5 Career Opportunities For OFWs In Their Sunset Years

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) leave the country carrying with them their hopes of providing their families with a better life.

Years and years of toiling in a foreign land will soon come to an end, and when they reach their sunset years, they’ll be able to come home and enjoy the fruits of their hard-earned labor. But retirement should not be the end of their productivity. This is just the beginning of brand-new opportunities to make good use of the skills that they harnessed while working overseas.

With that said, here are 5 career opportunities for retired and returning OFWs.

Career Opportunities for OFWs On Their Sunset Years

1. Businesses and investments

Retiring OFWs who were financially savvy enough to save some of their earning can ensure their comfort during the sunset years by starting their own businesses or engaging themselves in various sound investments.

Becoming an entrepreneur can never be a bad idea. Being able to earn money while enjoying the company of your family is way better than working and earning miles away from them.

When you decide to be an entrepreneur of your own, you can start by trying your hands at small businesses like rentals or reselling. You should also think about investing in a franchise.

Keep in mind that it is best to go for a business that is of your own interest. Carefully and thoroughly weigh the pros and cons of it to avoid putting your hard-earned money at the hands of wrong businesses or investments.

2. Consultancy work

Working for a long period of time in a foreign country and being able to establish good connections and relationships with employers of different nationalities can be a critical factor in various overseas recruitment businesses.

Experienced OFWs can work as recruitment consultants giving sound advice on how future migrant workers can deal with foreign employers and at the same time can use their connections to refer applicants to numerous companies and employers.

(Read: 4 Important Financial Realities That Relatives Of OFWs Need To Keep In Mind)

3. Interpreter or translator

Filipinos are known to be linguists by nature. With the Philippines being a country with a lot of different dialects, our country is described as the nation of many tongues.

Different countries have witnessed how most Filipinos can easily catch up and learn new languages. As a proof, most of our OFWs who have spent quite some time abroad can speak foreign languages as if they were natives there. Such skills can be used in a field where language translation is of great need.

4. Tour guide

Who says tour guiding is only for the young? Migrant workers who have worked in a foreign country for a long time can be the ideal tour guides for tourists in the Philippines.

This is another potential career where a former OFW can put their language skills to good work. Aside from being able to speak English and Filipino (and maybe a dialect or two), they may have picked up a foreign language that could help them communicate better with foreign tourists. Their time abroad will also give them a sense of other cultures and they can better read and cater to foreign tourists interests.

(Read: Beyond Pensions And Loans: 3 Government Savings Programs To Check Out)

5. Trade skills instructor

Retired OFWs can make use of their knowledge and skills and earn through teaching. A big percentage of the younger generations are willing to enroll in courses that would give them the expertise and earn them certificates for skilled jobs that are of high demand abroad such as butchering, welding, and many more.

Retirement does not always mean a descent into boredom or lack of income. With the right attitude, there are a lot of opportunities to choose from now these days, what’s important is your willingness to keep working hard and your determination to succeed.