Retired, but want to work? Help is at hand

A job portal is a good way to locate one’s dream job. It provide job-seekers and headhunters with a platform to interact and form relationships.

Most people think that a job portal would necessarily be frequented by working professionals wanting a change of job or a change in profile. However, the presumption has been proved false with the launch of a job portal for senior citizens around 3 months ago.

Secondcareers.com is the latest entrant to the job space and provides a way for the retired and the elderly to make use of the one commodity they have in abundance, time. Senior citizens get an opportunity to get another job after retirement through the site.

The portal has been started by ICICI Prudential Life Insurance in association with Dignity foundation, an NGO that works for the benefit of the senior citizens.

The focus of the portal has been on promoting second careers amongst the senior citizens, post-retirement. On the portal they can apply for a suitable job opportunity from across the country.

Almost 2,400 registrations have been recorded on the site since it was kickstarted on October 1, 2008. The job profiles on the site have been designed exclusively keeping the elderly in mind. Most jobs require patience, skill and do not involve a lot of running around.

Sujit Ganguli, senior vice-president and head, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said: “Senior citizens can very well perform jobs that require counselling and understanding and not too much running around. They are suitable for accounting and administrative jobs. In fact, 400 senior citizens have registered for part-time jobs.”

Two senior citizens have signed up for jobs with ICICI Pru Life through the portal. Chennai-based software firm First Ware Software Solutions has also offered jobs. “We are planning to get more employers to offer servicing, insurance and banking jobs,” Ganguli added.

The portal gets around 5,000 hits a month. Most visiters are repeat visitors. Sheilu Sreenivasan, founder president, dignity foundation and dignity lifestyle retirement township says 60 per cent of the jobs are at the general administration levels, while 25-30 per cent are for financial counselling. The rest are all desk and people-related jobs.

Commenting on the pay packages, Sreenivasan said, “Though the salary levels are not the same as pre-retirement , but the portal offers a meaningful life to the senior citizens.”