Not Enough Excitement in Your Life? Try One of These Cool Seasonal Jobs
Category: Work and Volunteering
August 24, 2022 — So many people look forward to their retirement, and then when it happens, blah. Maybe they go on a river cruise, play a lot of golf, or finally get the garage sorted out. But after the initial rush, many retirees find they miss the daily interesting people and challenges they had in their previous careers. So here are some unusual opportunities that you might consider – either for a season or even a few years.
nextavenue.org recently profiled a couple, Jane and Mark Tafel, who have taken advantage of some fantastic opportunities since they retired. Their 3 month stints included working at a contemplative retreat in Washington state doing gardening, communication, and odd jobs – with housing provided. They have also had jobs at a lodge on Lake Superior, Bryce Canyon National Park, and teaching English in India and Tanzania. They loved all of those jobs, while taking them on in 3 month increments allowed them to be home for holidays and family events. The Tafels use the website Coolworks, which has a section called “Older and Bolder.” The website is a fantastic resource, which not only has plenty of jobs posted in all kinds of categories, but also has helpful articles on how to organize your search, including how to identify any must haves and possible deal breakers.
What is available by category
We took a look at the Coolworks website to see what kind of positions might be available for baby boomer aged retirees. Here are some of the categories with job offers on their site. Some jobs are volunteer opportunities, most seemed to be paid.
Administrative
Brewery/Wineries
National Parks
Campgrounds
Creative
Culinary
Education
Driving and Transportation
Garden and Farms
Golf Courses
Guides and Trip Leaders
Jobs with Bikes, Fish, and Animals
Jobs with Housing
Lodges and Resorts
Jobs with RV Parks
Ranches
Resort Jobs
Ski Resorts
Etc.!
More resources
Of course coolworks is not the only resource for finding a great gig in retirement. Other sites include Retired Brains.com, RetirementJobs.com, RentaGrandma.com, and the AARP Job Board, among others.
You can also check out volunteer opportunities in your community, or with organizations you are familiar with. We know people who volunteer to teach English as a second language, mentor students, help older folks in the senior center, act as a mediator in civil cases, and act as tour guides. The possibilities seem to be endless, so if you are feeling a little empty in your retirement, get busy! Exploring the possibilities is just part of the fun.
For more ideas:
Members Tell Us About Their Volunteer Experiences
Work and Volunteering Blog Category (22 articles)
Comments on "Not Enough Excitement in Your Life? Try One of These Cool Seasonal Jobs"
Jan Cullinane says:
I love CoolWorks. In my newly published book, I included a "True Life" story about Don Kostyal. He has an interesting work history, and after leaving his primary career, he discovered "Cool Works" and worked at Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton National Park for five seasons.
Jan Cullinane, author, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (Wiley, 2022)
John Brady says:
I really admire the people who take advantage of sites like this to put some spice in their retirements. Most of us (me included) ease into retirement and hardly ever change the plan. Yet if there is one thing we can learn from this, it is that life experiences are where it is at. You can't forget the memories that come from stepping outside the box and doing something different or adventurous. I challenge all of us to be a little bolder and go for it - whether it is a new experience, job, hobby, or whatever.