Retirement can be a ton of fun. After decades of grinding out long hours, you can finally sit back, kick your feet up and relax. Oftentimes, though, people can get tired of the unstructured days … and the lack of cash – thus the need for jobs for seniors.
In cases like these, a lot of seniors will dip their toes into the working world. After all, the right job can teach you new skills and even fulfill you. Plus, jobs for seniors can bring in some much-needed money.
Here are 15 great jobs for seniors that are perfect for the retired or semi-retired. Whether you’re coming out of retirement or you’re a worker looking for a side gig, you’re sure to find something that catches your eye. So check these out and polish up your resume — it’s time to find your perfect fit!
1. Get the party started as a professional planner
As a party planner, you can organize fun events to help others make the most of their free time. You’ll have to book vendors, decorate, chose fun themes — and, unfortunately, clean up afterward.
If you’re a creative person who likes to breathe new life into birthday parties, corporate events, fundraisers or more, this is the position for you. According to Thumbtack, you can rack up anywhere from $50 to $150 an hour. You can start by networking with other vendors, printing business cards and creating social media pages to attract new customers.
2. Pet sit professionally
Folks can’t always take Fido on the plane. When they’re out of the home and traveling the world, people want to make sure their pets are well cared for. That’s where you come in.
Pet sitting is a flexible side hustle: You can go to your client’s house or take care of animals at your own home. Either way, you just have to feed the pets, play with them and make sure they’re okay.
The best part of this gig? You can kick back and relax once you’ve met the animal’s needs. Crack open a book while Lucky chews on his toy — you’re getting paid by the hour.
3. Rent out your shoulder for strangers to cry on
The great thing about being a professional friend is that you’re getting paid to have fun.
Plus, different clients want different services. For example, one person may just want you to sit at a nearby table while they’re on a first date. Others may want a partner to go rock-climbing with. Every day is a new adventure, and you’re sure to learn new skills.
4. Sell your skills as a personal chef
If you love cooking, why not sell your food? You don’t have to buy a food truck or start a delivery service. As a personal chef, you can work from the comfort of your own home.
Just cook up up high-quality, homemade meals and watch the cash flow in. One great way to attract customers is by specializing in specific diets, like paleo or keto. If you have culinary training and flexible skills, you could attract clients for the long haul.
5. Like to craft? Sell your scarves, decorations and artwork
Tons of cities have craft fairs, where you can open a booth and sell your homemade goodies. Whether you love knitting, embroidery or baking, you can turn your fun hobby into a side hustle.
One good way to start making cash is by opening an Etsy account. Although it’s free to open up a shop, you have to pay some fees when you list items and make transactions. If you only want to sell in-person, Google nearby craft fairs and other events — you’re sure to find something!
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6. Write itineraries as a travel agent
More people than ever before are using the internet to book flights, reservations and more. That’s a golden opportunity for you. If you’re tech-savvy, you could book events and plan fun group trips.
Open up your booking agency, and you could start helping out other folks over 50. This job is also a fun way to get some ideas for yourself: You’re getting paid to research fun things for other people to do. That means you could discover river cruises, popular destinations and more.
Plus, you don’t need to get a license or certification to start working. Of course, if you open up your own agency, you’ll need to work with official transportation agencies and get their approval. On the bright side, you can set up whatever hours you want to work — there’s a ton of flexibility.
7. Coach youngsters through life
You’ve got a ton of life experience under your belt. As a life coach, you can dish out personal advice or professional wisdom to eager ears. This position provides you with the opportunity to guide younger people through the waters of life.
Maybe they’re struggling in their job; maybe they just need a guiding figure to hold them accountable. You can step in and help others find their sense of purpose. It’s a super fulfilling job, so if you love leadership roles, give it a try!
8. Become a tutor
If you graduated from a college or university, you could tutor students online. People need help in English, math, science, social studies and more. You can connect with people remotely or work in person, depending on the position.
To succeed in this position, you need to have rock-solid communication skills. You may work with students who have English as a second language, so you should convey critical information clearly and concisely. It’s not easy working as a tutor, but it can be incredibly fulfilling to help your students succeed.
9. Stay in shape as a fitness trainer
If you love to exercise, why not get paid for it? Tons of people around your age would like to get in shape, but they might be dissuaded when a fresh-faced young trainer helps them out. Think about it this way: Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable with a workout partner closer to your own age?
That’s why this is a golden opportunity. The fitness industry is a booming business, and there’s a ton of demand for trainers who design workouts for people who are 55 and older.
10. Help families find their homes as a real estate agent
It’s never too late to learn a new skill. If you pump your brain full of knowledge on the housing market, you’ll always have opportunities. After all, people will always need homes — and, more importantly, they’ll always need expert help.
You can provide that help as a real estate agent. You’ll need to complete a bunch of courses and pass a licensing exam first. After that, you can start putting your problem-solving skills to work.
If you want to meet new people, this is the job for you. Set your own hours, throw home tours and happily hand over the house keys to your customers once the sale is signed.
11. Do you know how to play an instrument? You could be a music teacher
Music transcends language, location and demographics. If you know the piano, guitar or other instrument, you could share your skills with eager students. Plus, you can teach anyone, from children to fellow adults.
If you want to do one-on-one sessions, you can find clients online or buy advertisements in the local newspaper. If you want to earn even more money, you can host group sessions. Like the other jobs on this list, being a music teacher lets you set your own hours and fees.
You will have to plan lessons, though, and hold music recitals and give helpful feedback. Depending on your preferences, you could rent a studio, hold lessons at your home, teach online or even travel to your student’s homes.
12. You can even rent out your home as a host
If you don’t mind strangers around the place, you can even start renting. Maybe there’s an extra room you want to fill up. Open up an ad on Craigslist or Facebook and that empty room can net you $1,000 a month.
Of course, you’ll have to vet newcomers thoroughly. But if you want money and you have a room or house you’re not using, this could be a great way to make bank. You could even rent to different people for a week or a weekend.
13. Write resumes for folks in search of a job
If you’re good at editing text, formatting documents and writing short blurbs about other people’s skills, this job is perfect for you. It’s all about making other people look good. You have to look over their previous positions and extract the key traits they can bring to new positions.
Basically, you want to write from potential employers’ perspectives. Ask yourself, “What are the most useful skills this person has? How can their prior experience translate to good experiences in the future?”
The good thing about resume writing gigs is that you’ll always have a job. They’re in especially high demand right now since more people are looking to return to work.
14. Transcribe customer service calls
No matter what, businesses will always have a customer service department. That means they’ll always need transcribers. Sure, some companies have them on-site — but others want to outsource the task.
That’s where you can help. Transcribing is a solid at-home gig. You’re responsible for transcribing calls from various companies into text.
For instance, you’ll have to record all the dialogue you hear from the salesperson and the company. Sure, it’s not the most riveting work in the world, but it’s a reliable way to ensure a steady cash flow.
You’ve got to be a strong listener, as well as an accurate typist. You should also be proficient with Microsoft Word or similar applications.
Of course, a transcriber also needs a keen eye for editing and proofreading. | Photo
15. Love your area? Consider becoming a local tour guide
If you live in a popular city with a ton of tourists, you can turn that traffic into cold, hard cash. As a tour guide, you should show tourists around your city’s hottest destinations. It will take a good chunk of time out of your day, but you may enjoy showing people the best spots around town.
One good way to stand out from the pack is by finding a niche. See what other tour guides are offering. Some of them offer ghost tours.
If you have something more specific in mind, make that the forefront of your work as a tour guide. It’s a great way to draw people towards your specific service.
Speaking of attracting people, LinkedIn can help managers or employers to find ideal candidates to fill open positions, even jobs for seniors. You might be able to find the right person for you or your business with LinkedIn Jobs.
–Serena O’Sullivan, Komando.com
