Resumes to prepare for your retirement

You're ready to retire and I'm telling you to get your resume ready. How does that make sense? 

Because many of us won't completely retire. In at least one survey, 72% of baby boomers stated that they would prefer to semi-retire, working a more flexible schedule with less hours. More and more, people are looking for different work options in their retirement. And then there's the fact that many people don't feel like they can fully retire due to financial reasons. (Bloomberg, April 22, 2019)

Whether you plan to work by choice or due to need, you should start planning your retirement career several years before.

Update your resume

If you kept your resume up to date, good job! You are part of a small population. Most professionals close to retirement haven't updated their resume in years. If you've been at one company for the past decade, there's a good chance that your current role (or two) hasn't even been added. You’ve gained additional skills and experiences that are important for a keyword search.

Even if your resume is updated, it's written for the job you have now. That might be very different than what your plans are for retirement.

New goals, new resume

Are you interested in working as a consultant in your current industry? Or perhaps you're interested in taking your skills into a new industry--following different interests or passions. Whatever your goal, your resume should be written to highlight your experiences and demonstrate how you can succeed in your new role.

What’s missing?

Another benefit to creating your resume a few years early is to identify gaps. Then focus on training and acquiring those skills. If you're not sure what skills might be needed, search job listings and look at the qualifications. Identify a mentor who recently transitioned to get their insight.

Is that all?

Nope. You also need to start networking, both in person and online. Attend conferences, join community groups, get involved. 

Online networking in most cases includes a LinkedIn profile. Again, now is the time to create a strong profile and start connecting with colleagues, former colleagues, friends from college, and members of your community.

Here are some quick tips to build a stronger LinkedIn profile. Or, ask us for help.