Great Jobs for Everyone 50+

Continuing on my reading about re-starting a career after raising Sophia and Olivia, I came across the book Great Jobs for Everyone 50+ - Finding Work that Keeps You Happy and Healthy...and Pays the Bills by Kerry Hannon.

PART-TIME

- AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate - no maximum age. Skills in communications, community organization, leadership, and teamwork. Biweekly living allowance is about $2,200. At the end of service, receive a $1,230 education award or a cash stipend.

- Pet Concierge - pet owners who are heading off on vaction need you. Could either stay at the owners' homes or take the animal into your own. Pay range from $10-22 for a single visit. A daily half-hour walk is about $20. The National Association of PRofessional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) offers an at-home certification course online. Get personal liability insurance, businessinsurance, and bonding coverage. 

WORK FROM HOME

- Education and training - K12, Kaplan, and other education companies recruit for remote jobs in education and training. Look for online tutors or virtual teacher opportunities. 

- Online tutor - most in demand are the core curriculum - world history, English, and others. Rates are $10-14 per hour, based on experience, subject tutored, company, and grade level. Some private tutors can make as much as $65 per hour. Teacher certification is preferred, but not required. 

NONPROFIT JOB

- Volunteer Manager - recrutiing volunteers - including recruiting, training, supervising, and retaining them. $20-25 per hour for part time managers. For full-time, it ranges from $37,598 to $64,263. 

EDUCATION JOB

- Substitute Teacher - can be K-12. There is higher demand to work with kids who have special needs. Up to $190 per full day with half days being half the rate of a full day. High school diploma needed. However, someone substituting for more than 19 days needs a teaching certificate. Go to NEA.org to see what the requirements are for substitute teachers are in each state.

ADDRESSING AN AGING POPULATION

- Aging-in-Place/Home-Modification Professional - Create or rehab a home that will serve long term for people who want to age in place. Contractors, architects, and interior designers can get into the act. Look at lighting, ramps, grab bars in the shower, and more to stave off accidents. $40 per hour and up. The National Association of Home Builders offers a course that teaches design and building techniques for making a home accessible to all ages. 

- Fitness Instructor - focus on becoming a senior fitness instructor. Get certifications in chair aerobics, SilverSneakers classes, personal trainer, and group fitness. The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America has a written and performance exam. Can earn $40-50 per hour. 

PLANNING FOR A SECOND ACT

- Think about what skills seems to come naturally to you. Review experiences in your career that you relished. What times were you the most happy?

- Be physically fit, spiritually fit, and financially fit.

- Have a six-month cushion of living expenses set aside for unexpected emergencies.

- Pay off outstanding high-interest credit card debts and any loans. 

- Set up a retirement plan if you will be doing your own business.

- Connect with The Transition Network (The Transition Network | Minneapolis/St. Paul). 

- Do something every day to work toward your goal.

- Look your best - be physically fit and look and dress with an eye toward a vibrant, youthful appearance. For interviews, invest in some new clothes, update your hairstyle, and find fashion-forward glasses, if needed. 

- Market your age as a plus - self-starter, know how to get the job done, and don't need as much handholding as those with less experience. Those over 50+ tend to have a good deal of knowledge and leadership ability. 

- Create multiple income streams at home to give income, variety of work, and flexible control of your time. 

- When interviewing, don't focus on what you did ten years ago. Stay focused on what you've done lately. 

- Take online courses through AARP Learn @50+ (aarptek.aarp.org), Coursera (coursera.org), CreativeLive (creativelive.com), and Khan Academy (khanacademy.org).

- Resume: keep it to two pages. Get rid of the objectives and summary. Get a new email address. Use an email address that includes your full name and gmail.com

- Employers want to see your most recent 10-15 years of experience.

- If you were out of the workforce for caregiving duties, you can sell that too. You were skill-building. You were a project manager, managing a team of other caregivers - from nurses to doctors and physical therapists. You were a researcher - tracking down the best doctors and medical care. 

- Resume red flags: college or high school graduation dates; outdated tech skills; unrelated jobs

- List your personal LinkedIn URL on your resume just below your email address on your resume. Also, add it to the bottom of your outgoing email too.

- Write a LinkedIn summary. 

- Find job postings on LinkedIn.

- Know your digital identity. Click on the top 10-20 links and read carefully. You're looking at what a prospective employer can see.

- Calculated posts on your accounts at Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest can craft a richer picture of you. 

- Post comments or articles, retweeting, or sharing on your social media sites to keep them current and relevant.

- Look at Indeed.com for job postings.

- Other websites to look at: nowcc.org retiredbrains.com  retirementjobs.com  

- Government websites to look at: government.org   govloop.com

The Ultimate Side Hustle Book - 450 Moneymaking Ideas for the Gig Economy

 A recent book I browsed through was The Ultimate Side Hustle Book - 450 Moneymaking Ideas for the Gig Economy by Elana Varon. As I'm trying to think of ways to earn money when Olivia begins college, I'm looking at some side hustle books. This one had quite a few ideas that sound intriguing and worth exploring. 

The ones I'm most interested in or intrigue me are:

- Arts or Crafts Teacher - teach art or craft classes to adults or children. Need experience with the medium or method you are teaching, a teaching degree or certification if teaching at a school. Teachers charge students for materials, but for photography courses, students bring their own equipment. Can offer private lessons to groups or individuals. Promote lessons on social media. Teach through adult education programs. Charge per student - about $60 or more for an hour lesson. Earnings depend on what is left after your expenses.

- Lesson Plan Creator - sell your lesson plans and teaching materials to other teachers. Post materials to online marketplaces where teachers sell lesson plans and materials. Set your own rates for materials. Sites take a cut plus may require membership. Prices range from less than $1 to $15 or more.

- Baker - sell baked goods, such as cookies. Need to be able to bake plus comply with state and local cottage food laws. May be able to sell your products from your home. Customers and social media generate orders. Set up a booth at the local farmers' markets or events. Sell through local stores. Price your products to cover your costs and time.

- Fiber Artist - make woven clothing, accessories, or home goods. Need to be good-quality items. Need yarns and equipment. Sell online, farmers' or crafts markets, or in stores. Use social media to market your work. Cover your costs and pay yourself for your time. Craft artists make an average of $19 per hour.

- Personal Chef - cook meals for clients in their homes. Know how to cook nutritious everyday meals. Professional training can help you get started. Get friends and customers who have had your cooking spread the word. Network with friends on social media to promote your services and meet potential customers. Private chefs can earn $30 per hour or more. 

- Photographer - Event or Portrait - photograph weddings, individuals, families, children, or pets. Need artistic ability, experience capturing individual personalities and group relationships, and ability to create rapport with reluctant subjects. Having a portfolio enables you to showcase your abilities. Need a camera, lenses, and related equipment. Just as with the above side hustles, social media, friends, and customers seem the best way to get leads. Event photographers can charge $100 or more per hour and wedding photographers get $2,000 on the average per event. Portrait photographers earn about $20 per hour.

- Photographer - Prints - shoot images to sell as artwork. Know how to compose, shoot, and edit photos. Hospitals, libraries, and places of worship may show work for sale by local artists. Galleries and art shows are other options. Cover your costs and time plus whatever fee a gallery or shop takes out. Average pay is about $20 per hour.

- Social Media Marketer - write social media posts for companies, interact with followers, and manage social media accounts. Need writing, digital marketing experience, a social media presence, and knowledge of social media metrics. Need a computer, smartphone, and reliable internet service. Join an online freelance platform, network with colleagues, and promote your services on social media. Pay ranges from $10 to $50+ per hour.

- Event Planner - plan and organize conferences, lectures, or social events. Bring an event concept to fruition. Develop and work within a budget. Coordinate vendors such as caterers, florists, speakers, and entertainers. Start by planning small, social, community, or business events. Network with people you know, promote your services on social media, and get referrals from people who have attended events you planned. Earn about $25 per hour.

- Home Organizer - help people arrange their space and reduce clutter. Have experience organizing closets, drawers, and living spaces. Take classes to improve your skills. Do projects for your friends and use social media. Pay ranges from $40-$200 per hour, depending on your experience and location. 

- Party Planner - plan and organize parties, such as birthdays and special occasions. Identify a niche theme - children's birthday parties, baby showers, spa treatments. Need equipment and supplies. Can earn anywhere from $250 to $2,000 depending on the type of event and number of guests.

- Slide Presentation Designer - create presentation slide decks. Have design ability, business, marketing, or industry knowledge; storytelling ability; and expertise using PowerPoint. Leads - start-up companies that need a library of slide decks for presenting to funders and customers. Rates vary. For formatting and basic editing, it may be less than $20 per hour. Someone with proven storytelling and design skills can charge $100 per hour and up. 

- Balloon Twister - make balloon sculptures on-demand at parties or events, or create balloon art as party decorations. Know the craft. Friends, neighbors, colleagues, and neighborhood or community groups can be sources of work. About $100 per hour is common or by the piece.

- Food Tour Guide - take groups to visit local restaurants and food shops to teach them about local specialities or a type of cuisine. Know the food and establish relationships with local restaurants and food shop owners. Some cities require tour guides to have a license. Network with hotel concierges, restaurant managers, specialty food shops, and travel agents. Give free tours to generate word-of-mouth referrals and social media posts. List your tours on travel and food business review sites. Guides who work for tour companies earn about $13 per hour. Earnings are higher for independent guides. If you charge $25 per person for a two-hour tour, you'll make $50 per hour with a family of four. 

- Mock Juror - give only survey feedback to attorneys about their cases before trial. Have to meet minimum requirements. Sign up on a mock jury site. This one has multiple sites listed. Jurors are paid $10-$50, depending on the site.