Work From Home: The Best Way To Increase Retirement Income

Stretch retirement income

Some time ago I wrote that the The three things retirees care about the most are health, wealth, and relationships.. Actually, I think I got the order wrong. After trying to fit the retirement mold for some time, I’ve realized that retirement income (money) should be at the top of the list.

The reason for this is that I’ve been reading a lot lately about seniors having to decide between medication to stay healthy and food, one of the basics of life. It’s not a great option, but some people face it every day and the reason why people continue to work after retirement. It is also the reason why many retired people look for work at home. This may be the best of all jobs for seniors you can imagine. But, the difficulty comes in finding a job that you can do from home. Here are some tips to help you find yours.

work from home
1. Evaluate your skills. Take the time to clarify what you have done in your career and what you want to do or are willing to do in the future. Make a list of the things you have learned that could be useful in future projects. I have a friend who retired after years in management positions where he had the opportunity to help develop other management teams in the company. It would have been easy for him to continue this as a part-time job from home with a bit of networking, marketing, and perseverance.

Make a list of all the things you have done that added value to your career. Put everything on the initial list, however insignificant you think it is. I believe that everything you do has value. You just have to figure out how. Then narrow the list down to specific skills that you can market. Identify what you have learned while working at a particular job that may be useful as your part-time job.

2. Advertise. Recognize the fact that networking is the only useful way to find part-time work that you can do at home. My recommendation is to find and join various professional networks to promote your skills and knowledge. Do an internet search for your skill and “networking websites” or go to Wikipedia and look at a list. You have to network, advertise because hey, no one is going to find you if you don’t.

3. Consider doing some volunteer work, or give away your time and skills for free as a way to learn how to do freelance work after retirement. The idea is to get freelance work that you can add to your resume and network profiles. Pro bono work is a common practice in the entertainment industry and can be effective in other fields as well. Several years ago, I did a free consultancy for a video media class for a local university and the local Salvation Army. Both were very helpful on the resume, networking site, and made great talking points during the interview.

4. The most important advice is believe in yourself and keep learning. The more you know, the more valuable your skills and service can be to potential employers when you reach the point in your life where you are considering part-time employment as a retiree. Trust me, I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I know it works.