Retirees relate!
Lisa K. retired in 2015 after teaching Spanish in the public schools for 25 years.
Adjusting to unemployment is a lot like adjusting to retirement. Obviously, retirement is planned and job loss is not, but both require living on savings and a limited income. It’s also a huge shock to adjust to the free time and no longer having a schedule.
“I think being unemployed is worse than being retired,” Lisa said. “I can relate that you are used to having a full-time job but now you’re home. You are really looking hard to get a job, and that’s not necessarily the way you feel when you’re retired.”
The free time was her biggest adjustment. She acknowledges that it’s depressing if you don’t fill that time. “Volunteering to me is very meaningful. It gives me purpose and I like being able to share my skills.”
When you are looking for a new job, building your network is critical. Volunteering offers a fun and informal way to network. Lisa’s advice: “To anyone when you’re not working: You need to use that time to either take some classes, learn something, to volunteer, to be out in the community. I think all of those things would ultimately help you in your job search.”
While you look for new roles, sign up for a thing or two that interests you. Get to know the other volunteers. You’ll make new friends and they may be able to connect you to new opportunities.
Specialized skills are needed in many volunteer roles. These don’t need to be related to your work experience. Explore opportunities that include other skills or causes that you care about. Add this experience to your resume and your LinkedIn profile. That reveals more about you: your interests, your community connections, and possibly a broader range of skills.
But let’s be honest: the most challenging part of both unemployment and retirement is money.
The economy in 2015 is much different than the economy in 2026. “Obviously, things are more expensive,” Lisa said with a laugh. She turned her skills and her interests into income.
For 3 years, she worked as a tour director across the United States, Canada, and Panama. This isn’t related to her career in education at all, but she loves to travel.
Lisa’s experience as a teacher was extremely valuable to fill a high-demand need: substitute teaching (also referred to as “sub” or “subbing”). You don’t have to be a licensed teacher to substitute. If you work in a specialized field like math or science, you are certainly in demand.
Her experience as a Spanish teacher was exceptionally valuable because she could continue the lesson in the absence of the teacher, but she wasn’t only in Spanish classrooms. “It’s been fun to sub in all different classes. I really enjoy art. I like to do English, Social Studies. I feel like I’m always learning.” She also spent some time as a teaching assistant at St. Louis University.
If that’s something you are interested in, call schools in your area to inquire about the requirements for substitute teaching. You sign up with the school, and you get a phone call when a classroom needs coverage. You can accept or decline. You aren’t committing to the role permanently, so you can stop subbing when you find full-time employment. The substitute teacher is paid a daily, flat rate for their service. You can sign up to substitute at multiple schools.
You don’t need to replace the Monday through Friday grind with 40 hours/week sending out resumes. You’re still networking if you’re out there, trying new things, meeting new people, and having some fun. When you find a new job, you can keep doing these things – just not as frequently. No commitment.
Learn more: Casa de Salud
Lisa started volunteering at Casa de Salud in 2017. She leverages her bilingual skills to interpret in situations like medical appointments or financial conversations.
The mission of Casa de Salud is to facilitate and deliver high quality medical and mental health services for uninsured and underinsured patients, focusing on new immigrants and refugees who face barriers to accessing other sources of care.
Find more opportunities of interest on the United Way of Greater St. Louis’ website: www.stlvolunteer.org
