Going back to work after retiring
Discussion
I retired just over a year ago. I’m mid fifties. Last role I had was horrid. Worst work environment I’ve experienced, full of back stabbers and Bulls
tters. I’m in the fortunate position of not needing to work so left and decided to retire.
A few weeks ago I was chatting with a friend and former colleague. That led me to contact a recruitment consultant he knew. They were helping another company in Copenhagen and that quickly snowballed and in a few weeks I’m moving there to start work.
In general I’ve been enjoying my retirement. I’ve been teaching myself languages, playing lots of tennis and chilling out with my family and dog.
The new role will be a massive challenge as it is in an area I have experience but wasn’t the main focus for most of my career. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last job and nervous of something similar happening.
Although I could survive with just English we want to get permanent residence in Denmark (to replace the EU passport we lost with Brexit) and I’ll need fluent Danish to do that.
Anyone on here gone back to work permanently after retiring or being out of the work force for a long period? How did you cope?
On the upside I hear that Copenhagen is a great city and the Danes are apparently the happiest people on the planet. It will also be a lot easier to see family and friends in the UK compared to being in NZ.
tters. I’m in the fortunate position of not needing to work so left and decided to retire. A few weeks ago I was chatting with a friend and former colleague. That led me to contact a recruitment consultant he knew. They were helping another company in Copenhagen and that quickly snowballed and in a few weeks I’m moving there to start work.
In general I’ve been enjoying my retirement. I’ve been teaching myself languages, playing lots of tennis and chilling out with my family and dog.
The new role will be a massive challenge as it is in an area I have experience but wasn’t the main focus for most of my career. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last job and nervous of something similar happening.
Although I could survive with just English we want to get permanent residence in Denmark (to replace the EU passport we lost with Brexit) and I’ll need fluent Danish to do that.
Anyone on here gone back to work permanently after retiring or being out of the work force for a long period? How did you cope?
On the upside I hear that Copenhagen is a great city and the Danes are apparently the happiest people on the planet. It will also be a lot easier to see family and friends in the UK compared to being in NZ.
I can't tell you much about going back to work after retiring as I'm not even close to retiring for the first time. But in 2005 I took a contract in Aalborg (north Jutland) and worked there for about a year. Visited Copenhagen a few times and it was a lovely city. Aalborg was a bit more industrial, but certainly has its own charms.
Although I wasn't going to be staying long, I put a little bit of effort into learning the language and attended evening classes at the local university which was set up for exchange students. Although it sounds nothing like the way it's written, it's not actually a very difficult language to learn to a basic level as the grammar works much the same as it does in English. Life there is very easy - yes, the taxes are high but so are salaries - so it's not an especially cheap place to live. Your biggest problem is that nearly everyone speaks perfect English. The population is so small that they don't bother dubbing TV - they just add subtitles. So everyone grows up watching American and British TV. And the Danes love to speak English every chance they get, so that does make learning Danish harder.
Since this is a car forum, I should mention cars. I had my UK-bought newish BMW with me there at the time. If I remember correctly, Danes had to pay 180% registration tax on personal cars and then 25% VAT on top of all of it, So only wealthy people drove newish or nice cars. Of course they knew I was a foreigner, and not subject to the same tax rules, but still, they treated me as if I were a millionaire!
Anyway I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience! The Danes are very friendly people and they do love their candles and "hygge".
Although I wasn't going to be staying long, I put a little bit of effort into learning the language and attended evening classes at the local university which was set up for exchange students. Although it sounds nothing like the way it's written, it's not actually a very difficult language to learn to a basic level as the grammar works much the same as it does in English. Life there is very easy - yes, the taxes are high but so are salaries - so it's not an especially cheap place to live. Your biggest problem is that nearly everyone speaks perfect English. The population is so small that they don't bother dubbing TV - they just add subtitles. So everyone grows up watching American and British TV. And the Danes love to speak English every chance they get, so that does make learning Danish harder.
Since this is a car forum, I should mention cars. I had my UK-bought newish BMW with me there at the time. If I remember correctly, Danes had to pay 180% registration tax on personal cars and then 25% VAT on top of all of it, So only wealthy people drove newish or nice cars. Of course they knew I was a foreigner, and not subject to the same tax rules, but still, they treated me as if I were a millionaire!
Anyway I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience! The Danes are very friendly people and they do love their candles and "hygge".
I retired at 50. A combination of a toxic work culture / organisation and an impending heart operation.
Having survived the heart op, I had 6 months travelling before COVID and boredom.
I went back to work for something to do when my plans were thwarted by the pandemic.
Post pandemic, I am now working in a challenging, enjoyable role with a great team and though the retirement plans are still attractive, the role is keeping me busy for now. Next retirement is likely to be about 55.
TL:DR retiring and coming back can be fun if you get the right role / organisation.
Oh and I moved the family to Italy in my late 30s - learned Italian, spent 3 years there and had a ball… need to go all in to make it work though
GOOD LUCK!
Having survived the heart op, I had 6 months travelling before COVID and boredom.
I went back to work for something to do when my plans were thwarted by the pandemic.
Post pandemic, I am now working in a challenging, enjoyable role with a great team and though the retirement plans are still attractive, the role is keeping me busy for now. Next retirement is likely to be about 55.
TL:DR retiring and coming back can be fun if you get the right role / organisation.
Oh and I moved the family to Italy in my late 30s - learned Italian, spent 3 years there and had a ball… need to go all in to make it work though
GOOD LUCK!
Edited by Stuart70 on Thursday 23 June 12:06
I retired in 2015 at 45. By the end of 2017 I was doing a little consulting work for one or two clients and that led to a couple of investments/Directorships. Two years ago we sold one of those businesses and eight months ago the other was bought by a German company for whom I am consulting for another four months or so.
So a second retirement is looming before the end of this year, and I'll be 53. Lookong forward to it (again), although I get calls from people quite regularly who have heard that I'm 'free' again and want my help, so I daresay I'll be doing some part-time stuff again by this time next year.
So a second retirement is looming before the end of this year, and I'll be 53. Lookong forward to it (again), although I get calls from people quite regularly who have heard that I'm 'free' again and want my help, so I daresay I'll be doing some part-time stuff again by this time next year.
I already have some Danish but suspect it will be difficult getting colleagues to speak to me in Danish as it is far below their English.
I had heard cars were expensive but only recently learned of the super high tax on new cars. As we will be living in Copenhagen I’m going to try to live without a car.
Retired but doing a bit of consultancy or directorships sounds great.
By the end of the year I should know whether it is worthwhile so could be retired again by 2023!
I had heard cars were expensive but only recently learned of the super high tax on new cars. As we will be living in Copenhagen I’m going to try to live without a car.
Retired but doing a bit of consultancy or directorships sounds great.
By the end of the year I should know whether it is worthwhile so could be retired again by 2023!
Skeptisk said:
I already have some Danish but suspect it will be difficult getting colleagues to speak to me in Danish as it is far below their English.
I had heard cars were expensive but only recently learned of the super high tax on new cars. As we will be living in Copenhagen I’m going to try to live without a car.
Retired but doing a bit of consultancy or directorships sounds great.
By the end of the year I should know whether it is worthwhile so could be retired again by 2023!
When I went to Copenhagen I was astonished at how many people seem to cycle everywhere! I had heard cars were expensive but only recently learned of the super high tax on new cars. As we will be living in Copenhagen I’m going to try to live without a car.
Retired but doing a bit of consultancy or directorships sounds great.
By the end of the year I should know whether it is worthwhile so could be retired again by 2023!
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