Why Retire When You Can Work Remotely?
Celebrating a person’s retirement once marked the end of a career. After the cake was cut and the toasts were made, they were to ride off into the professional sunset of family, travel, volunteer work, or hobbies.
These days, such a scenario is becoming increasingly unrealistic. Financial concerns are mounting as people are living longer into retirement. For the vast majority of professionals, company pensions are a thing of the past, and in the United States, programs like Social Security are more supplemental than offering enough compensation each month to be considered a central source of income.
Add to that the fact that the lines between our private and work lives are blurring. With more employers than ever adopting flexible work arrangements, professionals are finding that those retirement goals—seeing the world, bonding with family, and embracing one’s interests—can happen alongside their careers.
If retirement is no longer a light at the end of a tunnel, how can it shift to accommodate the needs and desires of today’s professionals? Can the ability to work remotely offer a lucrative alternative for those eager to stay sharp?
Why retire when you can work remotely? Below are some flexible career options to consider instead of retirement:
Part-Time Roles
For starters, those with technical skills and familiarity with tech tools from their full-time jobs will have the greatest ease in finding work on a part-time basis. In this scenario, a person’s experience and abilities can still benefit them financially as they work on their own terms into their sunset years.
The money isn’t the only bonus; research has shown that people who remain socially and intellectually engaged as they age are less likely to develop cognitive issues such as dementia.
Project-Based Work
By this point in one’s career, a robust professional network has likely been developed—opening up ample opportunities for contracted or project-based work to be done at a distance (including while traveling).
It is comparatively easier for seasoned workers to seek out such options through their private networks and to profit from them at higher rates, as they don’t have to compete with those vying for gigs in a price-conscious freelance marketplace.
Advising Engagements
Chances are good that professionals on the brink of retirement age are far from their first rodeo, having seen, led, and experienced a variety of workplace changes and economic trends.
If applicable to smaller companies and startups, this kind of long-term insight can be leveraged as a means for securing income in the form of either a monthly retainer or equity percentages. (It’s also a great way for professionals to stay connected to fast-growing industries.)
Coaching Possibilities
Whether they’re navigating a corporate ladder or striking out on their own, many professionals long for strategic guidance beyond a mentoring capacity as they map out their careers. Professionals with decades of experience can offer valuable services as coaches, which can be done in person or remotely by phone or video conferencing.
Perhaps best of all, this arrangement offers would-be retirees the chance to make an immediate positive impact by supporting others.
Speaking Opportunities
For those who enjoy the limelight, numerous speaking opportunities are available. While it’s helpful to have a great track record in a former executive role, it’s not necessary, depending on the venue. Keynoting major conferences will, of course, require a certain level of cache and notoriety within one’s field.
However, local universities, companies, and large nonprofit organizations often invite presenters to share their knowledge through workshops, lectures, and panel discussions—and often these activities can be done from the comfort of one’s home.
In thinking about retirement parties, the clinking of champagne flutes could now signify the beginning of an exciting new chapter with remote work.
Interested in finding a position where you can work remotely? Check out these remote jobs hiring now!
Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com
By Kristi DePaul | Categories: Work Remotely
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