if you're 60+, what do you do for work?

[Anonymous]

I’m in communications and was at the same job from age 39 to 58. It wasn’t a bad job, but I figured that if I didn’t look for something else, it would be the one I’d retire from, and I’d never know what else was out there.

Surprisingly, I got a new job fairly easily at an association, but it was a terrible fit, even though I thought it would be good. There was a range of ages, although a majority seemed to be in their 30s.

So at 60 I moved on to another communications job. I have been the oldest person on my team for the last three years. That really hasn’t been a problem, but I’m just tired of the general office politics, ever-shifting priorities of managers and the general annoyances that make work difficult. I’m hoping to retire at 65 and keep my side consulting jobs, which I really like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH is 65. He's a gov lawyer in an SES position. He absolutely loves it and has for many years and doesn't have plans to retire even though he's eligible.

I am 53 and I write and work with med students (and used to practice law). I imagine I'll be doing something else in my 60s, but I change up careers every decade or so--it is just who I am.

This is OP - what do you do with med students? I used to practice law, too, before moving into the field I am in now. (Was a long time ago, that I practiced law!)

I've changed up careers every decade or so, too. Maybe that's what I am thinking about now - what could I see myself moving into?

[Anonymous]

This is OP - and I appreciate all your answers and perspectives so far!

[Anonymous]

In some federal agencies, I saw people working at late 70s/early 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the faculty of a medical school. I have much less energy now, and patience for the younger generation of students (many if whom are whiney and entitled).

I teach med students at two med schools, and they are far less "whiney and entitled" than the older generations of doctors. Far less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in communications and was at the same job from age 39 to 58. It wasn’t a bad job, but I figured that if I didn’t look for something else, it would be the one I’d retire from, and I’d never know what else was out there.

Surprisingly, I got a new job fairly easily at an association, but it was a terrible fit, even though I thought it would be good. There was a range of ages, although a majority seemed to be in their 30s.

So at 60 I moved on to another communications job. I have been the oldest person on my team for the last three years. That really hasn’t been a problem, but I’m just tired of the general office politics, ever-shifting priorities of managers and the general annoyances that make work difficult. I’m hoping to retire at 65 and keep my side consulting jobs, which I really like.

These things are annoying no matter what your age. When you've been working for 30+ years, you're able to see things much more clearly. Perhaps this is one reason for ageism - your tolerance for BS is very, very small.

[Anonymous]

I hear you, OP. I’m 50 and in tech and I just don’t know how much future I have - I’m solid right now, but in 10 or 15 years? I I’m going to have to hustle hard to keep current since the technologies that I know so deeply right now will no longer be used by then. It’s scary.

My wife is 60 and is in biotech research and is just now hitting her stride and having a fantastic career. So at least one of us will be OK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is 60 and works for a biotech start-up. He brings the necessary experience and troubleshooting expertise.

Your husband is a man, obviously. The ageism that woman face is a thousandfold more. Rather like black women face significantly more issues than white men.

There are plenty of studies out there that support this.

Are you OP?

Why did you feel the need to attack this poster? Nothing in your title or first post asked about the experience of women, specifically, or non-white women in particular.

Calm down.

[Anonymous]

I retired at 63.

I worked with colleagues of all ages. My close team of 10 were ages 35-64. We got along but I did feel that the younger people wanted our jobs (if I left it opened up a promotion, which one of them did get). I also had noted a few people who stayed too long (67 and 69 years old) who got bitter/assholish and daffy/absent-minded, respectively, along with a couple of other people who died a month or two after retirement. I didn't want to become these people.

I was happy with my job but started to feel like I was treading water at age 59. When I realized I didn't enjoy doing my favorite parts of the job and felt stressed out, I decided to go. I planned it for a year, not telling anyone. I gave my notice three months in advance. Having that plan made the last year much easier and gave me a third wind.

My house was paid off a year before I left, I had enough in retirement and decided it was okay to go. Thank goodness for that. I am happy with the decision. I thought I would work longer, but I didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is 60 and works for a biotech start-up. He brings the necessary experience and troubleshooting expertise.

Your husband is a man, obviously. The ageism that woman face is a thousandfold more. Rather like black women face significantly more issues than white men.

There are plenty of studies out there that support this.

Are you OP?

Why did you feel the need to attack this poster? Nothing in your title or first post asked about the experience of women, specifically, or non-white women in particular.

Calm down.

DP You call that an attack? Hardly. Just a different perspective. A calm different perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I retired at 63.

I worked with colleagues of all ages. My close team of 10 were ages 35-64. We got along but I did feel that the younger people wanted our jobs (if I left it opened up a promotion, which one of them did get). I also had noted a few people who stayed too long (67 and 69 years old) who got bitter/assholish and daffy/absent-minded, respectively, along with a couple of other people who died a month or two after retirement. I didn't want to become these people.

I was happy with my job but started to feel like I was treading water at age 59. When I realized I didn't enjoy doing my favorite parts of the job and felt stressed out, I decided to go. I planned it for a year, not telling anyone. I gave my notice three months in advance. Having that plan made the last year much easier and gave me a third wind.

My house was paid off a year before I left, I had enough in retirement and decided it was okay to go. Thank goodness for that. I am happy with the decision. I thought I would work longer, but I didn't.

Oftentimes younger employees want their bosses' jobs, but for the wrong reasons. They look at such higher-level jobs as a "reward" for their hard work. Furthermore, many younger employees use the phrase "rest and vest" to describe older employees collecting lucrative stock options and RSUs who they perceive as not working as hard as them. Yet what such younger employees fail to see is the 20+ years of hard work it took to get there - the same work they're putting in now. Gen X felt this way about Baby Boomers who lived it up in the 1980s and wouldn't get out of the way in the early-2000s. This led to a compression and in some cases promotions skipped Gen X and were given directly to Gen Y, causing even more resentment.

While there is no magic age for retirement, it does seem like 60 years old is a common age for folks to hang it up. For those who want to keep working, companies need to determine whether they're still providing value. If not, then it's time to let them go (see above bolded).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I retired at 63.

I worked with colleagues of all ages. My close team of 10 were ages 35-64. We got along but I did feel that the younger people wanted our jobs (if I left it opened up a promotion, which one of them did get). I also had noted a few people who stayed too long (67 and 69 years old) who got bitter/assholish and daffy/absent-minded, respectively, along with a couple of other people who died a month or two after retirement. I didn't want to become these people.

I was happy with my job but started to feel like I was treading water at age 59. When I realized I didn't enjoy doing my favorite parts of the job and felt stressed out, I decided to go. I planned it for a year, not telling anyone. I gave my notice three months in advance. Having that plan made the last year much easier and gave me a third wind.

My house was paid off a year before I left, I had enough in retirement and decided it was okay to go. Thank goodness for that. I am happy with the decision. I thought I would work longer, but I didn't.

Oftentimes younger employees want their bosses' jobs, but for the wrong reasons. They look at such higher-level jobs as a "reward" for their hard work. Furthermore, many younger employees use the phrase "rest and vest" to describe older employees collecting lucrative stock options and RSUs who they perceive as not working as hard as them. Yet what such younger employees fail to see is the 20+ years of hard work it took to get there - the same work they're putting in now. Gen X felt this way about Baby Boomers who lived it up in the 1980s and wouldn't get out of the way in the early-2000s. This led to a compression and in some cases promotions skipped Gen X and were given directly to Gen Y, causing even more resentment.

While there is no magic age for retirement, it does seem like 60 years old is a common age for folks to hang it up. For those who want to keep working, companies need to determine whether they're still providing value. If not, then it's time to let them go (see above bolded).

I am a Boomer and I am working. I plan on retiring in 2029 or 2030.

I have a job I like. A nice big office. It is pretty much 9-5ish. I can do remote one day a week, dress down and get 4-5 weeks vacation.

It is a good chance Gen Z gets my job.

If it actually was the 1980s I would be working 50-55 hours a week in a suit in person in an office full of smoke being pressured to go out drinking with the clients 2-3 nights a week. No way I last past 55.

Work life balance extended boomer shelf life

[Anonymous]

Mid 60s controller at a PE owned company. They needed someone with a lot of experience to set up and design the function so here I am. Helps that I have a CPA license at a time where a lot of people have retired. Who said luck doesn't play a part in every career?

[Anonymous]

I'm in my late 60s and work at a University. I would like to work until 70 and then maybe on my own after that. Ageism is alive and well. I try to keep a low-cost profile now knowing a few people would love for me to leave.

[Anonymous]

Fed, grants administration. My office routinely hires people age 50+ and we have several in their late sixties/early seventies.