Meet the people who found unusual ways to avoid full retirement
Age-related job market limits pushed these professionals to re-think their careers. From corporate offices to donkey sanctuaries and wedding ceremonies‚ they found unique paths to stay active
Andrew Middleton faced a harsh reality at 57: high-level jobs werent available anymore. Research shows almost 50% of hiring managers think 57 is too old – despite workers vast experience
Around eight years ago he started “Im Not Done Yet“ (a network with 100-plus members aged 50-70) which helps people move into soft-retirement. The groups members found interesting paths:
- Tea tasting experts
- Movie background actors
- Wedding officiants
- Animal sanctuary owners
- Vacation rental managers
Middleton now 65 traded his corporate salary for different work: consulting mentoring and even appearing in films. “There were no more big jobs for me – people didnt want older directors“ he says
Youʼre used to having someone to organise you and arrange your diary and suddenly its all up to you
For Tracey Stevens (ex-charity CEO) the change came after a bike accident. She moved to south-east France; now runs a donkey sanctuary – a big switch from managing hundreds of workers. “I get to be out with nature; I can see the seasons changing in front of my eyes“ she explains
Jane Stewart picked a mix of roles: parish clerk school board member and weekend wedding registrar. Her income dropped to one-third but she got something better – freedom. Studies show one-third of over-50s now work part-time while home-based work doubled since covid
The future might be tough: by 2040 almost 3-million retirees wont have enough savings. But these soft-retirees show theres another way – keeping both income and purpose while doing what they love
