While thousands of retirees say they want to continue working after their official retirement, there are many who hope to enter a new field. That career you just finished may have been rewarding but it is never too late to reinvent yourself as an expert or consultant in something entirely different. Were you a lawyer in your work life? Maybe it is time to be a social worker now. Were you a writer for many years? Perhaps you would like to try something that uses the other half of your brain.
While some fields seem to be shrinking in this economy, there are still new businesses opening every day. Not surprisingly, because there are so many people living longer, there is a field directly related to working with older people. You can help clients create an ideal retirement, manage their financial lives, and help sell their homes when they decide to move to a new location. There is a need for these services and it is probably bigger than you thought.
You have probably heard of “life coaching,” a relatively new field. Life coaching is a practice with the aim of helping clients determine and achieve personal goals. Transition coaches are the latest expression of personal coaching and usually help people retire. They use exercises, readings and other methods to help clients identify their goals and strategies to meet them. Transition coaches charge by the hour or month, and usually include follow up phone calls or emails.
Another new field is the aging-in-place specialist. This is usually a contractor or builder and there is even a certification course offered by the National Association of Home Builders. They help people stay in their homes by modifying homes to make them more accessible for the aging population.
A senior real estate specialist who works specifically with older people is another new career choice. Realizing that a move after the death of a spouse or illness requires someone with a diplomatic touch and a lot of patience, these people offer counseling and understanding that is different from the usual fast paced sale of a home. If clients are reluctant to sell or children are trying to dictate what parents should do, having such a specialist on one’s side can be invaluable.
Senior move managers realize that moving is stressful and thus help seniors sort through belongings, get them packed and then unpacked in their new location. They might handle the sale of a home and furnishings, the shipping of items to scattered family members and then make sure the beds are made and pictures hung the day the person moves in.
A daily money manager is another new field open to those who are retired but still want to work. These specialists help people handle their financial affairs whether it is paying bills, record keeping or merely balancing a checkbook. Though neither a financial planner not accountant, many people rely on money managers for advice and planning, especially if the client is traveling, caring for a partner or physically ill themselves.
All these new specialists go through some kind of training and go a long way in making clients feel more confident and less stressed as they age. If you are looking for meaningful work without the need to go back to school for months or years, think about senior specialists and find one that uses your skills and makes you feel needed and fulfilled.
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