Back to Work After Retirement: Part-Time and Second-Career Resume

Before you open a blank document, settle on which of two paths you're on, because the resume looks different for each. A part-time or seasonal return usually means a role close to what you know, or a simpler one, such as a bookkeeper working 20 hours a week, a substitute teacher, a front-desk worker at a clinic, or a retail associate. Here the resume should make it easy to see that you're reliable, can start quickly, and want the hours on offer. A second career means moving into something different: a retired police officer becoming a school safety coordinator, a retired manager becoming a nonprofit grants assistant, or a retired nurse moving into patient scheduling. Here the resume has to translate your past work into the new field, which is closer to the approach in our guide on career change resumes. Write down the job titles you're actually applying for. If you're applying for both kinds, plan on two versions of the resume. It's much easier to edit a version than to make one resume serve everyone.

You don't need a long explanation for why you left your last job. A single line in your work history is enough, and it's often unnecessary if the dates are clear. If you want to include one, keep it factual: Operations Manager, Delta Freight, Dayton, OH, 2009–2023 (retired after 14 years) If you've been out of work for a few years, add a short entry that covers that time honestly, especially if you did something useful during it: Caregiver for family member and volunteer treasurer, Oak Street Community Garden, 2023–2025 Skip phrases like "semi-retired," "just looking for something to do," or "don't need the money." Employers read those as signs you may not stay. Say what you want to do instead. In a summary, that might read: "Retired logistics manager seeking part-time dispatch or scheduling work, 20–25 hours a week, weekdays." If you're not sure how to cover a longer stretch away from paid work, the guide on explaining a career break has wording you can borrow.

A career of 30 or 40 years won't fit on a resume, and it doesn't need to. Most employers care most about the last 10 to 15 years. List those jobs with full detail. For anything earlier, you can add a short line without bullets: Earlier experience: Sales representative and territory manager, Hartman Supply, 1989–2008 Or leave the earliest jobs off entirely if they don't help you get this job. Nothing says a resume must show every job you've had. A few other updates help the resume look current: - Use a professional email address you check daily, and list your city and state rather than a full street address. - Keep your phone number, and add a LinkedIn link if your profile is up to date. Don't add one that hasn't been touched in years. - If you list education, the degree and school are enough. Graduation years from decades ago aren't required. - Replace dated skill labels like "proficient in Microsoft Office" with the specific tools you use, such as Excel pivot tables, Google Workspace, QuickBooks Online, Zoom, or Epic. You're not hiding your age by doing this. You're keeping the page focused on what's relevant to the job.

The summary at the top is where you state which path you're on. Keep it to two or three lines and match it to the posting. Part-time example: "Reliable administrative professional with 20+ years in medical office settings. Experienced in scheduling, insurance verification, and patient check-in. Seeking part-time front-desk work, Monday through Thursday mornings." Second-career example: "Retired high school math teacher moving into corporate training. Built and delivered curriculum for groups of 30+, trained new staff, and used data to adjust lessons. Completed an ATD-recognized training course in 2024." Only mention a credential like that if you actually earned it. Notice that both examples name the schedule or the target role, point to specific experience, and mention nothing about age or retirement. For more on structure, see our guide on writing a resume summary. If you're making a bigger switch, the guide on transferable skills will help you pick which parts of your past work to put first.

Employers hiring someone returning from retirement often wonder about two things: current software skills and day-to-day stamina or flexibility. You can address the first directly on the page. If you've taken a class, earned a certificate, or learned a tool on your own, list it. A short "Recent training" section works well: - Google Sheets and Excel for bookkeeping, Community College of Allegheny County, 2024 - First Aid/CPR certification, American Red Cross, 2025 - Volunteer tax preparer (VITA), 2024 and 2025 seasons Volunteer work counts, especially if it's recent. Our guide on listing volunteer experience shows how to format it. Then rewrite your old bullets so they point toward the new job rather than describing your old title. Compare: Before: "Responsible for supervising a team of 12 in the warehouse." After, for a part-time dispatcher role: "Scheduled daily routes for 12 drivers and resolved delivery delays by phone, keeping on-time delivery above 95%." After, for a school aide role: "Trained and coached 12 new employees each year, adjusting my approach for different learning styles." Use numbers you can back up, and leave them out if you don't have them. Avoid long lists of duties and old buzzwords. Pick the three or four bullets per job that best match the new posting. When you're ready to put it all together, aNewJob can build the resume from documents you already have, like an old resume, a LinkedIn export, or performance reviews, through a short interview. You can then edit it for each application.