3 Job Tips for Retirees

More and more people are finding out that they are not prepared financially for retired life. If you were really, really serious and put a great chunk of funds away into a retirement account, you may be sitting comfortably, but for the average person who tucked away a generally smaller amount, things may not be so well.

Some reports show that a couple, both retiring at age 65, will probably spend a combined total of about $250,000 out of pocket for the remainder years of their life. Because of this, most retirees are finding it necessary to return to work to supplement their income, and on average at least one in four Americans either prolong their retirement, or end up seeking additional work after the fact.

Depending on the field and position, some employers even have programs in place to encourage workers to work past their retirement age. Some types of jobs do not have enough new incoming skilled young workers interested in the position, making it a necessity to keep or hire post-retirement employees.

However, if you find yourself retired, and seeking to rejoin the workforce, here are a few tips that may assist you in your endeavors.

1. Professional resume: Consider having your resume rewritten by a professional, as the style you may be most comfortable and familiar with may not be most appropriate in the job market today.

2. Trial Interviews: Seek to get a couple interviews set up with companies and positions you have no real interest in. Getting some practice on your interview skills will help you to identify and work on problem areas. This is better than going on your first interview in years with an employer you are truly interested in, and then blowing it over simple mistakes.

3. Temp agencies, project, or temporary work: Temp agencies are more concerned with skills and experience than they are with age. Working temp jobs helps to build up the recent skills and experiences on your resume, as well as allowing you to expand your horizons a bit by working in different situations and potentially gaining new experience. The same can be said for looking for project positions, where you are hired to simply complete a project and move on. Temporary work is something that may get you in quicker than a younger person could get in for, because the younger crowd tends to be looking for full time work, not temporary. So, asking for temporary work may be of benefit to the employer, and after a short time may actually turn in to a full time position for you.

When it comes to hiring retirees, there are some jobs that are more likely to do so quickly than others, and here is a list I found on another site of the reported common positions that tend to be filled by post retired candidates:

• Executives & managers (project assignments)
• Consultants
• Pharmacists (part-time and temporary)
• Nurses & health care professionals (part-time and temporary)
• Accountants (for tax season)
• Chemists
• Researchers
• Call center and help desk
• Customer service
• Inside sales/telemarketing
• Cashiers
• Retail sales clerks (during the holidays)
• Hotel/hospitality jobs like front desk and concierge
• Bookkeepers
• School bus drivers
• Guards/security
• Fast food and restaurant help

If you have any experience in this area, please feel free to add comments for others to see.