Employment Guide

Why career planning after retirement? There are many reasons to keep working. You may need the extra retirement income. You may miss the social interaction of the workplace. Maybe you're bored and realise that hobbies aren't enough to fill your days. Or maybe your other half is threatening to brain you if you don't get out of their hair and find something to do!

Whatever the reason, more and more people are resuming some form of employment after official retirement.

Career planning after retirement can present the opportunity to do something completely different. If you were an accountant, now you can be a freelance writer. If you were a nurse, now you can train to be a yoga instructor. When it comes to making money after retirement, the only limits are your aptitude and determination.

Decide on the basics first.

Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you want to work at home or go out to an office? Are you interested in sales or a service business? Do you like dealing with people or would you rather work on your own?

If your own business has been your goal for a while, you may already have some ideas for self employment in mind. Do your research. Go to your local library and check out books on entrepreneurship and setting up your own business. Go online and investigate other people who are engaged in similar enterprises.

If you know you want to work for yourself, but can't narrow it down to a particular business, then again, go to the library. Roam the aisles with a pen and paper and jot down any and all ideas for self employment. Brainstorm when reading the paper and watching television. You can get ideas anywhere. Surf the internet and get inspiration from across the globe.

Take your time and do your homework! You don't want to set up your own small business and then discover you hate it.

Maybe at first glance your dream job seems like it would be too time consuming (or too costly to set up). The whole idea of making money after retirement, of career planning after retirement, is to give you more freedom, not to tie you down to a desk and burden you with debt.

In that case, why not take it virtual? If running a real riding stable would be too much, why not set up a website about riding stables and horses? If bass fishing is your thing, but the idea of a shop or tour operation seems like too much work, why not have a website that sells fishing equipment or promotes other people's guided fishing tours?

If you think that sounds unworkable, try doing a search online for any term that interests you. I'll bet you'll find people making money with websites on the same theme. Whatever you decide to do, remember that you have experience and maturity on your side. This is your chance to do something for you.