It seems to be an unavoidable topic of aging these days: More people over the age of 65 continue to work. Whether it is full-time or part-time, the arc of working life for many Boomers is lengthening. Statistical research from numerous sources suggests that as much as one-third of the over-65 age group could be working in the next five years.

A recent article by John Hanc in The New York Times reports on some of the reasons older workers continue to work. In it, Hanc discusses Boomers who are 79, 75, 71, and 72, all of whom are still working and enjoying it.

Working longer works for any number of reasons. Jacquelyn B. James, co-director of the Center on Aging and Work at Boston College, tells Hanc, "This is one of the most educated generations in history. A lot of the jobs people are continuing in are fields in which you use the mind, not the body." She adds, "By the time you're in your 60s and 70s, you've probably worked yourself into something you enjoy doing. Others have been able to let go of things that they don't like about their job."

Michael D. Hurd, director of the RAND Corporation Center for the Study of Aging, thinks work is beneficial for older people. He tells Hanc, "You're forced to interact with people and forced to engage your brain. It's also good in terms of people's financial fitness. Just one year's salary keeps you from drawing down on your savings, and may even allow you to add to your savings."

An encouraging factor for older workers is a changing workplace. There are more part-time positions available, and there are more "gigs" -- work engagements that are essentially project-based. These types of work opportunities may involve being an independent contractor. The downside may be lack of benefits, but the upside is often a flexible work schedule and self-employment.

Boomers have been credited with generational change, and they have certainly changed the attitude toward retirement. Employers are slowly catching up to the "Booming" phenomenon of Boomers who want to work past the traditional retirement age of 65. The more Boomers who work into their later years, the more we are likely to reshape the way Americans think about work. Hopefully, this will also lead to a reduction in discrimination against older workers. 

Image: Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net

A special section on Retirement appeared in the Sunday, March 5 edition of The New York Times. In it were a number of informative articles, including making a retirement plan, when and how to save, reinventing careers and repurposing skills, working past the age of 65, and a perspective on Baby Boomer farmers in Iowa who see the land as their retirement plan.

Also in that section, retirement expert Kerry Hannon shares five good retirement tips to implement if you are in your 60s and beyond. You can read more detail on each of these tips in the article here:

1. Get a grip on your retirement income sources

2. Take control of fixed monthly costs

3. Consider working beyond your official retirement age

4. Shift your investments to a more conservative asset mix

5. Plan your withdrawal rates.

Some Boomers on the way to retirement want to earn supplemental income, but they aren't sure just how to do it. One way is to think creatively about how to leverage your experience and passions and turn them into income opportunities. For instance, I live in an area known for its arts and crafts community. An acquaintance of mine retired from the software business and always had an interest in woodcraft. He took some classes, practiced for awhile, and now sells wooden pens, pendants, and ornaments at local shows. Another retiree did the same thing with handcrafted jewelry.

Nancy Collamer, a wise coach who specializes in retirement careers, offers some creative ideas in an article published in the March 5th edition of Woman's World. She says the experience you gained in a previous work setting can be applied to a new role. "You may have been an office manager," says Nancy, "but what you really loved doing was organizing the company picnic every year. Maybe now you can work part-time as an event planner!"

Other ideas: Become a tour guide in your own city, rent out your driveway for parking if you live near an event venue, or even rent out yourself as a baby or pet sitter. And if you like to drive, there are services such as Uber and Lyft just for you. "Uber, for example, is making a concerted effort to hire people over 50 because they're seen as more reliable," says Collamer.

Collamer also suggests checking out websites that help you learn about and find new jobs, such as Fabjob.com ( a site that you can use as an idea starter to explore new career directions) and Flexjobs.com (a site that lists a wide variety of flexible, part-time positions).

Be sure to sign up for Nancy's excellent email "Second-Act Newsletter" at her website, MyLifestyleCareer.com.

As Boomers transition from a full-time career to part-time work in retirement, they have a real opportunity to be a consultant, at least for a period of time. Depending on their field, some Boomers can even make consulting a long-term business. I can tell you from personal experience that consulting is a good way to ease out of a full-time professional career into part-time work during retirement. 

"Consultant" is a term that used to mean a professional with a consulting firm, but nowadays, a consultant can be anyone with professional expertise. Respected retirement expert Kerry Hannon shares these four tips for individuals who want to consider becoming a consultant when their primary career ends: 

1. Become a member of a local industry association or organization. Join industry groups on LinkedIn. Attend industry and professional meetings and conferences. Keep an eye on the association job boards and let other members know you’re seeking consulting assignments.
   
   
2. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to help you reach small businesses in your town. These organizations often don’t have funds to hire someone full-time, but may need your expertise and experience. Also check out temporary agencies that specialize in placing experienced professionals in short-term gigs.
   
   
3. Know your rates. Research what other consultants in your field charge. Many consultants have websites where they publish set rates or a range. You might also ask fellow consultants straight out what they charge. Whatever your source, set your rates accordingly based on your experience and skill set.
   
   
4. Market your services to nonprofits which have a mission that resonates with you. They often hire project-based or contract professionals. Consider offering your services pro bono to develop your relationship and gain references for future jobs.

This is excellent advice, part of a longer article about "Working in Retirement" that you can access on Kerry's blog here: http://kerryhannon.com/?p=6125

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