So you're sick of retirement life and want a job. It might not be so easy finding one as your success depends on the length of time you've been away, whether you've maintained your contacts, and if you still have up to date job skills.
The later you retire in life, the harder it is to find a job too. But don't fear. As an early retiree, I've been offered a number of jobs and consulting gigs since I left full-time work in 2012.
Here are my tips on how to get a job after retiring early.
How To Get A Job After Retiring Early
1) Prove your loyalty. The biggest fear an employer has is if they hire you and move to another firm or quit after they've trained you up. Given we're at close to full employment in America with a 3.4% unemployment rate as of 2020, turnover among employees is getting higher.
2) Have energy and be agreeable. Rightly or wrongly, there may be a perception that older candidates are more set in their ways. You must come out and show your energy in the interview and demonstrate you are a team player who is willing to take orders.
3) Keep your wealth hidden. If the early retiree was able to retire early because he or she has enough investment income, then a hiring manager may be reluctant to hire someone who doesn't really need the money. It may be especially awkward if the early retiree is wealthier than his or her colleagues or hiring manager.
The main reason why most people work is for the money. Poll after poll shows that roughly 70% of American employees are disengaged or actively disengaged at work. If a manager is also disengaged at work, it's hard to believe an early retiree won't quickly become disengaged as well.
You must come to work in a low-key car and wear normal clothes. Don't wear a fancy watch and talk about your vacation properties around the country.
4) Stay humble. Self-promotion is fine to a certain extent. However, there's an inverse correlation with how much one self-promotes and how much of a team player one is. No manager wants an employee who relentlessly toots his or her own horn.
Managers want team players who err on the humble side, especially if they've been out of work for a long time. The more humble you can be, the better.
5) Maintain your client relationships and skills. Always maintain relationships with your most important clients. They are everything when it comes to you finding a new job. It's your old clients who will get you a job interview and get you hired.
For the early retiree who has kept his skills current, if he can solve a problem and interview well, it shouldn't matter how long he's been out of the workforce.
Why I'll Be Able To Get A Job
Even though I've been out of full-time work since 2012, here are some things I've done to ensure that I can get a job if I ever need one again. In fact, I may look to find a new job in 2020 after eight years of early retirement because I've now got two kids and a wife to provide for.
* Kept up relationships with some of my largest finance clients. We're now much closer today than while I was working because we deepened our relationships where no business was involved. For example, I went to an old client's 50th birthday party in London. We also play tennis every week. He works for the largest money managers in the world, and he himself could get me a job at any firm because of how much business his firm generates.
* Maintained my written and oral communication skills by writing and podcasting multiple times a week for years on Financial Samurai. I write on average 4,000 words a week and podcast twice a week. Communication is key to getting a job and ascending in a job.
* Kept up with all the nuances of the stock market, bond market, real estate market, and various alternative investments. Articulating an investment thesis is not a problem, which is especially important in an equity or fixed income sales role.
* Consulted for various financial companies and developed relationships with at least five of them who can act as references. I've worked with startups to mega corporations like Prudential. I have plenty of people who can give me a positive recommendation.
* Developed expertise in online media and a deeper understanding of certain internet companies. Every startup or company needs someone who is proficient in SEO, copy editing, acquisition/lead generation, and online branding. I've grown Financial Samurai into one of the top personal finance sites in the world with 1.5 million pageviews a month.
Every retiree has about three years until it gets much harder to rejoin the workforce. Therefore, I highly encourage all retirees to make a firm decision whether they want to rejoin the workforce before 24 months is up.
If you retire before 40, it's easy to find work again. But if you retire after 50, it's going to be really hard finding a job after you're 53 years old.
The best route to take is to be a part-time contractor. I presume you retired because you had enough money to retire. Most retirees pursue some time of work again is because they need to be mentally stimulating. Being a contractor is the best.
If you do go back to work, make sure to save aggressively and invest wisely to build more passive income. You can never have enough!