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Job hunting in your 60s?

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Anonymous

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Job hunting in your 60s?

This isn't for me as my job is currently stable. But can anyone give me advice on job hunting in your 60s? My husband, who is 62, may be losing his job (lay off, not firing). He is diabetic and really needs health insurance. And we're just so terrified about the job market and his age. He's been an adjunct professor for YEARS because he could never find a full time teaching position. Everything was stable until the pandemic and now the university is looking at deep budget cuts that could affect him.

He's been able to hang onto his position and insurance for the last 5 years but this looks potentially dire and I'm scared.

My job has terrible health insurance (high deductible plan where as a couple we'd have to pay almost 12k before it even kicked in, which is not doable for us on our salaries). So even if we get him insurance through my work, we're still in a tight space.

I already work full time and a part time side gig. I can't work more than I do.

Anyone been through this have suggestions for us?

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  1. Anonymous

    The healthcare marketplace is the best place to look. Depending on your income, your husband may also be eligible for Medicaid, which I believe many states have special considerations for people with diabetes (my husband has it and is also on kidney dialysis, and he qualifies even though I don't). The marketplace is much better and cheaper than either COBRA or putting him on your plan.

    There is a website for people in higher education called higheredjobs.com that he can look into, especially if he has experience in online coursework. I hope this helps and he can keep his job during this difficult time.

  2. Anonymous

    Thanks! I will pass the info along. He has looked at higheredjobs before but definitely time to look again. It would be super hard for us to move so online would be great. He has taught online during covid and took a course through his current university in online teaching.

  3. Anonymous

    I got the best job of my life at age 60. I was working as a contractor for a company and the put me on staff with a huge salary bump and great benefits. I know that's not really advice that would be helpful but just to let you know it can happen and to stay positive.

  4. Anonymous

    I'm glad to hear that. I worry so much because people are job hunting for MONTHS (or even years it seems) and with his being almost 63, having a PhD, and being diabetic we are so screwed.

    He has had great insurance...pays almost nothing and it's a copay plan so he gets most things covered (including the pump that literally keeps him living). My insurance through work is terrible. High deductible, we'd have to reach $12k a year just to get it to kick in and we don't have that kind of money.

    This is, I guess, just another reason I'm glad I got out of academia when I did.

  5. Anonymous

    Yes, I've been through those terrible insurance scenarios. We really need universal healthcare. Okay I'm off my soapbox...

  6. Anonymous

    I am right there with you. I work full time at a somewhat uninteresting day job. But my side gig is photography. I currently make about 1/3 of what I make in a year from the side gig but I know I could make more if I devoted myself to it full time.

    But the healthcare keeps me in the other job.

  7. Anonymous

    A lot of the time it's being in the right place at the right time. The fact I work remotely helps, as I'm not really a social person and just doing good work anonymously behind the computer got me the job.

  8. Anonymous

    Small (positive) update. We found out that because he's worked 20+ years for the state, he can officially retire from the system and retain his health insurance through the state. Which is EXCELLENT and affordable health insurance and the best news we could have gotten. So that opens him up to part time or freelance work (he's worked part time since the pandemic and we've done fine as I work full time and also have a good side gig).

    Still a stressful time but less so knowing he gets to keep his health insurance.

  9. Anonymous

    So I just wanted to update for anyone who saw this post. He did in fact lose his job at the end of 2025. But he was tapped by an insurance company to come on board. He's been working hard on becoming an agent (and eventually they hope management as the managing partners train the new people and they think former teachers are best at that). It's not his ideal job but it's a lot more money and so far so good!

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