Old is Bold!

Keep the mind and body going after retirement

Stories by Revathi Murugappan

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Retirement doesn’t have to be a time to let your mind and body go idle. Did you know there are actually people who move on to a second career after or near retirement and find it even more fulfilling?

You’ve reached a major milestone in life — retirement. That’s when reality hits. What are you going to do in your “golden years” now that you are no longer employed and no longer draw an income?

Yes, you have tons of reading material to plough through, friends to catch up with, hobbies to start, places to explore, but what else? Retirement might sound like a great idea when you’re in the 40s, but once people approach 55, they usually find they aren’t ready to call it quits yet.

While there is growing awareness about the need to plan, less than 5% of Malaysians are prepared for retirement and fail to take into consideration inflation rates and rising medical costs. Moreover, according to a study in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology published by the American Psychological Association, older people who continue to hold a job after retirement enjoy better health than their non-working peers.

The retirees who continue to work in temporary or part-time jobs, called bridge employment, suffer 17% fewer major diseases than those who stopped working completely. People whose post-retirement jobs are related to their previous careers also reported better mental health than those who retired completely.
However, people who worked in jobs outside their field after retirement did not show the same mental health benefits, the study reported.

“If you are doing something that is similar to what you were doing in your career, it’s easier for you to adjust. If you’re working on something you are totally not familiar with, or if you’re working on something just for the money, then you have to readjust to the job, and for older adults, it’s usually pretty challenging,” says the study’s co-author Mo Wang, a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland.

The most popular retiree jobs include being a consultant, cashier, caterer, security officer, usher, baker, floral assistant, tour guide, temp worker, retail worker and store greeter. Yep, these may seem a little stereotypical, but they are popular with retirees. Not only is greeting a low-stress way to earn some extra income, it’s also the perfect prescription for bored retirees who want to get out and socialise.

Plus, store greeter positions aren’t just limited to hypermarkets and supermarkets anymore. These days, businesses from car dealerships to electronics stores in the United States are hiring happy, smiley greeters to welcome customers.

While most seniors might be content with part-time jobs, there are others who embark on a new career or switch jobs just before retirement so that they can stay in the workforce longer. Usually, they set up their own business and dictate their own hours. Often, the second career proves to be more rewarding.

The following are three people who made a new beginning near retirement.

Well, I’ll be farmed!

Another person who made a career switch rather late in life is Low Yeng Teck, 52. Low had put in 28 years in his job when he started getting restless. He was in a sales and marketing job at a multinational company and desperately wanted a change — something fun, more challenging and which did not involve technology.

“Most of us in the corporate sector have this nagging feeling that we won’t be here working forever and wonder what will happen beyond that. An ordinary person has three to five job changes in his life but I did different things in the same organisation,” he shares.

The opportunity to embark on a different career came up five years earlier for Low, then 44, when an acquaintance asked if he would like to dabble in agriculture.

Low Yeng Teck quit his job at 49 and purchased an oil palm estate. Its success allows him to pursue his hobbies like hiking and fishing. — LOW YENG TECK

 

“I thought about it but I didn’t have the expertise, although my family was supportive of the idea. I was interested in nature but didn’t know anything about planting crops,” he says.

With three teenage sons to raise, Low took time to think things through carefully. Then at 49, he decided to take the plunge. He quit his job and bought a neglected oil palm estate in east Malaysia with a few friends. Since he had access to professional help, he hoped he would be able to develop the land.

However, it was tough-going initially. Low had to sleep on wooden floors, learn how to harvest the fruit, apply fertiliser, drive a tractor, handle equipment breakdowns and deal with lack of workers. For his trouble, he got thorns in his fingers, crashed his tractor, rolled down a hill and sustained injuries.

“It was a surreal feeling. Many times, I wondered what the heck I was doing leaving my cushy job behind. Maybe I was going through a mid-life crisis!” he chuckles.

But, Low persevered and the estate is now up and running with 15 workers on his payroll. These days, Low only heads there when there is an emergency.

With the oil palm business in full swing and time on his hands, Low is now helping a friend in the security business dealing with CCTVs and video surveillance.

“It gives me a reason to wake up every morning. I go to the office daily but the surprising fact is that I’m back to dabbling with technology. When I left the industry, it was a strange feeling. I felt something was missing because I had been conditioned to ‘do battle’. Now I set my own agenda and work at my own pace,” says Low.

He admits that had he continued working with the multinational firm, he would be more comfortable financially.

“Looking back, I have no regrets. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have changed anything. Money is always important but it is not a determining factor for me.”

With more time on his hands, Low often goes fishing and golfing, and is hoping to compete in a 10km run soon. The missus and him also go hiking whenever possible.

“Retirement? What’s that?” he asks. “You don’t really retire in the private sector. You work till you die! Today, we keep ourselves fit and the concept of retirement doesn’t exist. I still feel as if I’m in my 30s. I don’t feel old. I’m plugged into what’s happening in the world,” he says.

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