Geezer engineer 8

[insideman]

I am 77. I would like to "unretire". Best work would be stuff I can do at home. I have a good little shop, a good little library, four good PC's, a huge old good drafting table.

I can design new plastic parts, from concept through piloyt production.

I can also do axial flow fans, centrifugals, lots of other stuff. I do this anyway, but would like to get paid for it.

What strategy is best for me?

 

[ctopher]

Good for you! Try creating your own web page and get a small business license. Show photos of some of your work on your site. Outsourcing is big business right now. Get links to your web site on job finder web sites. It's a start.

 

[GregLocock]

Personal contact is probably the best way of getting work initially. Are there any local firms who make the sort of thing you design?



Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[PSE]

Good advice from both ctopher and GregLocock. Get licensed and make use of the contacts that you have made over your career. You probably have had several employers and they might consider bringing you in to consult or deal with spikes in workload. Decide which type of design work you want to do and make that your marketing niche. At this point it sounds like you want plastics.

Good luck

 

[toolmantwo]

insideman
One other option may be to work just by the hour for one small company who cannot afford a full time engineer. Our company did this to start out to develop new products. The man we hired for part time engineering work did come out of retirement and was great. He also knew the people who could and would help us on getting product and contract machining. Those life long contacts are valuable.
Let us know how well things go for you. Are you in the USA? or?

 

[funnelguy]

Excellent post toolmantwo! This type of situation gives prospective employers a chance to "drive it before you buy it". Also could help to alleve any concerns about the productivity of the "chronologically advantaged"....

But don't limit yourself to just one small company. And don't hand over all your experience and contacts. They're just renting you, they didn't buy the rights to the knowledge base!

 

[insideman]

Thanks for the insights. I have networked furiously, but all my old contacts are disappearing!

 

[jimbo]

This has nothing to do with the post, but;
My 14-16 year old grandson called his father "an old geezer".
My son inquired about his definition of "old geezer" and was told "anyone older than him".
jimbo

Buy a dictionary, keep it nearby and USE it. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English is recommended, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

 

[EdDanzer]

Look at bidding work on

http://www.mfgqoute.com

 

[GOTWW]

My first response is, are you crazy? Do you need the money, well probably not. What you need is hobbies, my guess is that you miss, and have forgotten about the interpersonal, professional stress and backstabbing that is associated with engineering. There is a multitude of options, volenteer work, tutering your wantabe engineers, charity work, community civic affairs, how about enviromental issues? Woking for the employeers now days, is quite a bit different from the good old days, it is brutal. Use your days the best you can, pass on what you know to young folk that may actually appeciate it. Other wise take your knowledge, and free time to invent something to benifit mankind as a whole. Just Think About It.

 

[insideman]

I need the discipline of working against a deadline....

 

[GOTWW]

Sorry, about speaking up, I not too long ago I lost a good freind, at 75. Hart attack, dead on the sidewalk, walking from a meeting, 3000 miles from his home.I just thought that if the management had some backbone, and would have talked frankly to him, he may be happy alive, enjoying other activities. I work with another freind, 75 year old architect, He suffers alot of abuse, and not for me. Sometimes I just speak my mind, it apparently offends the timid.

 

[plasgears]

It's OK to work until you drop.

One company I worked at had men working into their 80's.

 

[jmw]

Good point Plasgears.
I think we need a thread on retirment strategies and the importance of the garden shed.

JMW

http://www.viscoanalyser.com

Eng-Tips: Pro bono publico, by engineers, for engineers.

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[toolmantwo]

For insideman;
I can understand your need to keep busy and enjoy a challenge. The time drags on if you do not have busy hands and mind. I can also relate to loss of contacts from past networking. I am 54 and many times the people I knew have retired, sold out or moved away and I do not have another contact at that same company or type business. I now plan to try to make more contacts by calling the same company or to go to more industry sponsored events like the SME meetings. I went to those meetings in the past, yet took time off to be with family when they were in the teens. I think it is a good idea to go again and become more involved.

I have thought of one new slant to take when I retire, by doing something other than engineering. I may not do well in another field, yet want the excitement of a new field/job. I have thought of doing landscaping or even automobile sales.

 

[sreid]

Make contact with the local service clubs (Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis). The members are the business owners in town and are the one who make decisions about part time/consulting help.

 

[EngJW]

I work with some people who are retired but continue to work part time. I think the number of hours, or earnings limit, is determined by Social Insecurity but by working a certain number of hours they get to keep their health insurance.

A job can look very different when you know you can walk out anytime.

John Woodward

 

[plasgears]

Many years ago, on the occasion of buying my first house, I took a course in landscape design. In the tail end of the course there were instructions on forming your own business. In fact, I have been selling landscape designs on and off over the years. One summer I grossed several thousand dollars part time; it helped pay the way for my four college bound children.

An engineering background helped in this endeavor because of the spacial visualization that flows from engineering. We engineers generally have the talent to create good form to follow function. I had two interesting runs of referrals; one was a string of doctors after I delivered a nice design to a prominent doctor. Another was a string of jobs in an upscale neighborhood after delivering an eye opening design to the main builder there.

I encourage retired engineers to put their engineering talents to work in other fields; others can benefit from the special skills that engineers can bring to the job.

 

[toolmantwo]

Thanks PLASGEARS
I will have to check that out closer. If you know the source of the course in landscape design please pass that on. I hope to work on landscapes of lakeshore in Northern Minnesota. I just got back from a trip to Canada and Northern MN.

 

[plasgears]

Toolmantwo,
Find National Landscape Institute, now located in PA, prior LA. They have a website on Lifetime Career Schools.com or similar. Use Google search.

I tried getting license credentials in MI, but the authorities insisted on a 4 yr Landscape Architecture course. My PE doesn't seem to impress them.

I advertise in upscale neighborhoods, and it never fails; the designs are pleasing and creative. I am networking with trades such as landscape contractors, carpenter, concrete, etc. We give referrals to each other.