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Geezer engineer
8

Geezer engineer

Geezer engineer

(OP)
I am 77. I would like to "unretire".  Best work would be stuff I can do at home. I have a good little shop, a good little library, four good PC's, a huge old good drafting table.

I can design new plastic parts, from concept through piloyt production.

I can also do axial flow fans, centrifugals, lots of other stuff. I do this anyway, but would like to get paid for it.

What strategy is best for me?

RE: Geezer engineer

3
Good for you! Try creating your own web page and get a small business license. Show photos of some of your work on your site. Outsourcing is big business right now. Get links to your web site on job finder web sites. It's a start.

RE: Geezer engineer

Personal contact is probably the best way of getting work initially. Are there any local firms who make the sort of thing you design?

Cheers

Greg Locock

RE: Geezer engineer

Good advice from both ctopher and GregLocock.  Get licensed and make use of the contacts that you have made over your career.  You probably have had several employers and they might consider bringing you in to consult or deal with spikes in workload.  Decide which type of design work you want to do and make that your marketing niche.  At this point it sounds like you want plastics.

Good luck

RE: Geezer engineer

insideman
One other option may be to work just by the hour for one small company who cannot afford a full time engineer.  Our company did this to start out to develop new products.  The man we hired for part time engineering work did come out of retirement and was great.  He also knew the people who could and would help us on getting product and contract machining.  Those life long contacts are valuable.
Let us know how well things go for you.  Are you in the USA? or?

RE: Geezer engineer

Excellent post toolmantwo!  This type of situation gives prospective employers a chance to "drive it before you buy it".  Also could help to alleve any concerns about the productivity of the "chronologically advantaged"....

But don't limit yourself to just one small company.  And don't hand over all your experience and contacts.  They're just renting you, they didn't buy the rights to the knowledge base!

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
Thanks for the insights.  I have networked furiously, but all my old contacts are disappearing!

RE: Geezer engineer

This has nothing to do with the post, but;
My 14-16 year old grandson called his father "an old geezer".
My  son inquired about his definition of "old geezer" and was told "anyone older than him".
jimbo

Buy a dictionary, keep it nearby and USE it. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English is recommended, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

RE: Geezer engineer

My first response is, are you crazy? Do you need the money, well probably not. What you need is hobbies, my guess is that you miss, and have forgotten about the interpersonal, professional stress and backstabbing that is associated with engineering. There is a multitude of options, volenteer work, tutering your wantabe engineers, charity work, community civic affairs, how about enviromental issues? Woking for the employeers now days, is quite a bit different from the good old days, it is brutal. Use your days the best you can, pass on what you know to young folk that may actually appeciate it. Other wise take your knowledge, and free time to invent something to benifit mankind as a whole. Just Think About It.

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
I need the discipline of working against a deadline....

RE: Geezer engineer

Sorry, about speaking up, I not too long ago I lost a good freind, at 75. Hart attack, dead on the sidewalk, walking from a meeting, 3000 miles from his home.I just thought that if the management had some backbone, and would have talked frankly to him, he may be happy alive, enjoying other activities. I work with another freind, 75 year old architect, He suffers alot of abuse, and not for me. Sometimes I just speak my mind, it apparently offends the timid.

RE: Geezer engineer

2
It's OK to work until you drop.

One company I worked at had men working into their 80's.

RE: Geezer engineer

Good point Plasgears.
I think we need a thread on retirment strategies and the importance of the garden shed.

JMW
www.viscoanalyser.com
Eng-Tips: Pro bono publico, by engineers, for engineers.

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: Geezer engineer

For insideman;
I can understand your need to keep busy and enjoy a challenge.  The time drags on if you do not have busy hands and mind.  I can also relate to loss of contacts from past networking.  I am 54 and many times the people I knew have retired, sold out or moved away and I do not have another contact at that same company or type business.  I now plan to try to make more contacts by calling the same company or to go to more industry sponsored events like the SME meetings.  I went to those meetings in the past, yet took time off to be with family when they were in the teens.  I think it is a good idea to go again and become more involved.

I have thought of one new slant to take when I retire, by doing something other than engineering.  I may not do well in another field, yet want the excitement of a new field/job.  I have thought of doing landscaping or even automobile sales.

RE: Geezer engineer

Make contact with the local service clubs (Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis).  The members are the business owners in town and are the one who make decisions about part time/consulting help.

RE: Geezer engineer

I work with some people who are retired but continue to work part time. I think the number of hours, or earnings limit, is determined by Social Insecurity but by working a certain number of hours they get to keep their health insurance.

A job can look very different when you know you can walk out anytime.

John Woodward

RE: Geezer engineer

Many years ago, on the occasion of buying my first house, I took a course in landscape design. In the tail end of the course there were instructions on forming your own business. In fact, I have been selling landscape designs on and off over the years. One summer I grossed several thousand dollars part time; it helped pay the way for my four college bound children.

An engineering background helped in this endeavor because of the spacial visualization that flows from engineering. We engineers generally have the talent to create good form to follow function. I had two interesting runs of referrals; one was a string of doctors after I delivered a nice design to a prominent doctor. Another was a string of jobs in an upscale neighborhood after delivering an eye opening design to the main builder there.

I encourage retired engineers to put their engineering talents to work in other fields; others can benefit from the special skills that engineers can bring to the job.

RE: Geezer engineer

Thanks PLASGEARS
I will have to check that out closer.  If you know the source of the course in landscape design please pass that on.  I hope to work on landscapes of lakeshore in Northern Minnesota.  I just got back from a trip to Canada and Northern MN.

RE: Geezer engineer

Toolmantwo,
Find National Landscape Institute, now located in PA, prior LA. They have a website on Lifetime Career Schools.com or similar. Use Google search.

I tried getting license credentials in MI, but the authorities insisted on a 4 yr Landscape Architecture course. My PE doesn't seem to impress them.

I advertise in upscale neighborhoods, and it never fails; the designs are pleasing and creative. I am networking with trades such as landscape contractors, carpenter, concrete, etc. We give referrals to each other.

RE: Geezer engineer

I-man:
I am MSEE, 72 and would like to learn more about you.

<nbucska@pcperipherals DOT com> subj: eng-tips

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
This is insideman. Usually I can be found at insideman@worldnet.att net, but my usual machine is in the hospital so I am using my wife's machine. Her adress is katemarch@juno.com, and I will be using it too for a while.

What would you like to know?

Pat

RE: Geezer engineer

insideman, how are things working out for you?  Have you found some work?  Not a big deal, but are you in the USA?  You can see the other replies by me and the others.

Plasgears, Thanks for the information.  I will check this out deeper.  I also have a friend who is doing landscaping with the very large boulders and he has been very busy in Northern Minnesota.

All, I want to thank you for the networking ideas.  We all get stale in time if left alone in these small office areas and any new human contact has to help.

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
nbuckska: My wife deleted your message. Pleas try again.

Pat

RE: Geezer engineer

Ok, Pat.

<nbucska@pcperipherals DOT com> subj: eng-tips

RE: Geezer engineer

People of your knowledge and experience are a rarity.

We start off as young unknowledgeable engineers and when we have had enough years of experience, we retire. What a waste of knowledge.

If you are in the UK, contact a well known manufacturer. Speak to the salesmen. They know whats happening and where.

Go for it.

Good luck.

PS post a brief CV

Friar Tuck of Sherwood

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
Friar Tuck: Thank you. Do you think I should post a cv here?

RE: Geezer engineer

Got laid off 14 years ago and decided to try the consulting business. Have not had any regrets. Will be 71 this month.
************************************************************
Get business license.

Don't spend any money that you don't have to when starting business.

Keep good records of your expenses. For your business/hobby to be tax deductible, you must make a profit in 2 of 5 years.(Check me on this) You can deduct car mileage, office expense including part of the cost of maintaing your home, technical books, tools and what not. Making a profit is easy, just don't deduct some expenses for two year.

I was lucky, visited company had purchased parts from and requested consulting job. Did small job and didn't charge them. Have consulted for them for 12 years. They allow me to select own hours and are usually agreeable about allowing me to work on what I consider the most important project.

Did web site. The results were dissapointing. The web site was OK, but there was nothing there to encourage someone to return.
If you are doing web page or site would recomment that either you keep it very simple (one page) or that you give advice on your experience, such as when should plastic parts be used/when should metal parts be used, how thick/thin should plastic parts be, what material to use....
It seems dumb giving out free technical advice, but sooner or later they will have problems or questions and will come to you.

You mention that you had "huge old drafting table". This implies that you don't use computer for your drawings. Doing drawings by hand may be the correct way to go in this situation, but it probably is better to not let the client know this.

Have had good luck on getting paid. Only problem had was with a lawyer, and when filed claim in Small Claims Court, he paid.

Probably could make more money working for employer, however like being able to make my own decision on when to work and to a certain extent how to solve the design problems.

Good Luck
Carl Pugh

RE: Geezer engineer

Try getting involved with ASME, or other professional organizations, there are a lot of new engineers out there who could gain from your experience. Teaching classes and speaking at meetings is a great way to keep yourself busy and inspire young minds, and some not so young minds as well.

RE: Geezer engineer

(OP)
Thank you.

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