Going Back to Work

[JHZR2]

My experience was somewhat the same. But with one key difference, the older generations had no desire to mentor from what I saw.

My company has voluntary mentorship programs but older folks refused to participate. All while talking about how great their mentors were and how much they learned from them. When given the chance to mentor they flat refused to pay it forward to the next group. Now they are “coming out of retirement” do what should have a been long, long ago. Better late than never I guess.

I have voluntarily monitored several people over the years and I’m in my 40’s with a working spouse and little kids. The “well, we were overworked and didn’t have time” excuse is BS, IMO. I am doing it.

You’re not wrong. I don’t mind if folks come back instead - mentoring is inefficient use of time. In reality when folks are nearing retirement, they should have a multi-year overlap of knowledge transfer. But that’s not profitable/efficient/providing returns, so it’s next to impossible to do in the moment. I get it, doesn’t make it right…

 

[Dave Hess]

My experience was somewhat the same. But with one key difference, the older generations had no desire to mentor from what I saw.

My company has voluntary mentorship programs but older folks refused to participate. All while talking about how great their mentors were and how much they learned from them. When given the chance to mentor they flat refused to pay it forward to the next group. Now they are “coming out of retirement” do what should have a been long, long ago. Better late than never I guess.

I have voluntarily monitored several people over the years and I’m in my 40’s with a working spouse and little kids. The “well, we were overworked and didn’t have time” excuse is BS, IMO. I am doing it.

What career field were you in if you don’t mind me asking ?


Some (not all) younger folks have a terrible attitude and work ethic expecting red carpet treatment because they feel they are special. Many older folks don’t want to deal with a jerk and put up with younger folks behavior.

I will NOT mentor a jerk….. male or female.

Quality people I will open my encyclopedia of knowledge and teach them everything I know.

 

[Lubener]

I'm retired at 63. At 68 if I ever go back to work again, I'm going to feel guilty that each time I go to work everyday I'm robbing a job that is supposed to go to GenXs, Millinnials, Gen Zs or a recent college grad. Well, If the economy goes at full speed next year or so and shortages at the workforce and the pay is even much better, I might change my mind.

Don't feel guilty. Many in those age groups prefer to spend the day on the couch in their parent's house eating Doritos, drinking Red Bull while on social media. The government seems to take care of the "do nothings".

 

[ATex7239]

What career field were you in if you don’t mind me asking ?


Some (not all) younger folks have a terrible attitude and work ethic expecting red carpet treatment because they feel they are special. Many older folks don’t want to deal with a jerk and put up with younger folks behavior.

I will NOT mentor a jerk….. male or female.

Quality people I will open my encyclopedia of knowledge and teach them everything I know.

Engineering. I can understand not wanting to teach somebody with a bad attitude. But these aren’t high school dropouts at McD’s. These are highly motivated people with advanced degrees and many also ex military. The bad attitude was pretty much all from the older generation. It’s one person’s data point though. Doesn’t mean my experience is the archetype.

 

[Pablo]

In my former life I worked at Three Mile Island. They plan on starting it up again. I worked in Engineering, Maintenance, and Training.

I am really excited to go back at the age of 78!

Serious question, not to be rude, I would expect the same question at 67. Please don't get angry with me.

Do OTHERS think you are sharp enough to work at a life critical job?

 

[OneLonelyBurrito]

My experience was somewhat the same. But with one key difference, the older generations had no desire to mentor from what I saw.

My company has voluntary mentorship programs but older folks refused to participate. All while talking about how great their mentors were and how much they learned from them. When given the chance to mentor they flat refused to pay it forward to the next group. Now they are “coming out of retirement” do what should have a been long, long ago. Better late than never I guess.

I have voluntarily monitored several people over the years and I’m in my 40’s with a working spouse and little kids. The “well, we were overworked and didn’t have time” excuse is BS, IMO. I am doing it.

At my first engineering job out of school, I noticed the same thing with the older employees. Not so much of problem when I got mentors in their 30s and 40s. But the people in their 50s or 60s, just couldn't seem to be bothered to mentor the young employees.

In my current job, it is mostly older employees, I wouldn't be surprised if I was the youngest in my role/group by 10-15 years, and I'm in my early 30s. It has always felt like there is a lack of mentorship and enthusiasm to train new employees from the older employees so it seems like a systemic issue not company specific in my professional career so far. When an adjacent group to mine (not in my bosses direct reports) got a new employee and I'm the first one to start training and explaining things to them and I'm the one with the least experience, something is off.

 

[Al]

Serious question, not to be rude, I would expect the same question at 67. Please don't get angry with me.

Do OTHERS think you are sharp enough to work at a life critical job?

Fair question Pabs. I was never a sharp tool. I was good at math and reasoning so I was able to become an engineer. I can do engineering kinds of stuff still. And if you ignore. that fact that sometimes I can't come up with the right words I am pretty much on my game.

In Nuclear power, there are always multiple levels at which "critical" things are reviewed and double checked on the spot.

I would guess I will be involved in Maintenance instruction. But like I said I doubt there is anyone alive that knows that plant as well as me. And that is not a boast.

 

[ATex7239]

At my first engineering job out of school, I noticed the same thing with the older employees. Not so much of problem when I got mentors in their 30s and 40s. But the people in their 50s or 60s, just couldn't seem to be bothered to mentor the young employees.

In my current job, it is mostly older employees, I wouldn't be surprised if I was the youngest in my role/group by 10-15 years, and I'm in my early 30s. It has always felt like there is a lack of mentorship and enthusiasm to train new employees from the older employees so it seems like a systemic issue not company specific in my professional career so far. When an adjacent group to mine (not in my bosses direct reports) got a new employee and I'm the first one to start training and explaining things to them and I'm the one with the least experience, something is off.

100% my experience. I always hear about the entitlement and selfishness from younger people. But I pretty much (not always, there were some exceptions) saw the entitlement and selfishness coming from the older folks. The culture at my company was not great when I started 20 years ago. It was toxic and there was a sink or swim cause you’re on your own approach. Many people didn’t last cause they couldn’t handle the pressure. I thrive under pressure so it was easy for me to deal with it. Now as time has moved on the environment has shifted towards being more positive and supportive. I cannot help but see the correlation that those people who would not help are now gone and people my age are the “old folks” who choosing to be mentors to the newbies.

 

[SC Maintenance]

My experience was somewhat the same. But with one key difference, the older generations had no desire to mentor from what I saw.

Did they pay any extra?

I ask for a specific reason. My wife is a teacher and they always want her to mentor all the nubes. Problem is her job stays the same, so its simply extra work for no benefit. Of course she does it. I would not.

My job before this I was a manager, for the specific reason to mentor my direct reports. I got paid to do it. Many of those people are still friends. I didn't want to be a manager anymore, for very specific reasons.

At my current job I outright refuse to mentor anyone. I have a job to do, and I do it well. Training others is not my problem. Selfish? Maybe. But the company benefits more than I do from my mentorship - so they should compensate. I know they never would, so I don't offer.

Now, when I was a nube, I had great mentors. But I would literally ask to do their work, would take it home and do it on my time, then have the senior people critic it the next day, correct as needed, and treat it as there own. I made it worth their time. Perhaps I intuitively understood this and most don't.

 

[Oldwolf]

I retired at 67 but after 6 months went back to work part-time with my old employer. I work on a college university engineering staff.

Let me expand on this. After a month of retirement I knew that I was going to get bored. My wife is staying active and happy in her retirement with giving back type activities. That will not satisfy me at this point in my life. My old workplace at the university cannot find a replacement for me that wants to work hard enough for the state salary they offer (although the pension and health insurance retirement benefit is very nice). So I am back working 15+- hours a week for the department. I am satisfied with that for now but I can see that I will soon tire of doing this. Once I get through my knee replacement surgery next month, and get through PT, I may reevaluate my options.

 

[ATex7239]

Did they pay any extra?

I ask for a specific reason. My wife is a teacher and they always want her to mentor all the nubes. Problem is her job stays the same, so its simply extra work for no benefit. Of course she does it. I would not.

My job before this I was a manager, for the specific reason to mentor my direct reports. I got paid to do it. Many of those people are still friends. I didn't want to be a manager anymore, for very specific reasons.

At my current job I outright refuse to mentor anyone. I have a job to do, and I do it well. Training others is not my problem. Selfish? Maybe. But the company benefits more than I do from my mentorship - so they should compensate. I know they never would, so I don't offer.

Now, when I was a nube, I had great mentors. But I would literally ask to do their work, would take it home and do it on my time, then have the senior people critic it the next day, correct as needed, and treat it as there own. I made it worth their time. Perhaps I intuitively understood this and most don't.

No, it doesn’t pay extra. It def should and I wish it did, but that is life. That is why there needs to be a program in place so the understudy knows they are there to learn and they are expected to put forth the effort.

 

[OneLonelyBurrito]

Did they pay any extra?

I ask for a specific reason. My wife is a teacher and they always want her to mentor all the nubes. Problem is her job stays the same, so its simply extra work for no benefit. Of course she does it. I would not.

My job before this I was a manager, for the specific reason to mentor my direct reports. I got paid to do it. Many of those people are still friends. I didn't want to be a manager anymore, for very specific reasons.

At my current job I outright refuse to mentor anyone. I have a job to do, and I do it well. Training others is not my problem. Selfish? Maybe. But the company benefits more than I do from my mentorship - so they should compensate. I know they never would, so I don't offer.

Now, when I was a nube, I had great mentors. But I would literally ask to do their work, would take it home and do it on my time, then have the senior people critic it the next day, correct as needed, and treat it as there own. I made it worth their time. Perhaps I intuitively understood this and most don't.

Most of the more senior roles include a mentoring responsibility as part of the job roles and responsibilities from what I have seen and experienced. So, it should already be apart of the compensation package. One the other hand, getting mangers to understand the time commitment of those responsibility is a different story when it comes to meeting deadlines.

 

[cptbarkey]

Nuclear energy has an interesting future with small reactor development, this video details 2 new designs.

 

[Pablo]

Retirement is the best career decision I ever made for myself.

I am at least as healthy as I was before I started working. Work was actually killing me - stress, sedentary and terrible food
I am less brain dead.
I am more rounded busy, my wife says I need to slow down. I don't have enough time to go to the range, for example.
I feel good about myself.
My local community benefits from my time, money and efforts.
I am more spiritually in touch.
I am as happy as a happy kid.
I am not angry about all the work I have done and do, it has allowed us to want for nothing. But I do regret allowing work to get in my head, not stay in better shape while working 60 hours, and eating the caca cafeteria food.

I write all this stuff and yet I am amazed - well it's not even fathomable how anyone could be bored in retirement.

 

[CKN]

Retirement is the best career decision I ever made for myself.

I am at least as healthy as I was before I started working. Work was actually killing me - stress, sedentary and terrible food
I am less brain dead.
I am more rounded busy, my wife says I need to slow down. I don't have enough time to go to the range, for example.
I feel good about myself.
My local community benefits from my time, money and efforts.
I am more spiritually in touch.
I am as happy as a happy kid.
I am not angry about all the work I have done and do, it has allowed us to want for nothing. But I do regret allowing work to get in my head, not stay in better shape while working 60 hours, and eating the caca cafeteria food.

I write all this stuff and yet I am amazed - well it's not even fathomable how anyone could be bored in retirement.

Well written Pablo. I echo your statements. I was in outside sales-I had 125 customers I needed to keep supplied with materials- with thousands of dollars of one million dollar plus pieces of capitol equipment (at the time) sitting idle if I didn't.
Yea-A little stressful!

 

[ATex7239]

You’re not wrong. I don’t mind if folks come back instead - mentoring is inefficient use of time. In reality when folks are nearing retirement, they should have a multi-year overlap of knowledge transfer. But that’s not profitable/efficient/providing returns, so it’s next to impossible to do in the moment. I get it, doesn’t make it right…

There is a Catch-22 that comes with not training people, and that comes from the understanding that companies must show growth. If you are not going to help train new people to come in and take some of the load then you are dooming yourself to be overworked cause now that growth has to be put on you. If you say, you are too busy to train people to help you then it is a self-fulfilling prophecy that you are going to be even more busy in the future.

 

[Pew]

I’ve noticed in engineering that folks who have had a lifetime of experience did not necessarily train the next generations, and they don’t have the hands on experience to make them the best they can be. The issue is that the older folks were overworked to the bitter end, and succession planning was not done.

So I think it’s exciting that a 78yo with lots of corporate knowledge can go back, and hopefully impart much of that experience that went all the way back to when TMI was a hole in the ground. Doesn’t mean that it needs to be full time, or long term, or to be at a desk until your last day.

But if done right it will be a huge service to the industry and next generations!

I used to work IT for the VA and now an AEC company and I've noticed the same for both. It was a million times worse with the VA because nobody taught you except for the bare minimum, and you were never taught the 'why'. Now at my current job I'm very grateful for having an amazingly smart IT consultants who will teach me as long as I ask (and I work part time for them too) and an awesome CAD department head who can teach me the IN/OUT of AutoCAD and MicroStation so I can make the CADD and engineer's life easier. It's a win-win situation all around.

Being former military, it's crucial to properly teach and instruct new folks instead of just complain about their lack of knowledge. Not only is it important for their own survival and performance, it's crucial for everyone else around them. People come from all walks of life and may not have the same skills as others.
If you cannot trust the folks under your command to properly do their jobs then you as the leader are held accountable for their lack of training.

 

[Pablo]

Well written Pablo. I echo your statements. I was in outside sales-I had 125 customers I needed to keep supplied with materials- with thousands of dollars of one million dollar plus pieces of capitol equipment (at the time) sitting idle if I didn't.
Yea-A little stressful!

Imagine holding up a satellite launch. You better be confident in your decision!

 

[Al]

I write all this stuff and yet I am amazed - well it's not even fathomable how anyone could be bored in retirement.

For me it is not a matter of being bored with retirement. Its really a way to expand my "horizons". And to affirm to myself I still "have it". We all march to the tune of different drummers. Cheers.

 

[thastinger]

Yes, we absolutely need more people willing to go back to work for 50 cents on the dollar. I'm assuming you have considered how this new income will impact your medicare costs and SS?