Work After 60

Your work life after 60 is a multifaceted one. You may think that you’ve reached an age where most people don’t get up in the morning and head to their 9 to 5, but the truth is that there are many benefits to continuing to work past your sixtieth birthday. Retirement Reformation recognizes that many in their retirement years work because they either have to, they want to, or they feel led to work as a volunteer. We encourage you to learn more from our podcast series on this topic. Not only can going back to work help you improve your social skills and keep up with technology, but it can also provide you with financial security in retirement—and even help you stay active and healthy longer!

You’re not alone if you’re older and looking for work.

You’re not alone if you’re older and looking for work. There are a lot of people who are working longer, including people over 65 years old. And as the population ages, that number will only get larger in the coming years. In fact, by 2028, it’s projected that 40% of Americans will be at least 65 years old (the majority of whom may still be working). Because there are more older workers out there than ever before, more companies have realized they need to accommodate them—whether it’s offering flexible hours or allowing telecommuting from their homes instead of having an office space where everyone works together every day (which isn’t always possible due to traffic).

Your age could be your greatest asset in selling yourself to a prospective employer.

Age is an asset in the workplace. You may be older, but you have the experience and wisdom that comes with age. And there are other advantages when you’re older as well:

Your ability to work longer hours

Your sense of urgency in getting things done

Your longer attention span means less distraction from your kids or spouse when they call to talk about their day at work (and vice versa)​.

You’ll find employers today are more open to hiring seniors.

Today’s employers are much more open to hiring retirees than they were 10 years ago, according to the AARP. “They look at the skills you bring and the knowledge you have,” said Jeff Powell, a senior vice president at Burning Glass Technologies, an analytics company in Boston. “It’s not just about how old you are.” Employers want workers who have experience, a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and reliability—all qualities you’ve honed over decades of working life.

As an older adult who works after 60, you can mentor younger employees

As an older adult who works after 60, you can mentor younger employees. Mentoring is a great way to share your experience and knowledge with others. You might mentor other workers directly, or you may do so by serving on a committee or task force that’s helping to train younger colleagues. Mentoring can be formal or informal, one-on-one or in a group setting. It also can be done remotely (for example, via email and phone) as well as face-to-face at work or outside of work hours.

There are, of course, some caveats.

There are, of course, some caveats. The first is that you need a realistic outlook. You can’t expect to jump into a high-powered job at age 60 if you haven’t done anything in the past 20 years and don’t have any marketable skills. The second caveat is that you need a positive attitude. Even if your previous work experience doesn’t meet the needs of today’s employers, there are still plenty of options available to older workers who are willing to retrain and learn new things. The third caveat relates directly to your attitude towards work: You must be flexible enough with your time and energy level so as not to burn out after just a few years on the job—or, even worse, get fired during those early years due solely because you’re too inflexible in their approach!

You may have a large network of connections that can be tapped.

If you’re looking for work, you may have a network of connections that can help you. You may know someone who knows someone who is hiring and needs someone like you. These connections can be invaluable resources for finding work in the later years of your career. You might also consider joining an association or organization that has members in your field of expertise—this will give you access to many more people with whom to network as well as regular opportunities for networking events.

A last word of advice from an expert on working after 60.

The truth is, you may have more wisdom and experience than your coworkers who are just starting out. And you can use that experience to share your faith in Christ with them! You might even find that working with younger generations makes it easier for you to talk about what matters most in life: God’s love for us and our love for Him. You may even be able to help them grow spiritually if they are willing to listen. So take a chance! If you think you might be able to return to work, don’t let fear hold you back—your faith in Christ should empower you to be brave. As you can see, there are many reasons to work later in life. Whether you’re looking for a change of pace or God has given you a more defined calling in this season, this is an excellent time to consider working past retirement age. In addition to the benefits listed above, you might also find that it’s great for your mental health (as well as your physical health). There are many reasons why people choose not to sit back when they hit their 60s—you just have to decide which one works best for you!