work.

I remember when I had been out of work for almost a year due to my then boss "the Devil Wear Proda", I kid you not, she was like the main character in that movie. I got a call from an owner of a real estate company who remember me from the past and was hoping I was available for an interview.. It was a win-win. Here I was 64 doing the happy dance. Worked ten more years, and learned new set of real estate skills for commercial building management, which I really enjoyed !! The tradesmen rather talk to me than my boss :)

So, you never know what will fall into your lap. My sig-other is on his 3rd career which also came out of the blue, when the neighbor across the street was wondering if he would like to work for a non-profit company.

If you do crafts, could you teach others, perhaps at a senior center? I'm 72 and professor emeritus, which means I teach part time now. It is enough money with social security to live on and with the college being remote now, I realize how stressful commuting was for me. I like staying at home. When on campus teaching begins again, I'm thinking to teach online classes, which I hate, but it will be an income. Other than that, I have people wanting to take private classes from me, but I also hate that, as I feel my precious studio space gets invaded by energy I don't always like. I, too, am facing time I may not be able to support myself, since I need to keep my little bit of savings aside for eventual health needs. My painting sales bring in enough to pay for paint and brushes and all else it costs me to be professional and do this one thing I absolutely must or go nuts.

Dh is going to retire in 7 months, the day after I turn 65 :) His plan is to take a couple months of time off and then return to the same company as a contract worker. Our son is an attorney and is working on the contract 'legality' b/c it is going to be a job that pays him easily twice what he makes now. He is LITERALLY the only person left in this company that can do the things he does. Obviously, the co. never thought to TRAIN some other people to do the specialty stuff DH does..but I think they thought he'd never, ever retire.

I can, and do crafts that I usually don't charge for, but will start doing so...we actually have plenty to retire on, it's really NOT about the money for us, it's for the using our time wisely and for something to do.


I never worked FT for any great 'career' length of time, but the jobs I had were in CG and schools (I would no more substitute teach these days than fly to the moon!!)... I am craft and have sold a bit of my crafting. I did counted cross stitch pictures last year for my kids---the one I did for my son and his wife is worth $500 on ebay---and they didn't like it and threw it away!!! It took me a full month to do...guess I am still mad at them. I had cancer and sitting and cross stitching was a good time-killer.

My Dh was counseled that before he retired he have 4 things to occupy him: 1 was a money maker, even if it was minimum wage, 2 was a service based 10-15 hrs per week, 3 was exercise of some kind ad 4 was a group thing--like golf.

I'd like him to learn how to cook a simple meal and clean up after himself. Besides bacon and eggs with all the grease involved!! Also how to do laundry, vacuum, make a bed and 'pick up' a room.

His comment to me that when he retired, so would I elicited hilarious laughter among my 4 daughters and me. Just the WFH for the last 11 months has taught me he is one messy, messy guy. My workload will almost double when he retires!

I think being an Uber driver might be a perfect fit for him, but his driving record is awful....

you could check into working at a nursery (for garden stuff), a landscaping place.  depending on your age (?) you could do different things.  find something that might interest you.  If you like being around people, go to a local department store and ask to work in the department you like best (if that is available)......or just get a job anywhere that is hiring and do the best you can. wishing you luck.  I am sure it is very tight for some people.........

I'm still reading and considering all options that are suggested.  I never actually expected such a good response, so I'm kind of overwhelmed in figuring out to answer each of your for your thoughtful suggestions.

Thanks again!

Everyone I know that retired has gone back to work.  Combination of boredom and not enough money.  I have witnessed that if you aren't an extremely active person and have enough money nestled way to accommodate your activities, it just doesn't pan out.  Having a "purpose" is also a big thing for folks.  Having no reason to get up, no where to be and no reason to go to bed is not a good thing mentally.  Maybe part time work somewhere and/or volunteering could help.  I don't know what your health situation is, but signing up for a fund raising 5k walk and then training for it with friends or spouse would give you a goal to work towards.  Not sure if you are into gardening, but you could plan a garden on paper, order the seeds and get everything ready for the right season.  If you are into pets, you could volunteer or work at a shelter.  You could advertise to be a dog sitter.  With everything being computerized, it is hard to be out of the workforce and then try to reenter when you're older.  Not saying it can't be done, but would take concerted effort.  Just use your imagination and think outside the box.

@MaryKathleen below suggested:

"What did you do before? Maybe go back into that field."

That makes sense because it would be where one's experience and training is.

There are a couple of problems: 1) being out of the workforce means a person's skills might be rusty; and, 2) ageism and skepticism as to why the person has been out of the workforce.

These things might help:

1) brush up your skills in some targeted way
2) demonstrate your willingness and ability to work by volunteering or creating a useful website.

Probably contracting as a temp worker makes more sense than seeking an FTE position once one is ready with something.

Duplicate post.

If you want to have a regular job with regular paychecks, you need to apply to job listings that actually exist, not that are imaginary. And right now, so many people are out of work that you will be hard-pressed to find openings.

GA, with your knowledge and ability with gardening have you ever thought about designing gardens? It seems a natural for you. I just received my first SS check and will continue to work as long as I can.

I have thought about tutoring, help kids up to algebra, brush up on my Spanish, think about a language, and sign language, interpreters are needed in the courts and other services. Interpreters in my area make quite a good living.

My hubs jokes that I will never retire,, I just can;t do nothing.. LOL I have thought about getting a part time job at a place I love, like a bookstore. Or as a pet sitter at someones home, like a dog walker for dogs I choose! (Hey you have to get along with the dog, right? )I could also see myself as a house sitter, not to spend the night but to check in and bring in the mail, water the plants,, you know.

Thanks kitty... was just about done with a post, and POOF! there went the whole thing!

Anyway, when the weather is nicer and perhaps we're a little safer from the virus, YARD SALE!!! Use the winter months to start weeding through ALL that "stuff" you have and set aside things to sell.

I'm sure many of you here have been through the torturous task of cleaning out a LOs place. I'm sure many of you also have lots of "stuff" that is no longer used and/or is just collecting dust. If you have kids, do you want to burden them with that task? If you don't have kids, then it'll be someone assigned to clear it out and you won't care... but, meanwhile, you probably have lots of clothing you don't need or wear anymore, lots of "things" that were fun or cute to have, but just take up space now. Why not go through it and see what you can sell? Kills 2 birds with 1 stone!

My plan was to get all the repairs done here, then weed through my own "stuff". First work stopped, for several reasons. Then dealing with mom. OB brought a bunch of crap from her place and left it here - I didn't want any of it, or ask for it. I don't know why he didn't just pitch the stuff or put it outside with a FREE sign. So I ended up with MORE stuff to deal with... When mom passed recently, despite them saying "take your time" and "you're paid through the end of the month", suddenly I'm being asked to get it all out! I wasn't allowed in to weed through it all, they boxed, bagged, stuffed into trash can and laundry basket, so now I have yet another large pile of "stuff" to weed through...

But that's still my plan. Get the rooms finished so I can decide what goes where and what goes OUT. Then plan a driveway/garage sale (I have a large area in front of the garage, so we can all be outside, away from each other!) Price it right, and those singles and fives can add up quickly!

GA: Firstly, think about what you excel at, e.g. if you love to bake, then a muffin biz? If you love to write, you could author odes for people (I presently do that, but I don't require a paycheck). If you've a green thumb - hence your user name, then a small plant biz. One of the things that I would like to do is to explore the Francais language again. Whatever makes you happy is always a good idea.

Where I live you can be a minister. You apply online to become a minister and pay the fee. Register with the county clerk then you can perform marriages.

Another thing is become a notary public. The details can be found online. There is always someone wanting a notary after 5 pm.

A sewing job that might be OK is to take up jeans that are too long, so that they have the right stitching at the bottom. All you need is the pin in the right place, no fittings. It’s done here with ads like ‘one leg $15, second leg free’. You might do it on the spot in a ‘farmer’s market’ type place, or subcontract to a retail store to do it with a day or two turn-around.

If you have a newer model car in good condition and you don't need it every day of the week, you can register with a company like Turo to lease out your car. We do that and before covid made about $300/month. Also, if you have an extra room, try renting out a room to another single lady. Depending on what the rents are in your area, you can make anywhere from $400 to over $1,000/month. Also, there are websites where you can sign up for piecemeal work for typing, transcribing, etc. Doesn't make much but might help. Good luck!

I am sorry, I don't remember how old you are. I have a friend who at 65 got a part time job at the local grocery store. It is a chain store and she made a little above minimum wage which in my state is $15.00 an hour. She was studying to be a checker when she got a job at Amazon. She has a problem with her leg which was broken in several places, so she transfered from warehouse worker to security, she checks people for masks and social distancing.

Look up Government jobs, both local and federal. They don't discriminate. What did you do before? Maybe go back into that field. Try the local Jr. Collage, they may have a "returning to work" program.

I love some of the other ideas mentioned here. I would love to learn to sell on Ebay, maybe I will give it a try soon. I took a class in it and got as far as taking the photos when I got discouraged and stopped. I have a lot of stuff I need to get rid of.

These suggestions would be post vaccine, but have you considered registering as a substitute teacher? My mom did that, she worked when she wanted to, if she had plans she just didn't answer the phone. They had day of calls, or you could check website for available spots coming up. They also did subs for the office staff.
Local craft shops often have demos or crafting classes, if you are talented that way, they might hire you for that.
If you like the outdoors, I've heard national or state parks have retirees working there.
I had a friend who signed up with a local event/wedding planner, they always needed extra help folding napkins, setting up tableware, arranging the decor, helping the bride with last minute i forgot this items. Need to have a thick skin for that one, she told me about some unreal rude people. ( one person sobbong, asked if a large religious statue could be removed because she thought the statues face was ugly and didn't want it in background of photos. Flower arrangement to the rescue!)

Do you have any families in your bubble who have school aged children doing remote school.? Some people are gladly paying someone to sit with their kid to help with online school, either to keep them on task or out of their hair while they work.

and ALTERATIONS!!! Like the next person said. I can't sew and my husband and I constantly need hems in pants!

I saw an adorable hooked cushion on a little step stool on amazon. Maybe you could try doing something like that. It was a scene of two sheep.

In our city you can call 211 for services agencies and there are some that focus on employment or stipends for volunteering I believe....By needlework are you talking artful/crafty efforts or sewing/alterations? People still need alterations etc and you could let people know by word of mouth, temple/church bulletins for cheaper ads, posting a note at groceries etc....IF more crafty, you could pursue Etsy. But don't forget that these efforts and the income would be totally dependent on YOU alone and that's a lot of pressure. I have a small side business that is not reliable for any income but people love it. When I had a sudden critical illness in the past few months I had no one trained or capable to pick up the slack and two pending orders. Combined with ordering some special parts that were shipped nearly a month ago with USPS, that were delayed (still) I have disappointed the customers and had to make adjustments to show good will. I will not make much on these orders. Just beware:-)

I am not sure how big of work space you have but there is this disabled older woman in my area that sells speciality herb and veggie plants. She has about 20 different types of basil and weird crap that you cannot find at nurseries. A small scale grower license is $40. It is all a word of mouth business from her church and customers. With the entire clusterf*ck going on, people are going to be looking to grow their own food as an alternative source. It will be hard finding work due to this unemployment and shut downs going on.

I read through the posts and did not see this one.

Mum was forced to retire from her Union job at age 65. Luckily the laws have changed now, but at the time she had no choice.

She saw an ad in the local paper for a Marriage Commissioner. She applied, the application process took about 6 months, but she got the job. It was a 10 year contract, which was extended for one more year. She would have loved to continue longer.

She worked every weekend in the summer often having 2-4 weddings in a day. She was paid a set fee (government rate), but charged for mileage and sometimes was given a tip. She loved it and earned enough money to go on an international trip every 2nd year.

Thank you to everyone who responded.   Right now, I'm overwhelmed at the variety of suggestions, but do plan to respond when I can sort them out and address some individually and some collectively.

I really appreciate the time you've spent offering suggestions, and even if it takes a few days, I will be back to respond.

 I do want to address a few aspects:

1.    Needlework:   I had in mind not only sewing (and design alteration), but embroidery, crewel embroidery, knitting, and crocheting.  I gave up on tatting w/o even trying!  

I did some alterations at one time, but wouldn't do it again b/c of the lack of cooperation of the individual to come for fittings.   It would have been too much work to finish the alteration (a challenging one with an underskirt of different material), then redo it.    I don't think the individual really understood that alteration is a personal adaptation to each individual and each garment.

One of the tenants in the cottage my parents had asked me to make a taffeta dress for her to wear while playing piano in a nighttime entertainment facility (restaurant and bar if I remember correctly).   She wanted it that night!

So I did it, and ended up with eye strain; black is very hard to work with.  Taffeta is also a difficult fabric.   Although I was paid, I vowed never to do that again.

Unfortunately, I don't think people who want hand sewn garments or alterations have any concept of the detail or time required.

2.  Teaching:  Needlework:   I've taught sewing, quilting, crocheting, and (don't be surprised!) bowmaking.    The first two were the most popular.   But for some reason, decades ago the local adult classes shifted emphasis from creative classes to sports, sports and more sports.   

One interesting avenue:   I had a  call from someone hired to locate and arrange for classes at car production plants.    Apparently either a union or staff wanted to provide adult ed classes in needlework.   So I was invited to teach a quilting class at an auto plant.  

I thought about it, but the plant was just too far away, not in the best area, and I already had a full schedule.    But it was an interesting concept.

I've also taught academic classes (Stacey, your ESL suggestion reminded me of this):   French, Math, Econ, Business and Computer Science.   This was at a local community college.    This was during the time the USSR was segueing out of that construct and into the Russian mode.   Apparently some charities were helping residents emigrate to the US, arranging for community ed classes and jobs.

I worked with 2 people from the USSR, with a "cradle to grave" approach.    W/o sounding sarcastic, they needed to be spoon fed.    The computer science student refused to do anything; his anticipation was to expect me to do all the work, which he would then turn in to the instructor!   No dice, so he asked that I be fired.   That was fine with me, b/c I wasn't going to go his work.

The most rewarding was math;   one student who had a lot of trouble eventually gave up, very disappointing, but there was nothing I could do to change her mind.   Then one day after exams she came up to me and gave me a big hug, telling me she moved from failing to getting a good passing grade.  She was elated, as was I.  


Sorry, I'm having computer problems and I'm having trouble editing.   Back later!

And thanks again!

I taught part time, while taking care of my mom, with Alzheimer's. Hubby retired early, so he could watch her when I was at work. When I went for a mammogram, (or as I call it a mom-ogram, because she was with me then, and a friend watched her while I went in for that lovely procedure), the receptionist asked if I still worked. I said that I taught part-time, and she said, "You need to keep working." I said, "Did you see me drive up in my 12 year old car?" She said, "No, but you need to keep working for your mental health." The mammogram tech, who also knew the situation, said the same thing. If you're good at needlepoint, maybe you could sell things on Etsy, or you could approach some schools, perhaps, and take orders/requests for holiday-themed things, or animal-themed things, etc. Needlepoint is something you could do safely, isolated in your home, which during Covid, is a great place to be. Maybe you could approach craft stores, and see if you could give needlepoint lessons virtually, or just do that yourself, and you could charge a small fee. I don't know much about You Tube, but perhaps you could do that there. I think if people advertise on your You Tube Channel, you can make some money that way, although I'm not sure. I envy your talent.

GA, I don't know how old you are or your physical abilities, but the goal is to do and invest the least and make the most. There were lots of good suggestions mentioned. There is a need for respite care but if it involves lifting you may want to think carefully about that.

If I were in your shoes and IF I was a dog owner and was in a home with some property I would seriously consider dog sitting for small dogs (not just walking as this can be a scheduling nightmare and physically difficult with large dogs). Tons of people adopted pets during covid without giving much thought to what will happen once everyone goes back to work and school. You can do it on a cash basis and it is a high-demand service therefore you can pick and choose the best clients that need you on a regular basis. You can have more than 1 small dog at a time (probably max of 3) and make $25 per dog per day depending on where you live, especially in an urban or suburban area. I only recommend this if you have actual experience with dogs.

Like others I wasn't sure what you meant by needlework, but if you meant sewing/seamstress work this involves a lot of contact and managing appointments and no-shows, with people coming into your home and needing to do fittings, etc. (I use a seamstress and I know how much effort she puts in it). Plus the ever-present deadlines for when people want things. You can certainly do it if you LOVE it but sometimes working with the public makes you unlove stuff ;-)

Hi there. Try a temp company offering various jobs on a temporary or temp-to-hire basis.

if you dont like the job you can call the company and say you want to give notice and can they find something more satisfactory for you.

i am employed by a company that is using temp workers along with their own employees to screen people ... taking temperatures and asking general questions ... who coming into the business.

but there are other office and industry jobs they offer too.

it’s a really good way of finding out what’s available and if you like the job before you lock yourself into something unpleasant.

There are so many things you can do! AlvaDeer mentioned providing respite care for families. My cousin recently started this. She made simple business cards and posted her services on a local Facebook page. She is super busy and can pick and choose her schedule. My aunt bakes and makes jams to sell. She makes about 275.00 in a weekend. She closes her kitchen January-March. I think you will be amazed at the opportunities that are available. Consider this a “second act” and do something you enjoy. You are going to do great things!!

My neighbor does a pretty good business (at least she did...) altering wedding dresses, prom dresses and things like that.
There are always people, like me, that can not operate a sewing machine. For some reason we do not get along. I always said when I took HomeEc in school I had no problem with the cooking but when I even walked past the sewing room the bobbins would jump from the machines and roll away screaming!
I could do a gangbuster business baking and cooking but sewing is out!
I need zippers replaced and would love to have someone do it for me.
If you are good at it, go for it.
For everyone else, if you think you would be good tutoring kids, go for it.
Dog walking, shopping for others, and dozens of other tasks that people are either to busy to do or they are cautious about leaving their house.
If you are good at crafting there are people making things and selling on line.
So...or should I say SEW..if this is something that you think will help out with a few bills go for it. What do you have to loose? (GardenArtist, just don't let it take up so much of your time that we will miss you)