Seasonal, Part-Time, and Call-In Work

Since retiring in my forties this past October, I've been considering options for working as needed or when desired, either to augment income or because of interest. I'd also like to be prepared for the possibility of a decline in the stock market, which is providing the majority of our retirement income. Finally, I'd like to get some experience in areas that may help me in a future dream job. Here's a summary of options I will pursue further and those that I will drop.

POSSIBILITIES

Seasonal financial services work. Banks and tax preparation services hire part time people help during season peaks, either due to demand or vacation. Given my interest in personal finance, these may be interesting jobs to do on periodic basis.

Professional temp work in my field of expertise. There are several organizations that specialize in temp project work for my profession. While I'm not a doctor, I know of retired physicians who do occasional work for hospitals a few months a year. I have signed up with an professional temp organization that may allow me to do something similar in my field.

NOT LIKELY

Seasonal retail work. In my ranking of things I like to do, shopping ranks pretty low on the list. I don't think I would even remotely enjoy working to help people shop. I'd probably want to ask them "Do you really need this?" :-)

Volunteer work. As I have written before, I had done significant amounts of volunteer work in my twenties and thirties, including being president of three different organizations. I feel that I have done more than my fair share of community service:-) I will limit volunteer work to occasional help for my three year old's activities.

General temp work. I don't have any interest is doing office or technical work placed through agencies such as Manpower or Kelly Services. It seems to me that one can make more money by applying directly to companies for specific temporary work.

Fast food service. I'd only do this type of work if I was considering becoming a franchise owner. In that case, I would want to have a better understanding of the business, day to day operations, and the environment. The probability of us buying a fast food franchise is very, very low.

I also have a few other criteria that I would like to meet, including: short commute, flexible schedule, and possibility to help people. At this point, I am pursuing both options that I shared in the Possibilities section. As always, I have purposely not shared specific details to maintain anonymity. However, in the future, I will provide an update as to whether these options meet my expectations.

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

Photo Credit: morgueFile.com, Dawn M. Turner

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

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