Taking Courses To Explore Retirement Opportunities

Since I retired in my forties, I was offered an option to use transition services, normally offered to those looking for a new job. Therefore, I have access to expert help on personal assessments, learning about new options, and finding career opportunities. While this help is useful for people making career or job changes, it is also extremely useful for those of us that are going into retirement.

Here are the courses that I have taken so far and how I see them applying to retirement.

Strengths, interests and values assessments - These courses are directed towards helping people really understand what they are good at doing, what they like to do, and one's core values. While I am not a big fan of over analyzing things psychologically, I have found it useful to step back and do a personal inventory in these areas. The assessments have provided some interesting perspectives and insights.

Since I am looking for something new I want to do, the assessments have provided some very useful objective analysis and profiles. Not surprisingly, the profiles are a good match for some of my dream jobs.

New career field exploration - My dream job are in areas completely unrelated to my career. Since I have limited knowledge about the industry, I need to better understand the business and the roles, and whether I can do them on a part time basis. Also, I will want to identify top companies or individuals in the business already.

Networking - While I have good network in my professional field, I have virtually no network in the field of my dream jobs. I know the benefits of a good network. Since retiring, a colleague, a neighbor and technical temp company have offered to connect me with job opportunities, in my current field. While appreiciated, I haven't pursued them since I wouldn't have retired if I wanted to stay in the field :-)

I've already identified some networking possibilities for my areas of interest. I will put some addition effort in developing a targeted resume, before letting people know of my new interest.

Interviewing - Whether I do some part time work for a small company or strike out on my own with clients, interviewing and negotiating will be important skills. Not having done this since college, I found this course very helpful. I have already learned that saying I retired from my company may be "show stopper." Apparently, retirees are viewed as not being fully committed, not able to learn new things, and not likely to be a long term employee.

Also, this is the phase the applicant uses to determine whether the work and the company culture is a good match. This part is a two way evaluation - employer deciding about candidate, and candidate deciding about company.

Although these courses are great for those looking for their next job, I have found them very helpful for transitioning to my retirement phase, which will be also be a new endeavor. Whether it be my dream job, part time work, or other new activities, the strategies and tools shared in these courses will be useful to me.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for the next segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2007 Achievement Catalyst, LLC