I recently came across some very interesting research done by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). According to their report, an astounding 7% of retirees have returned to work in the past six months of time. This number is so remarkable that it has generated the descriptive term “unretirement”.
Unfortunately, it appears that the driver of this phenomenon is not a craving to work again, but rather the need to generate income due to financial needs. Higher food and fuel costs seem to be the primary reasons for the need to supplement retirement funds.
This creates somewhat of a good news/bad news type of situation. The good news is that you have a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills that can add quick value to a company. The bad news is that you may face the growing issue of age discrimination when you try to convince a probably younger hiring manager to give you an opportunity.
If you are considering entering unretirement, there is, of course, some preparation work that you need to complete first. This will place you in the best possible position to have a successful unretirement job search. Let’s do a quick list of some items that you need to either consider or do prior to unretirement.
• Determine How Unretired You Will Be – For most, unretired means working part-time to supplement your existing Social Security, 401k or Pension, and savings. If your financial distress is significant, then you may need to consider full-time work. Similarly, if you are looking to unretire due to “boredom” or a desire to work, then you also need to decide how much of a workload will satisfy you.
• Decide On What You Want To Do – This section could vary greatly depending on the decision made in bullet point #1. If you are unretiring for non-financial reasons, then perhaps going back to your previous profession is the logical step. However, if you are looking to supplement your income and perhaps work limited hours, then your focus may lean more toward service-type industries.
• Write or Update Your Resume – Even for entry-level type of positions, it is now expected that you will have some type of resume to submit. If you had long tenure with your previous employer prior to retirement, then you may be starting this process from scratch. The content of your resume will be driven by the type of position that you are seeking. If you are returning to your previous professional life, then it will be expected that you have a full targeted resume.
• Prepare For Your Interview – A key for you will be to not spend your time on the defensive, trying to explain why you are unretiring. Prepare a concise answer that will quickly and clearly explain why you are coming back to the workforce. If it is financial challenges or boredom, let the hiring manager know what you are feeling. You should also be prepared to provide some insight regarding how long you plan to unretire. This should be less of a concern for entry-level service-type positions, because they are used to dealing with high turnover.
• Overcoming Objections – We will give the hiring manager the benefit of the doubt and not refer to discrimination. Unfortunately, age discrimination is everywhere and is often accepted in a way that other forms would be met with disdain. So, be prepared to communicate that you can perform the essential duties of the position, particularly any physical requirements. Stress how trainable you are and that you will be able to understand any systems that are used. You will also need to articulate how you can work with all generations and fit in well with others.
• Sell Your Attributes – Turn the tables on any stereotypical thoughts the hiring manager may possess by selling your experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Convey how trainable you are your willingness to do anything and emphasize your reliability and loyalty. Communicate how your needs are not short-term and that you plan to work for a while.
A growing trend is the unretiring of American workers, primarily due to increasing financial pressures. It is critical to do some pre-work prior to unretiring and determine how much you wish to work and what you would like to do. The key is to convey why you are seeking work and that you are willing to do anything to assist.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
