Although retirement is usually a welcome reprieve from the hardships of employment, many people are now choosing to return to the job market after a few years away and some never leave at all. Because of unfavourable economic conditions, some people cannot afford to retire after they hit 65, while others choose to continue working because they can’t bear to be idle after years of productivity. But whatever reason may be compelling you to keep working even in your old age, you should know that your case is not isolated. A survey conducted in 2018 by the AARP found that 13% of people over 45 (even those retired) were still working or actively looking for a job even though they had an additional retirement plan on top of their Social Security benefits. Another study, conducted further back in 2014 on people born between 1946 and 1964, showed that 65% of the respondents viewed retirement as something way off in the future and others weren’t planning to retire at all, and 27% of those planning  to retire considered working part time after. Other stats point to the fact that people retire not necessarily because they are tired of working or have nothing further to offer, but because they lost their jobs and couldn’t find new opportunities or had medical conditions that wouldn’t allow them to work in a conventional workplace.

Freelancing: The ultimate solution

We’ve established that working beyond retirement is a widespread phenomenon. But what if your employer doesn’t let you work after you’ve hit retirement age and you’re back to the drawing board? Realistically speaking, where some employers see your old age as a sign of experience, others may see it as a hindrance to your productivity and may be weary of giving you a chance. On top of this, if you held down your last job for a long time before retirement, you may find it challenging to manoeuvre the job market. What’s more, you may be looking to move away from the city, pick up that hobby you’ve neglected for years and spend more time with your grandchildren, so a conventional work environment is out of the question for you. 

So what’s the solution? Freelancing!

When you think about a freelancer, I’m sure the image that comes to mind is that of a hip, young person hunched over their computer in a coffee shop for hours on end talking about “gigs” and getting paid in “Bitcoin”. Although statistically speaking, your imagination isn’t far off from the truth – over 60% of freelancers are Millennials and Gen-Z – retirees are slowly closing the gap.  According to the Freelancers Union, 30% of Americans over 55 did some freelance work in 2018. As a freelancer in the older demographic, freelancing offers a comprehensive solution to your retirement conundrum, allowing you to keep pushing your industry forward in a way young people may not be able to do. Not only does it offer you the chance to stay productive in your retirement, it also offers an avenue for increased income to prepare you for a time when you’ll be ready to retire fully. 

Here are some reasons why freelancing is the best solution for you:

• Freelancing puts you in control

If you were employed before retirement, freelancing gives you a vista into an alternative way of managing your career. As a freelancer, you get to pick the clients and jobs you’re passionate about, so you’re never bogged down with work you that doesn’t excite you. Additionally, you set your own work hours and have a chance to negotiate the time- frame for the jobs you take on, a luxury that conventional employment may not have accorded you.

At its core, freelancing is a form of self-employment; you are the boss so you make the rules.

• You get to build your nest egg for proper retirement

As we’ve established, a significant number of people choose not to retire because they can’t afford to. Delaying your retirement can be a smart financial move in the long run because you keep contributing to your retirement plan as you work. So if your goal was to take an extended holiday, play golf everyday or buy a house, and you’ve hit retirement age and still haven’t saved enough, you can transition into freelancing to finance your retirement dream.

• Your work-life balance is improved

Freelancing lets you have your cake and eat it. You’ll enjoy all the perks of retirement – more time with your loved ones, less hectic work hours and a reduced workload – while staying productive and earning money as you would if  you were employed. 

With the flexibility that freelancers enjoy, you’ll be able to relax, working only a few hours a day or every other day without wearing yourself out. And if you can work remotely, you’ll forget the stress of  commuting or being cooped up in an office just like any other full retiree.

• You can explore your new career paths

Have you always been a good photographer, writer or designer but never gotten the chance to explore it as a career? Retirement offers you a great opportunity to monetize your talents and hobbies in a way that was impossible if you were employed full time. What if you’re good at all of them? There’s nothing stopping you from registering as an expert in as many fields as you can. With platforms like Services on Ureed.com, you can create customized offerings for your clients.

Why Ureed.com?

Whether or not you’ve had experience freelancing before retirement, registering on a reputable platform dramatically improves your freelance experience. With its seamless design and easy-to-understand interface, Ureed.com allows you to set up a profile and start working in under 10  minutes no matter your location. You don’t have to struggle with platforms that make it near-impossible to get gigs if you’ve never freelanced before, or those that charge incredibly high commissions on your earnings leaving you with peanuts.

No matter the industry you’re in, Ureed.com makes it easy to tap into their vast global clientele. The platform also has a wide range of instructional content that’ll go a long way in kick-starting your freelance career.