Going Back to Work (Briefly)

I’ve read with interest posts such as Jonathan’s Taking Center Stage and Those Who Follow, both which touched on the pluses and minuses of taking on a part-time job in retirement. The conversation in the comments for both of those posts was great, too. Below, I share my own recent experience of re-entering the job world at age 64.

In my past HD posts I have written how, in our mid-60s, my husband and I appeared to be gliding into retirement. I even wrote about our setting up a retirement-based TIPS ladder that starts this year. In my mind, our work-for-pay days were over.

Well, not so fast.

First, my husband, who had insisted he was done writing books, suddenly came up with another book idea. And then—surprise!—he actually sold that idea to a major book publisher. After celebrating, we realized this means two years of obsessive research, writing, and editing, then another year of trying to promote the book (I help with that part). Retired he will not be.

Around the same time—probably not a coincidence—I became intrigued that a favorite retailer of mine was building a big new store in my hometown. The idea of a part-time job with them sounded like a fun change-up after being self-employed for the past 16 years. I was eager to learn some new things and looked forward to hobnobbing with others in my community who also liked this store’s products.

After navigating through the corporation’s online application portal and two phone interviews, I landed the job in early October and started being trained, along with 10 other newbies. Next followed a total blur of new-store holiday chaos and punching a time clock on different shifts seven days a week.

“Part-time” and “hobnobbing” went out the window during this all-hands-on-deck period. Goldilocks-like, I went through six different types of shoes searching for the most comfortable ones for standing five to eight hours (Skechers Ultra Flex Statements Sneaker) behind something called a digital point-of-purchase PIN-pad station (ie, cash register).

At my station, I learned about the many ways customers in the mid-2020s pay for goods (the first time someone paid using their wristwatch was a revelation) and the best ways to expeditiously bag those goods without getting paper cuts. I learned that a 15-minute shift break in a windowless break room does not do much for a person except perhaps break one’s spirit. And I observed that store cameras are more for surveilling employees than catching shoplifters. None of these learnings had been on my hopeful “expand my world” list.

Once the holiday season passed, it was inventory and restocking time—with lots of bending and lifting. Noticing I was not thrilled with my new working life, my husband said: “The great thing about having a job that you don’t really need to have is that you can just… leave.” And that I did, a mere four months after starting.

So, what is the lesson here? I would not discourage anyone from taking a post-retirement job—I am sure my experience might have been different if it were a different type of job, perhaps working with a smaller, less chaotic business. I will say to others, go in with eyes open. Today’s work world can be fast-paced, demanding, and tough on one’s back and feet!

For myself, watching my twentysomething colleagues try to start their careers while working multiple part-time jobs left me newly appreciative of being in my mid-60s with a TIPS ladder and the blissful privilege of working on my own creative endeavors while sleeping in on Mondays.

Questions for forum readers:

• Did you, unlike me, already know how hard retail jobs are?
• Have you ever retired then gone back to full-time paid work?
• Did you put aside any creative endeavors during your earning years that you are revisiting in retirement?
• What shoes are your go-to’s for “most comfortable” for when you are out in public, (ie, not slippers or Crocs 😀)?