I work with medical interpreters in my job. Sadly, there probably is not enough need for German interpretation to get a benefited job in a hospital. My hospital has a few on staff Spanish interpreters and other languages for the most park work per diem/on call. However, unit clerk/health unit coordinator and sometimes cardiac monitor tech are skills that can be taught on the job or with a short course. But it is shift work and sometimes part time with benefits. Working part time, you might be able to swing several two week periods off per year. It all depends on scheduling policies.
Check with private schools that might hire you to teach German or be an aid with benefits. Then you’d have the summers off. School nursing assistant can offer similar benefits.
I am wondering if you could do what you do now and cut back on your hours. I am doing that now. I working at a place now with great benefits, not getting paid as much as before, but my hours are 8-4 with 40+ PTO days (25 vacation days & 15 sick days). Of course, I was recently contacted by recruiter asking me if I would be interested in a position with crazy hours and doubling what I am making now. I am tempted, but my kids are telling me not to do it. As a customer success manager, couldn’t you take on fewer customers and work fewer hours?
A friend of mine decided to learn sign language and became very serious about it. She now has some type of certification and has more freelance work than she can handle, so she is able to pick and choose assignments. I know she does a lot of work with the court system. She also says the pay is very good, but I don’t know what the numbers are. Might be worth looking into if it seems at all interesting to you.
Agree that American Sign Interpreters get paid relatively well by our state courts and there have to be two on hand if it will be taking longer than two hours so they can have a break, as simultaneous sign translation is tiring. Sign language interpreters are also used for theater and other venues.
To answer questions about part-time – I work at a start up with minimal benefits.
The start up culture is not accommodating to part-time work.
I’m really looking for chunks of time off, like two weeks to go somewhere, although if I could work part-time, have plenty of time off, and still make the money I need to make, all the better!
OldFort, congrats on working at a place with such phenomenal PTO!
Do you have a sales acumen? Would you even like that world? If so to both, it’s pretty easy to find 1099 (independent contractor status) opportunities to rep all sorts of products. If you’re good at it, you can earn plenty of income and schedule your work as you see fit. Will probably take more effort to get started, but once you’re going, you can build in vacations whenever you want. Know plenty who do this.
@fendrock, If you are interested in working at an independent school you might want to check out this database. Depending on your professional background and location you might find a suitable 10-month position, for instance as an admissions or marketing assistant. The pay isn’t amazing but it might be enough to make it worthwhile.
There are sometimes great short-term gigs to cover maternity leaves or other gaps. For instance, BB&N is looking for a short-term front desk coordinator (3-4 mos.) It’s the king of job that doesn’t require specific skills but where the school is most likely to want to hire someone dependable with some life experience who won’t flake out on them.
You may also want to sign up with a temp agency. There are sometimes good longer term temp jobs. They often don’t have benefits, an obvious downside, but some do provide them.
There are post-retirees working at state parks all over the country- as a side hustle. From those I’ve spoken with, the jobs are seasonal so you need to be flexible geographically. BUT- you can patch together the life you want. These jobs either provide housing and a stipend, or no housing (a true salary) and a place to park your RV (either rented or owned). When the gig ends- you move on the next one. Or- park your RV in long term parking at an airport and take off for a couple of weeks for whatever you want to do.
The responsibilities vary according to the size and complexity of the park, but the last one I visited required very little. There are professional park rangers to handle the wild life and environmental responsibilities, but the temp rangers were required to keep the parking areas clean, mow the lawn outside the visitor center, make ice for the emergency first aid cabin, etc. And of course be the friendly “you might not want to hike in flip-flops carrying a baby” voice that so many visitors seem to need these days!!!
This is my fantasy post-retirement job so maybe I’ll see you there!
Not to rain on your parade - but we’ve chatted with several retired folks working in national and state parks, and cleaning bathrooms was one of their major jobs. That may or may not be your cup of tea!
Don’t know about the OP. I’ve cleaned a lot of toilets in my time- if it means a gig in a spectacular setting without being tied to my email and spreadsheets and meetings- I’m ok with it!
My pre-retirement gig with a lot of flexibility is s nonprofit i started. It doesn’t pay well, but could if I more aggressively pursued grants and donations (as I did when I had college tuitions to pay).
As a customer success manager, couldn’t you take on fewer customers and work fewer hours?