According to Statistics Canada, over 800,000 Canadians aged 65 and over are still working.
Some of those are people who just love their work, while others have part time jobs after retirement to keep active. There are also more and more Canadians who have to keep working to supplement their retirement income
The self-employed consultant
Using skills and experience from your career can lead to well-paid consultancy work after retirement. A good network of contacts will help you get started. You keep control of your schedule and you may be able to charge high hourly rates.
Tutors, teachers, and mentors
If your career gave you specialized skills, you can use these in an academic setting, acting as a mentor or teacher for students.
Retired teachers or educational assistants are often hired to tutor kids after school and at weekends.
Sports coaches
Companies that hold after-school and weekend classes for sports like golf and tennis need people with flexible schedules. These companies often seek enthusiastic older Canadians who have years of experience playing the sports.
Retail
Many retailers employ older Canadians because of their flexibility and reliability. Although the pay can be minimum wage, you usually get the advantage of staff discounts between 10-40%. Shifts can be flexible and only a few hours long. If you’re looking for a short period of work, retail also offers seasonal employment.
TV and film extras
Production companies employ “background performers”, sometimes up to age 75. You may require an agency to get bookings and they may take a percentage of your pay. The hourly wage may not be that high, but a typical practice is to pay out for a minimum number of hours per shift, even if you do work less than that.
Home care aide/retirement home jobs
Some home care companies and retirement homes often employ older Canadians to help look after their older clients. The hours are often flexible and you can choose part time or full time positions.
You’ll perform a variety of tasks that could include companionship, meal preparation and light household chores.
Customer service reps
Some companies actively employ older Canadians for telephone-based customer service jobs.
Some of these jobs allow you to work from home, which can cut down on your commute time.
Dog walkers/boarders and pet sitters
This is an ideal job for active, animal-loving older Canadians. You work from home and you can decide how many pets you would like to take on.
You may be able to charge a high hourly rate and can charge more if you take on more pets or have them stay overnight on occasion.
Research Assistant
If you have training in the medical or science fields, this is a great way of finding part time work after retirement. Hours are often flexible and the pay can be very generous.
Drivers
As well as openings for school bus drivers, there are also mini-van driving jobs and chauffeur positions.
Car owners can sign up to a ride-share service, where you get to choose the hours you want to be driving passengers around. There are also plenty of part-time package delivery jobs that are suited to older Canadians.
The alternative to retirement jobs
If you really want retirement to mean retirement and relax after 40-plus years of work, there may be a good alternative.
If you own your own home, you can take out a reverse mortgage to boost your monthly income.
HomeEquity Bank’s Income Advantage provides you with a monthly or quarterly payment, tax-free, that will boost your pension income without you having to work. The best part is, you won’t have to make any principal or interest payments until you move out or sell your home.
