Unless I recognise the caller’s number, I usually reject the call. I had just renewed my motorcycle insurance and thought it might be them calling me back. It was a recruiter. I said ‘I’m not looking for a job, besides you must have an out of date CV.’
He was aware of that and that was the point, he was looking for people who have been out of the rail industry for a while. The job involves reskilling and then mentoring and training signallers. Right up my street.
Goddamit! I sat there and listened. I know, I’m supposed to be winding down. I’m trying to retire. For fuck’s sake!
I didn’t say ‘yes,’ but then I didn’t say ‘no,’ either. If it was ten years ago, I’d have said ‘yes’ there and then. But I’m supposed to be trying to retire here.
I’m tempted. Seriously tempted. I miss the railway work. One last swansong does tickle my taste buds. And if I’m not motorcycle training, it will ease the wear and tear on my bikes.
Fuck it!
I’ll think about it.
I’ve been retired for about four years now and couldn’t be happier. Although I mostly enjoyed my job I always planned to retire as soon as I could afford it. I go swimming, I’ve picked up playing the piano again, I’ll be fettling my bikes and doing some cycling once the weather gets a bit more reliable and the garden needs a bit of work. I don’t miss work in the slightest.
It’s always a thrill to be ‘headhunted’ especially when you have just retired.
But. The headhunters will be earning money for their efforts and you may find that the new work conditions are more stringent than you are used to.
My suggestion is to phone around your previous colleagues and find out if there is really a demand for your skills, and also how the industry had changed since you left.
I’ve already started doing that. There is a shortage of signalling trainers. As I have a sister still working in the industry, I have some quick inside insight. I still haven’t said ‘yes’ either.
I’m nearing retirement, I do an easy job, pay not a lot above min wage but due to it being easy can increase my salary doing overtime. However the nearer I get to retirement the more I want to change jobs, it’s like I don’t want to be defined by this job. Don’t know what I can do, age is against me starting something new.
I’m well past retirement age – 75 this year. But I still do the odd research and consultancy job in my field. My expertise, like yours by the sound of it, is fairly unique. Plus I share your misfortune in that my wife, love and best friend passed away. So the work keeps me busy, sane and my brain active. And the money is amazingly good, enough this year to buy a new bike! So I would look into the offer. It could be cr*p, but I would check.
When I retired several years ago, I cut up my desk for shelves in the shed, and burned all my day-books and diaries.
It was a cathartic experience, but drawing that line under a job I’d thoroughly enjoyed but was not paying for itself, (me and my two partners were just spending our pensions and not making any profit), it was the right decision!
However, whenever I see a site which could just be redeveloped, the fingers do itch more than somewhat…
The firm that I retired from had form for contacting retirees and asking them to come back to work for a bit. The new guy didn’t work out, someone left unexpectedly, things like that. I was hoping that I might get the call so that I could laugh and say no thanks but, so far, it hasn’t happened.