Great last jobs to do before retirement
An increasing number of people are opting to ease themselves into retirement by winding down and taking on a less demanding role rather than stopping work abruptly. Whether they need the money to boost a modest retirement income or simply want to keep active and engaged, a period of ‘pretirement’ has become the new normal for many people in their 50s, 60s and 70s, according to research by Prudential. Click or scroll through these low-stress and coronavirus-friendly ‘bridge’ jobs that are ideal for ‘pretirees’.
Private tutor
Private tutor roles can offer qualified teachers and other skilled professionals a stress-free pretirement, and as a lot of teaching has moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s possible to tutor from anywhere in the world. Prepping students for exams one on one or in small groups is nowhere near as demanding as trying to educate a class of 30+ unruly kids.
TEFL teacher
Staying with education, pretirees can also take a course to teach English as a foreign language and take on a job as a TEFL teacher. Qualified TEFL teachers can find online gigs to teach keen language learners, which is great experience ready for when worldwide travel is accessible again – ideal for pretirees with itchy feet.
Income tax planner
Accountants who want to quit the rat race without giving up work entirely may want to try their hand at income tax preparation for self-employed individuals and small companies. This home-based role is rarely busy or stressful, apart from those few days before the tax deadlines.
Bookkeeper
Many small businesses require bookkeeping services from time to time, particularly as the COVID-19 outbreak has put strain on a lot of companies’ finances. Pretiree accountants or those with bookkeeping skills can offer their services on an ad-hoc basis, and work part-time or seasonally if they wish.
Virtual assistant
Secretaries or PAs with killer admin skills can reduce their workload and stress levels pre-retirement by setting themselves up as a virtual assistant. A job ideal for the current crisis, virtual assistants work from the comfort of their own home, pretty much when they like and don’t have a boss breathing down their neck.
Yoga instructor
Yoga is suitable for any age group, and it’s not uncommon for yoga instructors to qualify in their 60s and beyond. The teacher training courses can be pricey, but they pay off handsomely in next to no time, and teachers can work on a freelance basis as and when they choose. While in-person classes may be limited at the moment, there’s a large online offering for both learning how to become a yoga instructor and teaching your own classes from home.
Virtual nanny
Although people aren’t leaving the house as often right now, parents are still looking for nannies for their children, but the role has certainly changed – it’s now done through a screen. Virtual nannying has really taken off in 2020 as parents try to juggle childcare with working from home. On-screen nannies can’t do practical parts of the job such as snack-making, but they can keep children entertained and out of trouble while the adults are elsewhere in the house
Patient advocate
Fighting for patients’ rights and making sure they get the treatment to which they are entitled is a pretirement option for nurses or older people with an interest in advocacy. Various organizations offer courses and certifications in advocacy for those who are new to the field.
Craft entrepreneur
Pretirees who are good at making things can put their craft talents to good use and create their very own profitable business selling their wares on websites such as Etsy and Folksy. This pretirement role is flexible, super-creative, and can be done from the comfort of your own home.
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Airbnb host
If you have some extra space at home, why not put it to good use? The website Airbnb allows you to rent out a spare room, or entire home, and make money from it. Vacationers and business people commonly use the site to find somewhere suitable to stay, and it can be a real money-spinner if you provide a good experience. While people aren’t traveling as much right now, Airbnb is still allowing guests to stay over as long as the company’s COVID-19 policies are adhered to.