In the United States, nearly 20 percent of the population is between the ages of 50 and 65. This stage of life is commonly when individuals start contemplating their plans for exiting the workforce and entering retirement. While it’s common for people to want to totally decouple from the workforce after forty-plus years working, many technical professionals love what they do and are still interested in plying their skills. Working as a consultant gives seasoned professionals the best of both worlds, allowing them to work when they want and take time off when they don’t.
Your Skills Are Still In Demand
In many non-technical industries, more tenured workers often think employers are no longer interested in their skills in favor of younger employees who might cost less to employ and may have more current knowledge.
Choosing to work as a consultant gives you access to companies across the United States who are looking for your specific skills. Working with Black Diamond Networks means you won’t be “overqualified” or past up for a job based purely on your age. The hiring managers we work with are looking for top-notch technical professionals with specific skill sets; if your experience is a good match for the requirements of the position, you’ll be considered.
Additionally, for consultants in the information technology (IT) industry, many companies need skilled contractors to work on maintaining and updating legacy systems that younger engineers may be unfamiliar or uninterested in working on. One prominent BDN client in the financial services industry had to hire consultants out of retirement to update their legacy systems because many younger engineers at the firm felt that learning an older technology may be detrimental to their careers. Similar opportunities exist for both electrical and mechanical engineering consultants.
Set Your Own Schedule
Working as a contractor has many scheduling benefits for the semi-retired professional. Consulting gives you the ability to set your own schedule to reflect how much, or how little, you want to work. When you work with a contract staffing company, such as Black Diamond Networks, your recruiter will ask you questions about your desired job preferences in order to get a better idea of your ideal schedule. If you want to work six months out of the year and take six months off, we have contract positions for you. Maybe you’d prefer to work a 10-month assignment and take November and December off? We can facilitate that as well.
Work Where You Want
Working as a consultant also gives you the ability to choose where in the United States you’d like to work in, when. As a national staffing firm, we have clients located across the country who are looking for skilled technical professionals like you.
If you’re a fan of warm weather, we have available positions in the South or on the West Coast to give you a respite from winter’s cold. Conversely, for the outdoorsy consultant, we have positions in the Pacific Northwest for those who enjoy hiking or biking in their spare time.
Working as a contract professional with BDN means that you’re in the driver’s seat. We put our contractors needs first meaning you’ll never be pressured to accept a position you’re not interested in taking.
Enjoy Variety
When you’re working as a full-time, salaried, employee you often have a limited say when it comes to what work you’ll actually be responsible for completing. Similarly, most firms have one or two primary industries, making it likely that permanent employees can expect to be working on the same products or services, day in and day out.
Working as a contractor gives you the ability to explore working in new or related industries that are a match for your skills and experience. If you’ve been looking for a way to get started in a new niche, but lack the requisite experience to be considered for open opportunities, taking a contract position can be a great way to get your foot in the door and build experience in a new industry or market vertical. If we think your skills might be a good fit for a role, we’ll submit you to any opening you’re interested in.
Talk to an Experienced Technical Recruiter Today!
If you’re a technical professional who isn’t ready to hang up the keyboard and mouse just yet, we’d love to get to know you! With companies across the United States looking for top technical talent, your expertise is in high demand. Set a flexible schedule, explore a new niche, keep your skills sharp, and earn money while you’re at it. Visit www.blackdiamondnet.com/jobs to learn more, or give us a ring at 1.800.681.4734!
