Part-Time Retirement, Part-Time Work

Beth Lewis, 70, of Tarrytown, N.Y., a former early-childhood specialist, and her husband, Richard, are both part-time retirees who know first-hand the benefits of both those positions.

While Beth has enjoyed working as a guide at the 300-year-old Phillipsburg Manor, an 18th century farm located in the Historic Hudson Valley, Richard has continued to teach secondary math.

“What I’m doing at Phillipsburg is very different from what I did in my other life,” says Beth Lewis, who stumbled upon her decade-long present career when she attended a book signing. “I’ve always loved history. When they put out a call for people who wanted to work, I thought, ‘Fun. I really want to do this.’ I love it.”

Lewis isn’t alone. Many of the other manor house guides are retirees.

“We all work part-time and it’s a wonderful group of people,” she says. “I think one of the most interesting and enjoyable things that has happened as a result is that you gain a whole new friendship group. When you tell people in the general population that you love history, they look at you cross-eyed. But this is a group of people who also has an appreciation and an interest in learning more about our history."

When she isn’t working, Lewis volunteers for a parent-child literacy group and attends classes at the Westchester Community College Collegium, a volunteer-run continuing education center for seniors.

“We’re not your typical folks sitting on a back porch,” Lewis says.

Felske notes that when you’re constantly told 80 is the new 60, and 70 is the new 50, “you don’t think of yourself as older,” so you feel compelled to do more and achieve more.

Online job sites such as SeniorJobBank.org, EmploymentSpot.com and WorkForce50.com abound and offer older workers a chance to explore part-time opportunities.

In addition to listing age-friendly employers, AARP’s website also features networking strategies and advice on making the most of second careers.

For those whose nest eggs are in need of additional feathering, deferring full-time retirement can present a chance to bring in some much-needed capital, while remaining active and engaged, which can be the silver lining to working during the golden years.