Comments on: Back to the Boardroom: Engineering Leaders Are Returning to the Workplace http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/05/21/back-to-the-boardroom-engineering-leaders-are-returning-to-the-workplace/ building teams . engineering careers Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:00:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Leighsah Jones http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/05/21/back-to-the-boardroom-engineering-leaders-are-returning-to-the-workplace/#comment-372 Leighsah Jones Sat, 30 May 2009 08:02:30 +0000 http://civilengineeringcentral.wordpress.com/?p=1227#comment-372 I absolutely believe the stereotypical idea of a complete retirement is gone and will never come back. There are a number of reasons for this, the economy being a major one, but also, we are living decades past 65 and these are healthy years for the most part. Are golf and tennis really going to look so good six months after you leave the workforce? Is that really all you are going to do with the last 20 years of your life? I think retirement will be a decrease in working, but when we do retire, it will later, perhaps retiring in our late 60s or early 70s and then transitioning to part-time volunteer or consulting positions in the community. We'll be an adviser to the construction committee at our church. We'll mentor the math club at the middle school. We'll volunteer for Engineers Without Borders. We'll mentor at SCORE, SWE, ASCE and other organizations that need leaders that are willing to share their knowledge. I believe the idea that people will just leave the workforce will leave a horrendous vacuum of knowledge that Gen X will not be able to fill for no other reason other than there aren't anywhere near enough of us. The retiring baby boomers are a huge number of folks whose collective knowledge will be greatly missed. Retire? Perhaps that just means the "retirees" only come in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Because otherwise I think we're going to be in for a world of hurt. I absolutely believe the stereotypical idea of a complete retirement is gone and will never come back.

There are a number of reasons for this, the economy being a major one, but also, we are living decades past 65 and these are healthy years for the most part. Are golf and tennis really going to look so good six months after you leave the workforce? Is that really all you are going to do with the last 20 years of your life?

I think retirement will be a decrease in working, but when we do retire, it will later, perhaps retiring in our late 60s or early 70s and then transitioning to part-time volunteer or consulting positions in the community. We’ll be an adviser to the construction committee at our church. We’ll mentor the math club at the middle school. We’ll volunteer for Engineers Without Borders. We’ll mentor at SCORE, SWE, ASCE and other organizations that need leaders that are willing to share their knowledge.

I believe the idea that people will just leave the workforce will leave a horrendous vacuum of knowledge that Gen X will not be able to fill for no other reason other than there aren’t anywhere near enough of us. The retiring baby boomers are a huge number of folks whose collective knowledge will be greatly missed.

Retire? Perhaps that just means the “retirees” only come in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Because otherwise I think we’re going to be in for a world of hurt.

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