Temporary jobs in retirement - looking for ideas!

[Lifechangeahead]

I’m planning to retire next spring from a senior public sector role. I’m just awaiting some final financial info and then all being well will inform my employer in the summer.

Obviously I’m feeling a mixture of emotions about this but I am confident this is the right time to go both for me (I’ll be 58) and the organisation.

I have a some ideas about how I will fill
my time but my main area of concern is the winter months when outdoor hobbies will be limited. I like the idea of being able to pick up a few months of temporary part time work at these times but no idea if this is realistic? I don’t particularly want to be an employee again with restrictions on annual leave etc. I like the sound of working in the style of a employees on a recruitment bank/locum/supply teacher etc where I could say I available to work for X period of time.

However, I’m not a clinician or any teacher - more a generalist really.

Does such a thing exist? I’d love to hear if others have found something, thank you.

Christmas retail work?

Watching with interest.

Reach out to a local recruitment agency, they always have plenty of work and you can then choose what days you want. My work uses a lot of agency staff and a few of them previously retired and just do the occasional shift, usually once a week in the summer and then they'll come in more regularly in the colder months. Our particular agency does picking & packing at supermarkets, car park attendant jobs at airports, Amazon warehouse jobs, restaurants dish washers and a few others, all depends what you fancy doing. You pick what days, what job and in some cases what hours you want to work.

NHS professionals might worth having a look at. There's lots of non clinical work on there too. Short term posts to cover sickness or mat leave. You can pick and choose

I'm retiring later this year. I will be signing up for bank staff with the NHS [ domestic or porter ]. Bank staff get paid weekly too.

I will also be looking to invigilate for exams. I've done this before, and it's ideal as it's obviously only a few weeks a year.

Like you, I want something with no restrictions like annual leave etc. I've had enough of fighting for that where I am now.

Care home work?

Thank you all, some great suggestions so far to explore.

I should say I do intend to volunteer too, but I think something more structured at certain times would be beneficial. I fogot to mention that I wouldn’t be able to work weekends, partly because that’s when I have my time with DP (we don’t live together) and also because I haven’t worked full time for 36 years only to start working on a Saturday 😁

If you live near a university, they usually have a temp bank for admin work, exam invigilation etc

Following with interest. I volunteer for a museum and am hoping to pick up some paid casual shift type work within that sector but looking for other ideas too. Professional background is science journalism/publishing but museum is more history. I want f2f weekdays 😀.

@Lifechangeahead do you want f2f or wfh? I'd also say my volunteering (for a national museum) can be as structured as I like (regular weekly slots or one offs etc) - and stepped up and down as needed. I enjoy the feeling of having colleagues, training, community - without any stress or politics 😀.

know that feeling! I have half a term left before I switch off my whiteboard. Not rushing into anything but might do some tutoring and Christmas retail

@MsMartini Ithink if it was a couple of days a week then F2F would be best as it’s as much about meeting new people as the money side of things. It’s interesting to hear what you say about your volunteering role as I love history and art so something in those fields would be great and I think I’ll
look into voluntary roles there.

i’d thought of NHS Professionals as my background is in health. However a bit of me just wants to try something new and I’m also interested in education so invigilating could work. Also, @Cornishmumofone thanks for the idea re Universities, I do live near a couple and will look into that.

@Lifechangeahead , it sounds like it might be up your street - I've found it really interesting and fun, with lots of chances to learn new things. DM me if you'd like to know more, perhaps with rough location. There are loads of skilled voluntary opps in the sector.

Clerk to school governing bodies, Exam invigilator, help with elections (counting postal votes, helping in polling stations etc)

You'll be lucky to get university work. Just about every university is in a round of voluntary and compulsory redundancies!

Exam invigilators in schools?

I'd also suggest clerking if you have knowledge of governance issues. Otherwise how about maternity cover?

Exam invigilator here. Also work doing the mock exams throughout the year at my school so not just limited to the summer months. There is also a local training centre that does exams all year round for apprentice schemes with flexible working jobs.

Inviivigalting, fil does this and it's quite profitable

Temporary classroom assistant- check your local, and particularly special schools.

I work as admin for the nhs and work through NHS professionals doing bank work. It's extremely flexible. I get holiday pay ,sick pay you also get maternity pay and if you want to cash in the holiday you can do that . I know a lady that saved all her holidays and cashed them in at Christmas.i would definitely recommend.depending on experience you can pick what you would like to do . Maybe even ring up a department within the hospital and she if there's any shifts available and then you know you will have regular work and stick pick and choose . I've been doing it for 2 years now . It's great !

With exam invigilation you might be put on a rota. At my school the rota is full at the moment as the same people come back year after year.

no harm in trying

check school websites

Theatre usher/front of house team.
Exam invigilator.
Registrar/Assistant Registrar.

I’ll be looking for the same thing around 2.5 years from now.

I CBA with annual leave requests and “someone else will have to work on December 24th” shenanigans.

A retired friend of mine mows lawns but obviously that’s not a winter role, which is what you’re looking for, OP.

NHS Professionals looks good.

Another recommendation for clerk to school governing bodies. A lot of LAs have a pool of casuals. Good clerks are like gold dust . Worth a look.

i am an exam invigilator and invigilate professional exams, gcses A levels, T levels etc and with retakes and mock exams there is work available throughout the year.

Friend of mine went into gardening. She took an RHS plant course and now makes quite a bit from sorting out plant pots, pruning roses and perennial planting. £40 per hour and now in the position where she turns people away. No lawn mowing.

However her husband then retired and now offers lawn treatment services.

neither of them touch pension money at the moment as their jobs pay for everything