Are you ready for a second-act career?
Nearing retirement age and wondering what’s next? A second-act career might be just the thing for you. The term refers to the jobs that older workers take up when they leave their main line of work but aren’t quite ready to fully retire. This new career might be in a sector or position adjacent to your first one, or something completely new; it could be part-time, full-time, or even contract or freelance based. If any combination of the four motivations below applies to you, it may be worth considering becoming one of the many older folks embracing this relatively recent idea.
You Want More Money
If you don’t have enough money saved to fund the standard of living you want for your retirement, starting a second-act career is an obvious way to mitigate that problem. Since you’re likely eligible for some kind of Social Security or pension stipend, you probably won’t need to pursue high wages quite as aggressively as you did when you were of prime working age, and you no longer have to prioritize saving either. Whatever money you make can be used on luxuries or building a nest egg to pass down to your family members, providing a nice boost to your disposable income. Be careful not to become too reliant on your wages, though—second-act careers sometimes need to be abruptly halted for health reasons, so ideally you want to be able to do without that income if you need to.
You Feel Unfulfilled
Let’s face it—watching TV, knitting, reading, and other typical retirement activities might be relaxing, but they aren’t always very stimulating. While some people are more than ready to do nothing but enjoy themselves full-time after a long life of work, others aren’t quite ready to give up the sense of purpose and social esteem that comes with having a job. Second-act careers give you the chance to recapture that rewarding feeling. You even have the option to quit without much consequence if you feel your motivation starting to seriously slip, giving you much more flexibility to work on your own terms. This concept might conflict with the traditional idea of retirement, but you deserve to live out your golden years in whatever way makes you feel most content.
You’re Lonely
Many retirees report a sense of loneliness after they quit the working world, particularly if they are single or if they have few family members around to visit them. Second-act careers are great tools to help get you back in a social environment every day without needing to contrive a reason for doing so. It also helps you get more exposure to people of different age groups instead of always interacting with other older people; this can help you get a better sense of the wider social landscape and help you to feel connected to the rest of the world. There’s a reason why door greeter is a stereotypical retiree job! Customer-facing positions like that are fairly easy to acquire and provide you with dozens of interactions every day.
You Have A Vision
For some people, the freedom to choose a career based simply on their passion for the work was a luxury that had to be abandoned early in the face of social pressures or financial need. If you’ve always wanted to pursue a particular low-paying or low-status career but never got the chance, guess what—second-act careers are that chance! Being older usually means you have fewer responsibilities and more economic stability, making it the perfect time to explore that forgotten dream.
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