Remember ME - You Me and Dementia

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Working After Retirement

Do you already dream of retirement? More Americans are working longer by choice even starting new careers in their 50's and 60's. In fact, there's a new generation of job search Websites just for the "mature" set!

Dr. Robert Lew spent most of his life saving people.

Dr. Lew says he "…decided to retire because I had completed 25 years of emergency medicine and what I thought was a reasonable career."

But it turned out retirement wasn't what the doctor ordered.

Dr. Lew says, "I wanted to continue to do something productive and something in my professional field."

So now Dr. Lew works with a pharmaceutical company, studying new drug compounds. He found the job through YourEncore.com, one of a slew of new job sites aimed at people 50 and older.

David Bank with Civic Ventures says, "The workforce in America is aging."

Bank studies the trend and says some people keep working for the stimulation. Others need the money as they realize their retirement savings are too meager. At the same time, more businesses are now looking to hire older workers for their expertise and loyalty.

That's where sites like these come in, connecting retirees with companies offering all kinds of opportunities.

Banks says, "Healthcare is one of the largest fields -- not only nurses, but occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, radiologists, and home-healthcare aides. There's a demand for teachers and also for adjunct teachers, classroom aides, and tutors. There're demands, in particular, [with]in science and engineering."

Terry Etter, whose story is featured on the site RetirementJobs.com, said goodbye to her family business at age 55. But she didn't last long!

RetirementJobs.com features a certificate program, handing out 'seals of approval' to companies that are age-friendly.

Tim Driver of RetirementJobs.com says, "We look at things like their compensation and benefits, their management's commitment to hiring and retraining people over 50..."

Bank says the sites all work a little differently: "Some of the sites are more international or include international opportunities. Some of the sites include volunteer or quasi-volunteer opportunities as well as paid jobs, so each site carves out its own niche."

Dr. Lew and Terry Etter love their new jobs and don't plan on retiring for good anytime soon.

These sites are typically free to use. Salaries run the gamut, depending on the field. As with any job search site, David Bank says retirees should be aware of privacy issues whenever posting résumés online.

Source: http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/coverstory/story.aspx?content_id=5bb55bac-ef2a-4619-9247-c86adca4fd47

Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.

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