Successfully re-entering the workforce as a senior

Are you a retiree who’s looking for work? You’re not alone. There’s a growing trend among today’s seniors of returning to the workforce post-retirement. But to find a job in your golden years that’s gratifying and meets your financial needs, you’ll need to leverage the skills and knowledge you’ve built up over your lifetime.

Identify your assets
Before you put yourself out there, take a bit of time to pinpoint your skills and abilities. Consider proficiencies that you gained from your work experience as well as more general ones like time-management, leadership and communication skills. And don’t forget the life skills you’ve developed over the years in other areas such as in your role as a parent or mentor. You can even look to your hobbies and interests as a place to mine for hireable skills.

Consider a new career path
Your skills and abilities might steer you in a new direction, completely away from your previous career. For example, the people management skills you acquired working as a contractor might be put to use in many other contexts (company manager, real estate agent, etc.).

Consider the job market
Sometimes it happens that the primary skills you possess have become unmarketable due to advancements in technology or a change in your health or physical capacity. In such cases, it’s best to fall back on secondary knowledge and skills you’ve developed over the years.

Begin your job search online
If you’re looking to venture into the workforce, a good place to start is by scouting online job search sites such as Indeed and Monster. You may also want to build a public profile on the professional networking site, LinkedIn.