Employment Opportunities in Tampa for Retired Seniors

After nearly twenty-five years employed by the State of Florida, many years of law practice primarily in New York, and other assorted experiences, I found myself retired at the age of 68. My wife and I lived in our mortgage-free Geodesic Dome house in a suburb of Tampa, Florida, and I was becoming bored! After all, I had worked continuously for over fifty years. Not that there wasn't plenty to do; we have fourteen grandchildren to enjoy and get to know better, we have four daughters, assorted sons-in-law and dogs, birds, cats and various livestock to visit. But I wanted more.

I have always been an avid reader and occasionally had written letters to the editor of local papers, decrying the total ignorance of basic grammar in everyday conversations and in advertisements ("It's fewer not less, damn it.").

My wife and I went on a number of cruises, some of which have been chronicled on these pages, traveled to New Jersey and New England to visit family and partake of northern pizza and Ipswich fried clams, went to San Antonio to be with one daughter and her family - all of this was and is wonderful. We will continue to do so.

Then I found activities that were more in tune with my urge to research and write:

I became a Content Producer at Associated Content. I am nowhere as prolific as some writers, I find myself restricting myself to topics I find personally interesting, ones that engage my curiosity. There is absolutely no danger that my income from writing for Associated Content will push me into a higher tax bracket, but I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

Last Fall I decided that I wanted to look for a part-time job, one that had to meet with a number of criteria imposed by my wife.

First, the job had to be part-time; second, the job had to make allowances for when my wife had made plans that would interfere with the employment; third, I really didn't want to walk very far. By this time, we were visiting the YMCA nearly every morning for exercise and, this too, was something that should be maintained.

As one can imagine, job offers came by the proverbial shipload! Sure.

I applied to Busch Gardens in Tampa as we had seen many seniors employed there. I think I lost the opportunity to be at Busch when I told the interviewer, a lad of twenty-something, that I really would like to be the man who pours free beer to the visitors. Actually, I wasn't really turned down; I am still waiting for a call, six months later.

I then found, and am working at, a perfect job for seniors!

I am employed as a tax preparer at Jackson-Hewitt Tax Services in Tampa. The company is honorable to its employees and customers, alike, demands the highest level of professionalism on the part of the former and allows me to work at my own schedule, subject to the demands of the tax season and office needs.

Before formal employment, there are a number of required classes and training sessions. I was allowed to take a portion of the basic training on-line and then spent hours at a local office, before the tax season started, learning and practicing tax preparation on the company's unique software. I took a test and worked on a number of practice scenarios, some rather easy and not complicated, some at the other extreme. All during the training, I was greeted enthusiastically and with warmth by the area managers, Cathy and Robert.

When the tax season started, I was assigned to a Jackson-Hewitt office less than five miles from my home. I work approximately 30 to 35 hours a week during this "peak" season and find the work fascinating and fulfilling.

Many Jackson-Hewitt customers have returned for several years, a testament to the treatment they have received. Jackson-Hewitt prides itself on it training of employees to identify and discover legal and allowable deductions than can be utilized by customers to minimize their tax liability. (No one is required by law to pay one cent more in taxes than is legally required.) Moreover, training is provided to allow the completion and transmittal of state and many local tax returns that may be required by an individual taxpayer.

A senior executive told me that the nature of the tax preparation business is changing; there are many alternative methods of preparing tax returns, including low-cost or free services provided through the Internal Revenue Service. Where Jackson-Hewitt excels is that advice is given to minimize taxes and, most importantly, taxes or refunds that are due can be facilitated in a most convenient manner. For those receiving a refund, a variety of products allow them to receive the refund long before the Internal Revenue Service would send it, sometimes within a matter of hours or a day or two. For those who are required to pay a tax balance, options are available to spread out the payments in a more convenient fashion.

There is an air of camaraderie at the office at which I work. The Office Supervisor, Deborah, is always wiling to drop her many and time consuming chores to provide additional training in the minutiae of tax preparation and customer service. As one absorbs the tasks, additional responsibilities and duties are offered to employees. I am at the point where my questions are less frequent, my self-assurance is increasing and I find the entire experience exhilarating.

There are, I am sure, many senior citizens who need or merely want part-time fulfilling employment. I cannot but recommend the folks at Jackson-Hewitt for such an opportunity.

While it is apparent that part-time employment is worthwhile and important to seniors living on pensions, social security or savings, it equally true that a senior citizen employee is of enormous worth to the employer. As I look around our office, I cannot help but notice that Jackson-Hewitt, like so many employers can be slow to recognize the potential in hiring more mature employees. As an older and more mature person, I come with a work ethic that is valuable to a company. I do not bring with me the "baggage" of a nascent social life, the concern over child care, and all of the other distractions of youth.

Potential employers need to be more aware of the advantages of hiring and developing the more senior employee, to the end that all interests are best served.