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9 Work From Home Jobs for Retirees

Seniors can earn money from these retirement jobs without leaving the house.

By Craig Stephens, ContributorJune 20, 2019
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Find meaningful work at home opportunities after retirement without the commute.(GETTY IMAGES)
MANY SENIORS continue to work after retiring from a full-time career due to financial need and a desire to remain engaged in meaningful work. But instead of commuting to an office every day, work at home jobs provide a better fit for a retirement lifestyle. There’s no commuting or office politics, and jobs for seniors at home have flexibility, so that work doesn’t impede on retirement leisure.
Here are nine work from home jobs for retirees:
  • Customer service representative.
  • Personal assistant.
  • Writer.
  • Bookkeeper.
  • Information technology specialist.
  • Music teacher.
  • Tutor.
  • Craft seller.
  • Consultant.
Technology enables more work from home options, and remote workers are now commonplace among many professional industries. The challenge for retirees is to find a retirement job for an established skill set that matches desired hours and income needs. Consider these jobs for seniors at home that give retirees more control and flexibility over their time.

Customer Service Representative


Advancements in telephone call center technology have decentralized the customer service profession. Companies can now save on costs by outfitting remote workers to answer calls from their home office. Off-site call representative jobs may be full-time, part-time or independent contractor positions. Roles include technical support, general service and online chat. You’ll need a good internet connection, interpersonal skills and friendly phone etiquette to be successful.

Personal Assistant


Administrative tasks such as scheduling, filtering email and answering phone calls can be accomplished outside of an office setting. Online assistants, also known as virtual assistants, provide time-saving support to small business owners, self-employed entrepreneurs and busy professionals. As you build trust with your client, you may be asked to pick up additional tasks. Savvy assistants can support multiple clients at once and develop expertise in specific fields and tasks, making themselves more marketable.

Writer


In the digital age, companies of all kinds need a constant churn of high-quality, fresh content, both online and in print. Potential roles include industry-specific literature, ghostwriting, blog posts and editing. Start looking for writing gigs in your areas of expertise and interest. Reach out to small publications you enjoy and offer your services. Your pitches should be personal, concise and specific to the publications. Explore online platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr to follow demand trends, and consider creating a profile for job leads.

Bookkeeper


Former accountants, tax preparers and office managers may find work at home opportunities providing bookkeeping services. Small businesses, nonprofits and self-employed workers need to keep reliable books to process payments from customers, cover expenses and stay compliant with tax rules. Try to develop a specific clientele to narrow your focus. Establishing a reputation could help you find new clients in the same industry.

Information Technology Specialist


Information technology jobs can be done anywhere you have access to a computer and an internet connection. Retired technology workers should have no trouble finding contract work using the skills they acquired during their career. Legacy programming language skills are in high demand in many industries. You can complete free online training on websites such as Codecademy or Khan Academy to brush up on your existing programming skills and learn new ones. Modern languages such as JavaScript and Python are easy to learn. Due to a persistent shortage of technology workers, the biggest challenge may be to control the requested number of hours worked.

Music Teacher


Former professional musicians or talented hobbyists can use their skills to teach others. An intermediately skilled pianist can pass on the basics to a child. Create a comfortable area in your home and invite students for lessons. You’ll need to purchase some sheet music and workbooks upfront to get started, or ask students to pay for supplies. Music lessons are usually 30 to 60 minutes long, depending on the age and attention span of the student.

Tutor


Use your academic knowledge and teaching skills to help students hone their talents in math, reading, science or another subject. Use a dedicated space in your home or tutor students at a neighborhood library or community center. To get started, you’ll need to understand the curriculum of the local schools and invest in textbooks and workbooks about the topics to be covered.

Craft Seller


Those who know how to knit, sew, work with wood or make other crafts may be able to sell their creations online without leaving home. You could start by marketing products to friends and neighbors or launch a website to sell items nationwide. Several online platforms make retailing easy by taking care of payment transactions. Once you create your products, you will need to take photographs, write sales copy, list items online and ship the orders. Pay attention to the cost of materials and the time it takes to produce each unit, then price your creations accordingly. If you can sell enough product to earn a profit on a few items, the business can grow. You will need to produce more of items that sell well and optimize your crafting time to create profitable sale items. Periodically make sure you still enjoy the creative process if your hobby becomes a business.

Consultant


You worked hard during your career to develop specialized skills. Using your expertise as a consultant on specific projects may be the optimal way to earn money part-time from home. Start by reaching out to former colleagues to let them know you may be available for short-term projects that don’t require travel. Your knowledge and willingness to return should help you negotiate favorable contract terms, including the ability to work from home. Be prepared to turn down undesirable jobs that interfere with your desired retirement lifestyle. Consider subscribing to industry publications to keep yourself up to date on the latest trends.
Craig Stephens is a blogger at Retire Before Dad.

Craig Stephens, Contributor

Craig Stephens became a contributor to the On Retirement blog at U.S. News & World Report in ... READ MORE

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