PLANNING YOUR RETIREMENT CAREER By Marc Myers

Switching from full-time employment to part-time work when you retire requires a year or more of planning. Here’s hot experts suggest folks in their 50s get started: Make sure you’re sure. Many people don’t factor in their dream job’s hardships, says Sandra Kopit Cohen, a New York psychiatrist specializing in career and retirement issues. “Use your hobby time during the week and weekends to sample career choices,” she says. “The experience will provide valuable reality checks.
Start “warm-calling.” The company where you work full-time may be a hidden source of post retirement opportunities. Develop social contacts with people in departments such as marketing and accounting, who outsource tasks, says Anita Lind, a corporate consultant specializing in nonfinancial retirement planning. “I call this “warm-calling,” she says. “Instead of cold-calling, you spend time cultivating people who may be able to send work your way after you leave.
Contact the consultants. Other valuable sources of post-retirement opportunities and guidance are individuals and companies that already do business with your company, says Lands. “They’re in a position to offer you work when you leave, especially if you can help them better serve your current employer,” she says. “They also tell you what it takes to win and hold on to them.”
Upgrade your skills. Once you know what you want to do, improve your skills and qualifications, says Lands. “If you can’t go back to school for degree, the next best thing is certification,” she says. “Organizations in nearly every field, from technical support to art appraisal, offer certificates for levels of training. Continuing education at community colleges can improve your abilities.

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