<p>I’m sure there has been a thread like this in the past, but humor me…</p>
<p>Curious to hear about those that “retired” from a long time first job or occupation and then picked up/started a second round of work.</p>
<p>If you’re in this category, I’d love to hear:
Original job/occupation and if it was full or part time</p>
<p>Retired, then…</p>
<p>New job/occupation and if it is full or part time.</p>
<p>Call me nosey. :)</p>
<p>I don’t know if this counts or not but my grandfather was a long time carpenter who retired and is now working at a hardware store part time - it’s a perfect fit. he knows everything about that stuff!</p>
<p>I’m on my fourth career, although I’ve never retired.</p>
<p>First, I was an editor. Didn’t earn much and wanted to learn about things I didn’t know anything about, so I went to graduate business school. Wound up working in the employee benefits department of a large bank.</p>
<p>Then, had a few detours where I was an employee benefits consultant, with people working for large companies as my client. Went back and forth between corporate jobs and consulting jobs.</p>
<p>Now, I’m working in an HR communications consulting firm, selling and handling communications (mainly benefits) for companies. It’s a very very very small company with a good client list, and the stress is way down from what I was doing before.</p>
<p>I’ve retired after a long career as an elementary teacher, and am now working three hours a day as a teacher’s aide…working with students with learning disabilities. It’s a perfect job…I get to work with kids without all the responsibilities and paper work that I had as a teacher.</p>
<p>I was “retired” for almost 20 years while raising my kids (although I did substitute teach when I felt like it). I went back to work in financial aid four years ago, but decided to leave a year ago. Our managers were women who acted like middle school girls, and I was tired of it. I went to work for an employee benefits consultant, as an account manager for several larger accounts. I never felt like it suited me … I didn’t dislike it, but I just often wondered what the heck I was doing there. A few weeks ago, a couple friends forwarded an awesome job posting at an excellent graduate art school to me. My last day at my current job is next Friday, and I am so excited about the new opportunity.</p>
<p>At 52, I have at least a dozen years of work left. Every day, I see death notices for people my age and younger. I want to work, but I want to enjoy what I do … really enjoy it, not just “not mind” it. If I croak before I retire, at least I will have been in a good place.</p>
<p>H’s friend was let go in one of the big automaker cutbacks. He is in his mid-50’s with a younger wife … they have an 18 month old. He is following his passion and trying to earn a living playing in area bands. His house is paid off, his older kids are on their own, his wife is a bit of a hippy & doesn’t spend much money … he figured, why not?</p>
<p>My day job before retirement was a speech pathologist. My retirement job…is the same but only for short periods of time. I’m doing a maternity leave fill in until thanksgiving this year.</p>
<p>After an auto industry related early retirement severance (fancy name for a layouff that I didn’t want but couldn’t say no) and no income for over a year I demoted myself and worked my way into a job in healthcare that I had been dreaming about for years and lI’m oving every day. It took alot of work to get where I am as it’s harder to land a job that you seemingly look over qualified for but I don’t miss the money, the travel or the stress of my previous career and my newly developed skills are totally transportable so the next move will be into “real retirement” in 5 years when #3 finishes college and hopefully a part-time job. </p>
<p>Kelsmom I hope you absolutely LOVE this new job.</p>
<p>Kelsmom and Momofthree , I’m curious about your new positions!</p>
<p>And a little envious.</p>
<p>At 52 I’m in a position I’ve had for 10 years - I don’t mind working hard, but I have to work HARD to keep this position- its grant funded and I’m pretty much on my own - I am tired of the constant looki g for $$$ just to keep working…does that make sense? Some days I yearn to work on more of a team, some days I think I should be happy for the independence I have . Guess you pay a price either way.</p>
<p>I see people retiring at 52 and I see people at 52 planning to work for another decade or two…such differences.</p>
<p>Media Relations Director
Book Publisher
Author
Public Health Professional
Board Chairman of international NGO (<a href=“http://www.friendlywaterfortheworld%5B/url%5D”>www.friendlywaterfortheworld</a>) - don’t make a dime, and don’t intend to.</p>
<p>“H’s friend was let go in one of the big automaker cutbacks. He is in his mid-50’s with a younger wife … they have an 18 month old. He is following his passion and trying to earn a living playing in area bands. His house is paid off, his older kids are on their own, his wife is a bit of a hippy & doesn’t spend much money … he figured, why not?”</p>
<p>Why not? Because he has a wife and an 18 month old.</p>
<p>But his wife is on board with it. She is a waitress who apparently earns enough to take care of their basic needs. They are happy. I think it’s cool.</p>
<p>Practiced law for over 12 years, and hated almost every minute of it. Decided to “retire” when my kids were small because H (also an lawyer) and I were “Tag-team” parenting because of business travel. Got my masters in education and became an elementary teacher in our home school district. 15+ years teaching, and I still love it! No plans to retire from that for many years.</p>
<p>I quit a full-time job in academic counseling to go back to adjunct teaching, which is actually more than full-time (in effort, not in pay) during the academic year, but gives me time to work on my true passion (writing) during the summer. 'and I like teaching, too.</p>
<p>my husband, who’d been a pediatrician on an inner city van for many years, quit several years ago, got his teaching certificate, and is now a very hardworking and happy high school biology teacher.</p>
<p>I’m actually doing (IT) change management and strategy…a relatively “newish” position at a manager level. Needs someone who is IT saavy and has strong communication skills. This particular group was looking for a “seasoned” (read older) person…my phone lit up with calls from insiders when they posted it. Prior to that I was a marcom (marketing/communication) director and going waay back for a number of years in employee communications in an HR group and I’ve been an adjunct in marketing communication. During my laid off year i worked for a non-profit putting a communication plan together for them and also took a contract job launching Sharepoint for their employees. </p>
<p>So i spent the year “doing” rather than “directing” but it was a good year although it drained out college fund accounts. Change management is “cool” and i’m loving it. It’s part strategic planning, part project management, part communications, part teaching. I’m in a smaller organization so am at the lowish end of the potential payscale nationally but it can be lucrative in a large organization. In my case quality of life was the driving factor over salary. I know more than my kids about computers, web apps and mobile apps! I’ve come along way since Cobalt 3, Fortran 4 punch cards and 1970s Basic which was the very last time I had to even think about code. The analysts put up with me so all is good.</p>
<p>garland, a man in our town was a doctor for many years. He quit that, got his teaching certificate, and now teaches HS chemistry. 
Must be a trend!</p>
<p>VH–there’s also a former biochem PhD who’d worked in industry in H’s department, same story.</p>
<p>I used to sub teach for a Duke law grad who was teaching h.s. history … and loved it!</p>
<p>My new job is managing registration, financial aid, and admissions for a graduate-level art school. It’s a small school with a big reputation. I enjoy having control over my little corner of the world, which I will be able to do in this job. I have worked in all three areas in the past, and I am particularly looking forward to going to art schools to recruit. San Francisco and NY, here I come!</p>
<p>I worked for 18 years as a school librarian and then teacher. In September I had just had enough of the stress (high-stakes tests, administrative pressure, 12-hour work days…) and just up and quit. Started my second career as a library clerk, and lucked into an assistant branch manager library job 4 months later. I am 52, and both kids are out of college, and I have a small pension coming and house paid off in 5 more years. Love my new job, and stress level is way lower, so I will do this for at least another 5 years… :-)</p>
<p>Retirement plan specialist (for small plans) at large mutual fund company
Benefit communications specialist at major consulting firm
Off three years for kids
401(k) and defined benefit pension administrator for small TPA firm (also did web, marketing and participant enrollment communications)
Brief stint at local mental health advocacy group doing educational presentations and public relations
Back to 401(k) job
Five years off for leukemia
Back to 401(k) job
Quit one month before heart attack </p>
<p>Will not be going back to the 401(k) business, though my boss still thinks I will. Started doing Judaic fabric artwork about five years ago and want to do more of it. Mainly, I’d like to be alive! :D</p>
<p>Don’t expect DH will ever retire, which I find a real bummer. He is more and more entangled in high-pressure assignments at work. He loves it, even though it is killing him.</p>
<p>Funny this topic popped up again. Have been thinking about what it is I want to do when I grow up (translation-- I’ve been doing what I do for 31 years…). Always curious about how people transition from one area to another, especially in this economy. Those of you who made a significant change, what/how did you do it?</p>