After the Retirement Party

[gcgang]

After the retirement party - FT.com

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Entitled, " After the Retirement Party", the article talks about the rewards, not necessarily financial, that come from continuing, or in some cases starting, to provide value thru a new career, both to others ("giving back"), and to your self.

Have any people here moved on to a second career after ER?

 

[REWahoo]

Have any people here moved on to a second career after ER?

You aren't retired if you move to a second career, you're just changing jobs.

 

[obgyn65]

As a volunteer, the answer is 'yes' in my case.

Have any people here moved on to a second career after ER?

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f505ee90-9557-11e2-a4fa-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2P56HSRHy

 

[travelover]

Yes, I post sarcastic remarks here, daily.

 

[ER Eddie]

I haven't retired yet, but my hope is to "work" at things that I love to do, without much regard for financial compensation. There are too many benefits of productive, creative work to give it up entirely and just focus on various pleasures -- I mean work that you enjoy, that ties into your values and sense of purpose, that is useful or helpful to the world somehow. The alternative (no productive/creative work at all, just a focus on personal interests/pleasures) would not be satisfying or interesting to me.

On the other hand, I cringe at the thought of a second "career." I am retiring to get away from my career. I am tired of the workaday world that requires so much sacrifice. A second career sounds way too much like traditional "work" to me. No thanks.

 

[youbet]

You aren't retired if you move to a second career, you're just changing jobs.

I've noticed, but made no formal attempt to measure, a trend on this board the past 2 - 3 years for folks to talk about "working" or "careers" or "owning a business" while retired. Seems like an oxymoron. But I suppose it's all terminology. For folks whose working lives were spent in pension-paying MegaCorp or gov't jobs where they can collect a pension sometime after terminating, the act of having completed pension requirements seems to be enough to qualify for "retirement." This even if the individual plans on running a full time business or have some other activity in persuit of significant income.

Like you, I call most of these situations what they are: moving from full time to part time or starting a second career or owning my own business instead of being employed by someone else.

 

[ERhoosier]

Yes, I post sarcastic remarks here, daily.

And I ROTFLMAO at them

 

[mickeyd]

Have any people here moved on to a second career after ER?

I have a lifetime position as Wealth Manager for a certain South Texas family. Yes the caps are appropriate.

 

[seraphim]

Been looking for something enjoyable to do which may or may not be helpful to others and any financial compensation it might incur would be a secondary consideration. Or teriary. Cetainly, not a j*b....

 

[W2R]

I don't ever plan to [-]sell my time to some slavedriver who wants to tell me what to do with it[/-] work, again.

I seriously doubt that I will want to do anything resembling a job now that I am retired. Even volunteering formally sounds repugnant. I do try to come up with unexpected kindnesses frequently (without pay, of course), and in that sense I suppose that I volunteer.

If I wanted to go back to work, I'd go back to work and I would call it what it is, work. But I don't.

Due to the economy there are a lot of people out there who have no way of knowing if they are unemployed or (forcibly) retired. I think this has added some confusion to the definition of retirement. Most of the ones I know are pretty open about their situations, though.

 

[jerome len]

I'd like to give back some of what I've received from the community during my working career. If I just retired I'd get fat, watch too much TV, sitting around all day. But....I don't want a boss, regular hours or a paycheck. And, what do I get for what I want to do? .....a warm fuzzy and a smile on my face knowing I've helped others

 

[Moscyn]

After I retire, I discovered I am a great cook, homemaker, holiday planner and a much better person to be with. In that way I am giving back to my loved ones, friends and even myself.

 

[HighRoller]

No, and I'm not planning on it.

 

[Badger]

No. But I do play volunteer DJ reading to the blind on the local PBS. That doesn't count since I consider the station doing me a favor allowing me to participate and they are so nice to all of us.

Cheers!

 

[martyp]

You aren't retired if you move to a second career, you're just changing jobs.

I totally agree with this. I volunteer on an occasional basis. I've put on two 6-week science classes. It helps me stay in touch with my previous science career without the it being or looking like or feeling like a j*b.

 

[freebird5825]

I like doing volunteer w*rk for veterans' organizations (American Legion, VFW) on an ad hoc basis. Fundraising events are always short-handed, especially in the kitchen and cleanup departments. I do not attend meetings or plan events. I simply show up with an apron, a smile and a pair of helping hands.

I have not considered a 2nd career, however if things ever hit the fan, I could easily w*rk for a greenhouse or nursery with my life long knowledge of plant care. I love planting and growing green things, so it would not seem like a j*b in comparison to my previous c*reer as an Engineer.
I would do very well as a landscape designer.

 

[heeyy_joe]

This dog plans to stay on the porch.

 

[HFWR]

I like doing volunteer w*rk for veterans' organizations (American Legion, VFW) on an ad hoc basis. Fundraising events are always short-handed, especially in the kitchen and cleanup departments. I do not attend meetings or plan events. I simply show up with an apron, a smile and a pair of helping hands.

I have not considered a 2nd career, however if things ever hit the fan, I could easily w*rk for a greenhouse or nursery with my life long knowledge of plant care. I love planting and growing green things, so it would not seem like a j*b in comparison to my previous c*reer as an Engineer.
I would do very well as a landscape designer.

An apron and a smile, eh?

 

[freebird5825]

An apron and a smile, eh?

I would imagine that very thought has crossed many an older gentleman's mind when I show up to help. They do love to flirt with me. Rascals!



My next volunteer event...I will be helping in the kitchen.
http://boonvillevfwrvn.com/
http://boonvillevfwrvn.com/prep.html

 

[unclemick]

Never volunteer. However over the last 19 years I have been 'nailed', cajowled, and gently arm twisted on more occasions then I care to mention.

That said - my all time favorite is doing nothing - watching grass grow and seeing how long the lawnmower can remain unstarted.

heh heh heh -there's theory - aka 'doing nothing in particular' and then there is practice - 'you need help to do what!' I like theory better.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm thinking about one of these:

Ranch hand on a cattle ranch
Volunteer at the hospital driving the outpatient bus
Volunteer at the local historical society
Lawn care
Part time helper at a microbrewery

But right now I'm too busy with my own projects to get into anything else.

 

[Milton]

I don't ever plan to [-]sell my time to some slavedriver who wants to tell me what to do with it[/-] work, again. I seriously doubt that I will want to do anything resembling a job now that I am retired.

+1.

Even volunteering formally sounds repugnant.

Can't agree with you there. Many formal volunteer positions provide tremendous opportunities for friendship, personal growth and fulfillment (there are also some where the volunteers' role seems to be little more than doing the grubby work while the paid staff get to do all the more glamorous stuff; but those are the exception, and are easily avoided).

For clarity, the above should not be read as an insinuation that early retirees are morally obliged to volunteer their time, or that those who choose not to are less than full human beings.

[F]olks talk about "working" or "careers" or "owning a business" while retired. Seems like an oxymoron.... I call most of these situations what they are: moving from full time to part time or starting a second career or owning my own business instead of being employed by someone else.

+1.

 

[harley]

I applied for a summer position as a Park Ranger at Assateague National Park, but with my 30+ years of work history I didn't have enough experience, so I'll just have to spend the summer sitting on the beach watching.