With the crisis in the financial markets and the volatility of the stock market, retirement may mean working at least part-time for many people.
According to a recent AARP survey, 8 out of 10 baby boomers want to keep working after they "retire," some because they expect to need the income or medical benefits, but many others because they aren't yet ready to feel they've been put out to pasture. "I really want to stay active and challenged," said Ortiz. "I've seen plenty of former colleagues retire and die shortly afterward, and I think that's because they had nothing compelling going on in their lives."
So let's say you're trying to plan your golden years, you've picked out a couple of places where you might like to live, and you're wondering about job opportunities there. Most towns' Chambers ofCommerce are happy to send you an information packet describing local employers, and a subscription to the local paper will let you keep an eye on help-wanted ads in the area.
But now, thanks to a collaboration between AARP and a huge employment Web site for the over-50 crowd called RetirementJobs.com, there's a quicker and easier way:
Go to www.aarp.org/money/work and enter the name or zipcode of the town you're considering, plus a keyworddescribing what kind of work you're after ("sales" or "accounting," for example), and you'll get a listing of current job openings posted by local employers - many of them familiar national brand names like Staples and Bank of America - that welcome older, experienced workers.
The AARP site offers a wealth of other information and support for anyone planning to launch a second career in retirement. Check out The Water Cooler, an online discussion group about career issues for people over 50, and AARP's blog, ShAARP Session.
Not surprisingly, a broad array of other online resources are popping up to help the 70-million-member boomer generation navigate the post-retirement career waters. No matter where you end up living when you've bid farewell to your current career, if you plan to keep working, here's a sampling of other sites worth a visit: Ageless in America - resources for older job seekers from Boom or Bust! New Careers in a New America co-authors Brad Taft and Carleen McKay. RetirementJobs.com - part job board, part advisor, and coach for job-seeking seniors. young2retire.com - Howard and Marika Stone, co-authors of Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life, offer coaching, a newsletter, profiles of interesting late-in-life career changers, and much more.
You may find all of these resources helpful, but don't forget to use the telephone and talk with people face-to-face to gain information, network, and secure retirement positions.
The first of the 76 million or so baby boomers who will be hitting traditional retirement age of 62 in the next two decades are doing so now. If all of these boomers decide to stop working when they hit this milestone, businesses will need to scramble to fill the gaps, since the succeeding generation of workers is much smaller.
Not all businesses are planning for the coming shortage. In fact, in a Manpower study of 1,000 U.S. employers last year, 78% had no concern that an aging workforce could hamper recruitment and retention of talented workers. Just 28% have a strategy to retain workers past retirement age and only 18% have an older-worker recruitment strategy.
"Businesses are slowly becoming aware that older workers tend to have highly desirable attributes," says Robert Skladany, vice president of research and certification at Waltham, Mass.-based RetirementJobs.com, a national job clearinghouse focused specifically on jobs for people 50 and older.
RetirementJobs runs an "Age Friendly Employer Certification" program that recognizes employers who meet their best practices, from management style to recruiting practices, flexible scheduling, and health care benefits. Some companies that make the grade include banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, as well as retailers like Starbucks and Target.
Based on information from jobs posted on the site, and from the feedback of job seekers, RetirementJobs produced a list of the 20 best jobs for retirees. Skladany says the jobs were scored on the desirability of the work, the pay, and whether they were obtainable.
Nursing
Qualifications: Formal education (two to six years plus) and licensing required for registered and practical nurses.
Pay: $20 to $60-plus per hour based on training, level and specialization.
Health Care Technician
Qualifications: One to four years of training beyond high school in health care specialty (laboratory, X-ray, nutrition, nursing assistant).
Pay: $12 to $25 per hour based on training, responsibility level and specialization.
Health Care Administration (Non-Medical)
Qualifications: A wide range of health care specific and general education skills based on job requirements from clerical to administrative management.
Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for clerical; $20 to $30 for professional; and $25-plus for managerial positions.
Teaching Aide
Qualifications: A background in education and child care helpful as well as formal education beyond high school.
Pay: $8 to $15 per hour based on level of responsibility and qualifications.
Contract & Temporary Professional
Qualifications: Formal education (four to eight years) and relevant experience within profession (i.e., law, information technology, human resources, engineering, sciences, accounting and finance, project management).
Pay: $30 to $70 per hour based on profession and level of experience and knowledge.
Merchandise & Grocery Retailing
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position.
Pay: $8 to $15 per hour for sales associates and customer service; $15 to $30 for supervisor and manager.
Specialty Retail Sales
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education to several years or industry experience and training within specialty (i.e., cosmetics, automotive, furniture, electronics).
Pay: $15 to $30 per hour based on product and personal sales.
Accounting & Finance and Tax Preparers
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education, to technical training such as tax preparation, up to formal education of four to six years plus relevant experience.
Pay: $12 to $15 per hour for clerical and bookkeeping; $15 to $30 for tax preparers and specialists; $25 to $40 for formally trained professionals.
Banking and Lending
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education to technical training up to formal education of four to six years plus relevant experience.
Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for teller and customer service; $15 to $30 for lending, $20 to $35 for supervisor and manager.
Car/Van/Light Truck and Bus Driver
Qualifications: Passenger vehicle license up to special vehicle licensing and certification with ?clean? driving record.
Pay: $10 to $15 per hour for small vehicle; $12 to $20 for larger vehicles.
Customer Service Representative
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training up to two to four years formal education or technical training; telephone and interpersonal skills vital.
Pay: $10 to $14 per hour for non-technical positions, $14 to $20 for technology-related jobs.
Nonprofit Services Delivery & Administration
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training up to four years or more beyond high school based on position.
Pay: $8 to $14 per hour for service delivery and clerical; $14 to $25 for professional.
Insurance & Investment Services
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education up to four years+ education/training and ability to secure industry-specific certifications and licenses.
Pay: $12 to $18 per hour for entry sales and service; $15 to $25 for technical/licensed jobs; sales commissions often available.
Home Care & Personal Aide
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position as well as licenses and certifications.
Pay: $8 to $14 per hour for personal care providers; $12 to $20 for advanced care providers (medication, etc.)
Hospitality and Food Service Staff
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years or more beyond high school based on position.
Pay: $8 to $12 per hour for entry-level service providers; $10 to $15 for front desk/reception staff; $12 to $16 for sales and supervision.
Office Clerical & Administrative
Qualifications: Can range from no formal education or training to four years beyond high school based on position; computer skills often essential.
Pay: $9 to $12 for entry clerical and administrative; $12 to $16 for skilled administrative staff.
Self-Employment
Qualifications: No formal education up to four years-plus; small business management, sales, customer service and technical abilities important; licenses and certification may be required based on trade or profession.
Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on type of trade or business and personal capabilities (self-employment tax and liability insurance often required).
Franchise and Business Owner
Qualifications: No formal education required though small business management, sales, customer service and technical abilities important; personal investment may be required for franchised or licensed operations.
Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on cost of franchise, business revenue, type of business and personal capabilities.
Small Employers
Qualifications: More than 97% of employers have fewer than 100 employees. Small employers can provide diverse and challenging jobs requiring little formal education and training up to four years or more beyond high school.
Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on the industry, type of job and scope of responsibilities.
Federal, State and Municipal Government
Qualifications: The government sector is expecting that retiring employees will create large numbers of openings ranging from entry level to senior professional and management. Qualifications vary widely.
Pay: Earnings can vary widely based on organization, profession and scope of responsibilities.
