What's your next career move? What's your exit strategy?

[northernladuk]

Yeah I packed it in a 18 months ago - disillusioned, no will to learn new stuff. Still had plenty of work but all felt pointless. Fairly decent pension pot/savings, but not enough to not have think about money. Did a little hobby coding project last year over a few weeks which reminded me what I used to love about it! 55 now, so can get my mitts on the pension - difficult when you don't know how long you're gonna live for! Have been doing a bit of min wage exam moderation, but tbh it is boring as hell, and realised after 2 weeks of getting up and dressed and to work for 8:30am (something I'd not had to do for decades!) I'd earned less than I did for a day's contracting. It'll probably be a one exam season only thing, but is kinda nice to feel you're being vaguely useful and it's flexible which is my #1 priority.

Hope it's not inappropriate bringing your social side in but kinda linked. You have a very fun social life doing lots of interesting stuff so still got a lot of get up and go. Does that impact your view on your work life or is that a separate thing and you'd normally expect to have the zest for work as well as a busy social life? Is it not a case that you've found fun out of work so work now becomes a bane in general or have you always been like that?

I have met people that worked hard and found out what they'd been missing and just had enough of work there and then if you get me. Was that you or different thing?

[mudskipper]

Hope it's not inappropriate bringing your social side in but kinda linked. You have a very fun social life doing lots of interesting stuff so still got a lot of get up and go. Does that impact your view on your work life or is that a separate thing and you'd normally expect to have the zest for work as well as a busy social life? Is it not a case that you've found fun out of work so work now becomes a bane in general or have you always been like that?

I have met people that worked hard and found out what they'd been missing and just had enough of work there and then if you get me. Was that you or different thing?

No that's it - I'd expect to get some satisfaction/pleasure from work at least some of the time - that very much became the exception so just CBA any more. But yeah it has been nice having extra time to travel and do other stuff, but that wasn't really the motive.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

, maybe sail up the west coast through villages and towns...

Do the children call you bogey?

[WTFH]

Do the children call you bogey?

Yes, when I'm moderating this place.



But they can call me anything apart from daddy...

[reddog]

Quite a lot of people on this thread sound like me. Late 40s/early 50s, dissolutioned with I.T. / Contracting but still a fair way off from retirement age.


I could probably just about get away with retiring (47 but no depends) but it would mean having to be careful with money.

I've also considered setting up a business and have a few ideas. The only thing is the business would have to be massively successful to earn any where near my current income. Having a massively successful business is not guaranteed, where is contracting more or less is (I am not in the UK).

Realistically I will probably limp on for at least a few more years.

[ladymuck]

It would be nice to have a plan B or a side project but I genuinely have no idea what that could be. Completely unable to think of something I'd be good at. Not even sure NLUK's suggestion of OnlyFans would net much income

[northernladuk]

It would be nice to have a plan B or a side project but I genuinely have no idea what that could be. Completely unable to think of something I'd be good at.

Same

Not even sure NLUK's suggestion of OnlyFans would net much income

You never know. It's a strange world out there. Could be a niche for geeky pint drinking IT lady.

[cojak]

What I've learned is, you need to have an alternative thing to do - just stopping work doesn't cut it. You do need mental stimulation and a "carrot" even if it's not money. Also you run out of money far faster than you might think and things you took for granted become luxuries.

Absolutely this. I retired three years ago and have become a qualified walking guide which pays nowt. I’ve no kids and don’t have a lavish lifestyle (frugal is the word), and all of my bucket lists involve walking in the UK (I might head off to the Camino de Santiago in 2026 - I’m walking across the Lake District this year and The Scottish Highlands next year).

I love life now, but you need to be very aware of that your lifestyle will need to change if you’ve had an easy relationship with money.

Basically,
1. every pound you spend today on fripperies is a pound you won’t have when you retire.
2. your pension is all you’ll have if you have no savings.

Think on that…

[northernladuk]

(I might head off to the Camino de Santiago in 2026 - I’m walking across the Lake District this year and The Scottish Highlands next year).

I'd never heard of this until one of the young ladies at our favourite cafe mentioned she was doing it in between uni years and I find out my mother in law and two other people I know have done it. All of them absolutely raved about it. Hard work but all called it a life goal so a good one to have to look forward to that. You'll have to keep us in the loop when you do it.

Rest of advice is spot on.

[Snooky]

If you're at a loose end for 90 minutes, there's an acceptably entertaining film called The Way, with Martin Sheen, all about a guy walking the Camino de Santiago in memory of his son. It's available free on Amazon Prime and probably not free elsewhere.