Finding Good Work After You Retire

Is there a hesitancy to hire retirees?
I do think there is. I think that the group that is coming though now [who will be among the first to work much later in life] have it particularly tough. Especially if they are shifting careers, employer attitudes tend to be stuck in an earlier era. They have notions of older workers that suggest people who are on the downward trajectory.

So in an interview, what should retirees mention as their strengths?
Well, the great benefit of experience is pattern recognition. You have seen various kinds of problems over time and you start to see connections that can't be made without having been around the block. I would say that one of the great assets of people at this stage is that they tend to be more settled. When they find work that provides the sense of meaning and purpose, they are not in a position to scramble up the ladder. These people are looking for more essential qualities from work—work that has integrity, that helps them leave a legacy and leaves the world a better place than they found it.

© 2008