In a previous article, I argued that announcing your retirement at work is one of the biggest financial mistakes that you can make. Not only can talking about your retirement result in lower compensation towards the end of your career, but, it can also limit your ability to work as a consultant, either for your ex-employer or one of the companies that you worked with in the past.

Today, I’d like to go a little deeper and talk about exactly how to go about getting your ex-employer to take you on as a consultant after you leave your full-time job. Along the way, I will share some advice from other pre-retirees that I have interviewed over the years.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that these techniques changed my life. Continuing to work as a consultant in the first years of “retirement” gave me the confidence and financial resources to start my own company. Had I been in a more defensive frame of mind, I probably would have never started Sixty and Me or any of my other businesses.

Here are 4 tips for getting your ex-employer to hire you in retirement.

Don’t Tell Anyone that You Are Retiring

We live in a world that celebrates retirement as a destination. Every day, we are bombarded by images of happy seniors, relaxing on the beach or playing golf.

It also doesn’t help that, financially speaking, Social Security and Medicare force us to think about 65 as “retirement age.” It doesn’t matter that “full retirement age” for Social Security may actually be 66. Most of us have age 65 stuck in our heads anyway.

The truth is that reaching “full retirement age” is not the same as “retiring.” This is an important distinction because, as soon as we tell people at work that we are retiring, they subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) start to discount our value, contribution and even intelligence.

Having talked with hundreds of soon-to-be and recent retirees, I can tell you that a much better approach is to talk about transitioning to life as a consultant or small business owner. It doesn’t matter whether you follow through on this plan. Just think of it as insurance.

When I left my last full-time job at a large technology company, my manager asked me if I wanted his assistant to organize a retirement party for me. I smiled and told him that I planned on working forever and that I would prefer to explain my plans to my colleagues and business partners personally. He was super-supportive once he understood my thinking.

Over the next 6 years, while I grew Sixty and Me, I took on projects with multiple teams from my ex-employer. I am convinced that none of these opportunities would have presented themselves had I told everyone that I was “retiring,” in a traditional sense.

Plan Your Consulting Business *Before* You Leave

Don’t wait until you are officially retired to start your consulting business. Even if your current contract prevents you from taking on side work or partnering with people in your industry, there is nothing stopping you from planning your future business.

For example, I wish that I had taken the time to build a simple website before I left my last job. Not only would I have had a place to point my colleagues and business partners in the final days of my career, but, going through this process would have helped me to decide exactly what kind of work I was interested in taking on.

There are so many small ways to prepare for a post-career business. One recent retiree, David, told me, “When I was getting ready to leave my job at an advertising agency, I actually handed out business cards for my new consulting business. I think that taking this step really helped to make the whole process of becoming a consultant much more ‘real.’ 10 years later, I still work with many people at my old company. I don’t make as much, but, I also don’t work nearly as many hours!”

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open for Opportunities

Like many people who have started successful consulting businesses in retirement, I actually found my first project before I left my career behind.

Despite the fact that I gave several months’ notice, in the days leading up to my departure, my employer was still having difficulty finding someone to take over the management of one of its community websites. I jumped on the opportunity and offered to take over management of the website for a fraction of the cost that it would take them to hire a full-time employee.

Trust me when I say that you will never be in a better position to look for consulting opportunities than when you are still working for your current employer. You know their strengths and weaknesses. You may even know how much it costs them to hire new employees. So, don’t wait until you are an outsider! Start planning your first projects while you are still sitting at the table!

If I had it all to do over again, I would have also taken advantage of any opportunity to visit industry events and take part in partner meetings in the final days of my career. Like many older adults, I was pretty much “done with travel” by the time I left. I should have taken more time to strengthen my business relationships, outside of my employer, before going it alone.

Be Honest with Your Manager and Other Execs About Your Desire to Work

“Retirement” is such a powerful concept that your coworkers and manager may assume that you have no desire to work in the future. Truth be told, they are probably a little bit jealous of what they see as an opportunity for traveling, playing tennis, joining yoga retreats in Bali and drinking cocktails on the beach. Ha!

There is a simple antidote to this kind of thinking… honesty. Before you leave, take the time to communicate your desire to continue working to your coworkers, manager and any other key executives. The specifics are up to you, but, I would advise avoiding discussions of “needing the work.” Instead, focus on your passion for the business, desire to contribute to projects that you believe in, love for the team, etc.

Here’s what one recent retiree, Steve, told me, “Before I left my last job at a multinational pharmaceutical company, I scheduled 1:1s with over 30 people. I brought Starbucks to each of these meetings and split my time between sharing memories about the past and planning for the future. The result was that I had 3 projects lined up before I left. I didn’t want to go ‘quietly into the night.’ And, I didn’t!”

I hope that these tips help you to get your post-retirement consulting business off to a great start! If you have any of your own tips to share, please add them in the comments section below.

Do you plan on continuing to work after you “retire?” How do you plan on preparing for life as a consultant or business owner? Let’s have a conversation!

How do you picture your retirement party at work? Do you imagine a room filled with champagne, laughter and plenty of stories celebrating your greatness? Or, do you picture half-a-dozen distracted co-workers standing in the break-room drinking $5 prosecco from plastic cups, glancing periodically at their watches as they try to determine whether they have spent enough time to be able to make a polite excuse so that they can get back to watching cat videos or writing emails?

Well, today, I want to argue that social awkwardness is not the biggest reason to avoid making a big deal about your retirement at work. On the contrary, drawing a hard line between your “work life” and your “retirement life” could have serious practical consequences for your future.

By the way, this is not just my opinion. Over the last 7 years, I have talked with 100s (actually probably 1,000s) of retirees. One of their biggest regrets was seeing retirement as a destination and, as a result, closing doors on their way out of the office.

Here are a few reasons not to make a big deal about your retirement at work.

Don’t Kill Future Work Opportunities

As you approach retirement age, it is so tempting to start dreaming about (and talking about!) all of the relaxing, inspiring and jealousy-inducing things that you are going to do when you are finally free. There is nothing wrong with having dreams, but, I can tell you from experience that the reality of retirement is often different than the dream.

For starters, after the initial sugar-high wears off, many retirees find themselves wanting to (or needing to) work part-time or as consultants. Unfortunately, by the time this realization sinks in, they have usually been away from the office for months or years and find it difficult to reconnect with their professional networks.

To make matters worse, since they made such a big deal about their retirement, they often find that their ex-colleagues and business partners see them in a new light. “Money Making Margarita” has become just plain old “Retired Rita”… and who wants to work with someone who just spent the last 2 years brushing her cats and traveling across the U.S. in her RV?

To be clear, I’m not saying that these stereotypes are true. I’m just saying that, fair or not, the word “retirement” has strong associations that few people can shake without conscious effort.

Unless you are independently wealthy and are 100% confident that you will never need to work again, I strongly suggest making a soft exit from work. Instead of shouting “Yippee! I’m out of here!” why not simply tell your colleagues that you are leaving to start your own consulting business? It may take you a few months to get everything up and running, but, you’ll be back in touch!

Avoid the “Retirement is a Destination” Mentality

If there is one thing that I have learned by talking with retirees it is that the way that we talk about the third stage of our life matters. Our attitudes towards retirement shape everything from how likely we are to stay in shape to whether we are able to find work. Words matter – especially when we say them to ourselves!

For our grandparents, retirement was a short stop on the train to eternity. And, since they were only at the station for a few minutes, why not grab the newspaper, sit down in front of the TV with a beer and relax? Yes, in the good old days, retirement was a destination and there was nothing wrong with that!

Our situation is entirely different. As I wrote in another article, there is a very good chance that the majority of the people reading this article will live to 120.

Think about that for a second. If you are 60 years old now, you may only be halfway through your life. Do you really think that you will be able to stay sane playing golf for 60 years? Of course not! You are a dynamic, energetic, fun-loving, money-making machine!

So, as you approach the next phase of your life, do your best not to deflate like the leftover balloons from your retirement party. Instead, see “retirement” as a continuation of everything that you do best –and so much more!

When you look at retirement as just another phase of adding value to the world, exploring, growing and learning, there is no need to make a big deal about the transition at work… it’s just that, a transition.

If someone asks you about your retirement, why not smile and say, “Oh, I don’t plan on retiring. I’m just getting started!” It doesn’t matter if you follow through on this statement (although you will be more likely to do so if you say it enough!) What matters is that you won’t let yourself fall into the “retirement is a destination” mentality that holds so many people back.

Don’t Lose Any Last-Minute Work Benefits or Compensation Increases

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 provides many protections for older workers in the U.S. According to this summary of the act:

“The ADEA makes it unlawful for an employer to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of age.”

Unfortunately, as we all know, there is a difference between the kind of blatant discrimination that can get you sued and the kind of subtle discrimination that some women, minorities and, yes, age groups experience on a daily basis.

Now, I’m not blaming the victim here, but, I do have to say that, as older workers, we don’t make things any easier on ourselves when it comes to age discrimination. Every time you talk about your retirement, you remind your coworkers, manager and business partners that you are “on your way out.”

Frankly, unless you tell your coworkers, it’s not anyone’s business how old you are. Of course, they may have an idea that you have fewer corporate work years ahead of you than behind, but, they won’t know the actual situation unless you tell them.

Several studies have shown that older workers are less likely to receive job training, compensation increases and fair bonuses. Why on Earth would we make it MORE LIKELY that the people we work with would discriminate against us by signaling to them that we only have a few more years to go anyway?

At the end of the day, it is completely up to you whether you want to talk about retirement as a destination or a journey. Heck, the best approach may not be to talk about it at all! All I’m saying is that, according to my own research, there are plenty of reasons to keep your retirement under-wraps and, unless you really like cheap Champaign, no reasons to make a big deal about it!

Do you plan on talking about your upcoming retirement at work? Why or why not? Let’s have a conversation!

Photos: @JasenKaplan @TinsleyMortimer Bravo TV

Just because Tinsley Mortimer is saying farewell New York doesn’t mean we still can’t still steal her classic style.

Click the Images to Shop Tinsley Mortimer’s Hoop Earrings:

!function(d,s,id)
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id))
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);

if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’)
window.__stp.init();

(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Originally posted at: Hoop Dreams: Tinsley Mortimer’s Hoop Earrings

They both moisturize, but day and night creams are specifically formulated to meet the varying environmental and biological experiences our skin goes through 24 hours a day.

It’s a question many of us ask: Do I really need a different moisturizer at night? Simply put, yes, you do.

The focus of your daytime skincare products (like SeeMe Beauty’s Uptown Beauty Cream) should be to protect, treat, and help prevent further damage to your skin; at night, however, you want your cream to be dedicated to surface cell renewal and repair. That’s because when it’s light out, your skin is in defense mode, warding off free-radical damage from the sun and pollution—and so the moisturizers and serums you use should contain antioxidants, like artichoke leaf extract and potent hydrators, such as hyaluronic acid, that will strengthen and support the skin in its battle with the elements.

Give your skin the love it deserves! Check out SeeMe Beauty’s amazing skin care line, designed especially to keep mature skin healthy and radiant. And, for a limited time, GET 15% OFF when you use promo code SEEMESIXTY.

All Night Long…

Once we’re between the sheets, our body is no longer exposed to those factors and our skin can naturally repair itself as we sleep. At this point, you want ingredients in a moisturizer that will boost the regeneration that’s already occurring.

Top on the list: retinol, which research has shown can help stimulate cell turnover and collagen production and even help reverse the visible signs of sun damage or artichoke leaf extract, which has been shown to be as effective as cosmetic retinols on mature skin. Also helpful are peptides which can hydrate to firm skin and help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.

SeeMe Beauty Sweet Dreams Night Cream is packed with higher levels than the day cream of glycerin, niacinamide, and artichoke leaf extract to give your skin its most powerful nighttime boost.

What’s Weight Got to Do With It?

Another common difference between the two creams: Their weight.

Night creams tend to be heavier than daytime ones, and for good reason: our skin naturally loses water at night, so a thicker cream can help seal in moisture along with the active ingredients. Also, depending on your skin type or the season—cold winter air is notorious for stripping skin of moisture—you may need extra hydration.

For daytime use, try SeeMe Beauty’s Uptown Beauty Cream, for intense hydration with a luxurious, cloud-like texture that works beautifully under makeup. At night, slather on SeeMe Beauty Sweet Dreams Night Cream to wake up with a gloriously smooth and hydrated complexion.

And, as a little thanks for being a part of the Sixty and Me community, don’t forget that you can GET 15% OFF SeeMe Beauty’s amazing skincare products with promo code SEEMESIXTY.

Do you have a favorite day or night cream? Have you ever experimented with SeeMe Beauty’s amazing products? What tips would you like to give your Sixty and Me sisters for keeping your beautiful aging skin healthy and radiant? Let’s have a chat!