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Site for Jobs for Seniors
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Job Search in
Retirement:
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Looking for an interesting and fulfilling job when you are retired is not easy. To be successful and end up with a job you genuinely like, you should go through a sort of self assessment. There are many things where your age will be of benefit in your job search and, especially, also in your future job. But there are also things that will be difficult to do. Therefore, don't try to compete with a 20 year old! Compete where it matters, where you can genuinely offer something to your potential employer. The self assessment is mainly for yourself, it is a sort of "get-to-know-myself" of things which you always knew were lurking in you, but never really found out about!
| Self Assessment |
| This is not
a psychological test or some other
evaluation method. It simply provides you with an
organized way to find out what you can
offer and what you are willing
to contribute in terms of ability and
effort to a new job after retirement. Many
people find going to a career coach
or a career consultant useful.
If you go and see one, remember that the
better you are prepared for that meeting, the
more you will get out of it. The key
contribution the career coach will
make is to help you see things better. His
function is not to push you into a specific
direction. The career coach/ counselor should be
a mixture of a devil's advocate and someone
who encourages you. It is not necessarily
the career suggestions he makes to you that are
important, but rather the new thoughts he plants
in your mind. You can, after a session, go home
and develop these thoughts further |
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The
Career One-Stop-Centers The US government has set up a useful internet infrastructure for career advice and job seekers: The Career-One-Stop Centers. They offer, amongst other things, skills evaluation tests. You can access the centers also on the Internet. They even have on-line career coaches. You can also go and visit one of their offices. To find the offices nearest to you, click here |
| The most important benefit
of a new job in your retirement should be your
individual happiness. If you need the
money, your choices might become more restricted.
Though, even under those circumstances, you
should put some thought into selecting a
job that will make you fill content and happy. You should therefore start your job search with one or several sessions about knowing yourself! The evaluation we are talking about here is not so much about your objective technical abilities, but more about how well you know yourself. |
| Ten Points for Evaluating and Selecting what Kind of Job you should get after your Retirement |
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What is my Goal? Self Fulfillment? Earn Money, because I need to(?), or work because I want to work? |
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What are my strengths and weaknesses? (if you really need to, take a know-yourself test in a Career Book!). This is your perception of things! |
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Where or in what do I have my highest confidence levels? (list five items and see whether they match your strengths!) |
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Make a list of activities (jobs, work etc.) that you would like to do. Then match that list to your Strengths and Weaknesses and your level of confidence in matching the requirements of the activities with what you bring to the table. |
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Make a list of places where you would like to work (You can have dreams, but be realistic about it - "I would like to work on the moon", does not help you very much! |
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What impact will starting to work have on your surrounding (family, friends, my hobbies etc.) Think hard about that and write it down, because you do not want to make people around you unhappy! Remember, at this stage of your life, you want to work because you desire to!) |
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Ask friends or former colleagues (or your former bosses) you worked with, what your strengths and weaknesses are , i.e. what were or are you good at? Be careful in evaluating these comments because often people will tell you what they think you want to hear! Remember, you get the best self assessment if you are honest with yourself! |
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Based on the above, start to match job functions (or titles) with your wishes and abilities? You should come up with a final list of ten jobs, then narrow them down to five or so! Do you like any of the Options? If not, go back and start afresh! |
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Once you have gone through that process, start to look for companies, recruiters or other sources with information about who is hiring retired people (not everyone does and you want to stay clear of groups or companies that just need a "man/girl Friday" to do every menial task other employees can think of and want to avoid doing!) |
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The final phase is finding and selecting the job you want to do. The last thing you want is to start a job, then find out you do not like it, resign, and then start somewhere else. That is stressful and will not do much for your own confidence either. Thus, selecting your job, asking the right questions during the interview process and starting with a really positive attitude is key to a successful return to work. Remember, you work because you like to work, it makes you happy and fulfilled! |
There are areas in which maturity and seriousness of purpose are key elements that drive an activity or are the essence of a job. Obviously, that should apply to every job, though sadly, it does not. Many people find satisfaction in volunteering. There are numerous careers and job paths in this field.
| Some useful Books you should consult from amazon.com |
Another avenue is starting your own business. Today, the internet provides a large number of avenues that offer business entry with minimal funds. You still have to do a lot of hard work and there is always the risk of failing. A friend of mine, who used to be the CEO of a fairly large high tech company, receiving a nice retirement package from his former job, started an office cleaning company in a medium sized Midwestern town. He used almost no capital (I think it was $200.00 or so) and now, after two years, employs 50 people. He thoroughly enjoys building his company. And yet, you would not think that cleaning offices could be a challenge for a mathematician! If you are interested in that or similar avenues, have a look at an associated site that shows you in some detail, how to establish a company with an Internet presence.
Just one last word, when you try to start yourself: Stay clear of the more lunatic schemes for quick money that are offered on the Internet and on TV (the classic saying on one of these advertisements is :"......I like the lifestyle.....and the money is good too......!"). As a general rule, money cannot be earned whilst you sleep! If it sounds to be too good, it usually is. Even if you do not need the money, losing it will create stress and discord in relationships. It is certainly the one thing you do not want during your retirement.
So where do you go from here?
Well, the next step is creating a good resume, using networking as a means of finding out more about jobs and where they are located and finally going for an interview.
We have put together a page with some thoughts on how to write a resume. Besides our own thoughts there are links to professional resume writing services. Often they provide a useful investment, and you should consider it.
There is also a page on networking. It has become so prevalent in the USA, that it is an important tool in your search for a job.
An interview advice page is also available here. It would be a real pity, if you had made all this effort and then blew it with a poor interview. Have a look at the page, you might lean something from it.
And finally, you might find that you should start your job search with a small advertisement on the Internet. We offer a small Job Search Advertisement for 60 days for $9.99 or for 120 days $14.99. Go here, to see the format of the adverts and purchase the advertisement. You can also use your local newspapers. But remember, that advert will only appear once, while here it stays up for 60 or 120 days!
Being a job site, we also have links to recruiters and companies who employ seasoned, retired employees. Whether it is part-time or full-time, you might find a job there.
