Unretired: Revisiting and Reinventing Work

Retirement is, inevitably, a crossroad, a time to look back and ahead, right and left, before deciding how to plunge forward.

Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor for American Public Media’s “Marketplace” and author of several books including “Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing The Way We Think About Work, Community and The Good Life,” suggests taking a beat to adjust to this new stage, and to think about where you are emotionally, physically, and financially.

If introspection and number-crunching lead you back to a working life in some capacity, give yourself permission to “be imaginative and be willing to experiment,” Farrell suggests.

Start is with your network of friends and colleagues.”Talk to them about what they think you’re good at, how they see your skills, what you could bring to an organization,” said Farrell.

And if the first place you land isn’t quite right, that’s part of the process. “The fact that you made that attempt opens up a new world,” said Farrell.

As it turns out, Linda McGivern discovered her new world literally right across the street. McGivern, who lives in Chicago, retired from a 40-year marketing career in 2020.

“At first, I was really happy to get extra sleep and all that, and then I got bored,” she said

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She learned they were looking for tour guides at the Elks National Memorial, an historic building dedicated to World War I veterans, located across the street from where she lived. “I redid my resume to apply for the job of desk attendant and I had that role for three years,” said McGivern.

An opportunity opened up to help with a longer-term project for the memorial, and soon McGivern was working 29 hours a week. With her background in communications, it has been a very good fit.

“It’s my favorite job I’ve ever had because there’s so much meaning to it,” she said. “This building is a testament to peace and love and remembrance.”