Today, retirement is seen as a fresh start—a chance to rediscover your passions. Yes, a job search during your life’s second innings might seem intimidating. However, you have years of experience and invaluable expertise on your side, and Indian companies value these assets above all.
So let’s get started and see what kind of work would be best for you and which platforms would help you re-enter the workforce.
For the first step, put pen to paper and do a little bit of introspection.
- Why do you want to work again? Is it for a new sense of purpose, passing on your knowledge, personal fulfilment, or simply staying active?
- How much time and energy do you want to put into a new role?
- Are you looking to supplement your retirement funds, or do you want to follow an interest earnestly?
- How do you want a new role to align with your present lifestyle?
Once you have all the answers, you will have a clearer idea about what you’re looking for. Next, let’s understand the types of opportunities that are available to you in this era.
WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIORS
The job landscape keeps evolving constantly, all thanks to digital advancements. The key, however, is to understand the current scenario and find your place in it. Below are the broad types of opportunities that seniors have within their reach nowadays:
- Freelancing or consulting: Here, you get to contribute to a team in the most meaningful way possible. That too, on your terms! Yes, you get to shape your own schedules when you pick up project-based work, consulting or mentoring.
WisdomCircle, Upwork and Freelancer are a few platforms that list such part-time roles for professionals.
- Volunteering & non-profit work: If you seek personal fulfilment over monetary rewards, volunteer at an NGO. Charitable organisations and NGOs always need someone to mentor, guide and manage their projects.
Google a list of the NGOs near you and contact them via email or phone to express your interest in volunteering.
- Teaching & tutoring: Right now you have a wealth of knowledge, ready to be passed on to the next generation. If this noble call appeals to you, try teaching.
Give guest lectures at a college or school, tutor students on subjects or go online to teach at platforms like Udemy and Coursera.
- Community service: Need purpose and stability in your next role? Look into the nearby government-run programs that offer jobs to seniors at local government offices, museums and libraries.
These roles not only help you engage socially but enhance the local communities as well.
Working again becomes more satisfying and fun when you choose a role that fits your purpose. So think it over and choose wisely. This way, you will never have to slog again.
Once you have the purpose and the employment type ready, it’s time to go online. Jump onto the job platforms tailored specifically for your needs and let the world (read HR professionals) know you are open to opportunities.
5 JOB PLATFORMS THAT WILL HELP YOU RE-ENTER THE WORKFORCE
- LinkedIn: Being on this platform is mandatory. Here you understand the kind of roles that are available to you in the job market. All while productively connecting with industry professionals, recruiters, and former colleagues.
Action points – A LinkedIn profile is your online resume. Optimise it accordingly. Put up a professional photo, edit your bio and highlight career achievements. Simultaneously, increase your visibility by participating in relevant groups and engaging with posts. - WisdomCircle: This job portal helps former specialists, professors, and corporate leaders shift seamlessly into a part-time board, consulting or mentoring role. Upon searching, you would find high-level advisory and consulting jobs in industries like management, education, law and finance.
This website is primarily for retired CXOs, educationists, senior government officers and ex-officers.
Action points – Add a professional summary with a special mention of your experience up till now. Highlight soft skills and include relevant words like “retired banker”, “senior consultant” and “advisor” to increase your profile visibility. Also, keep an eye on the blog section to understand industry trends for elders.
- Naukri.com: It gives you robust filters to narrow down your job search to a particular city, experience, industry and job type. Thus, granting you only relevant results/roles.
Action points – Keep updating your profile regularly. Give special focus to skills you acquired throughout your career, like communication, negotiation skills, problem-solving and leadership.
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- Indeed.com: This platform comes with an ‘Easy Apply’ option (like the one present on LinkedIn) and helps you apply faster without having to fill in each field every time. Furthermore, you also get to see employee reviews of the companies of your interest. This way, you get to understand the company culture better and can make an informed decision accordingly.
Action points – Even with the ‘Easy Apply’ option, review and customize each application to better fit the company’s job description.
- Indeed.com: This platform comes with an ‘Easy Apply’ option (like the one present on LinkedIn) and helps you apply faster without having to fill in each field every time. Furthermore, you also get to see employee reviews of the companies of your interest. This way, you get to understand the company culture better and can make an informed decision accordingly.
- Foundit: Formerly known as Monster.in, this platform gives you access to resources like interview tips, resume management tools, salary information, and career advice articles. Moreover, you also get personalised job recommendations.
You can thus use all of these features to your advantage and strategise your job search more efficiently.
Action points – Review your job recommendations on Foundit regularly. If needed, adjust your preferences to get better results.
So, go ahead! Make a profile on each of these platforms and regularly update it. If your profile meets their requirements, recruiters will likely contact you themselves too.
FINAL WORD
While applying, always focus on your transferable skills and primary strengths. And be patient. Job search takes a bit of time and demands persistence. The key is to stay hopeful and persistent.
And when you finally land an offer, be fearless while negotiating your salary and benefits. After all, you come with years of experience and your interests should be your top priority.
If you have any other queries or suggestions for other senior professionals, drop them in the comment section below.
Happy job hunting!
