Robyn Greaves
One of the greatest challenges people face in their third chapter of working life isn’t capability, relevance or motivation. It’s language.
The third chapter is a later stage of career where people reshape how they work so it aligns with who they are and what matters most at this stage of life – not pre-retirement, but a distinct new stage of career and contribution.
After decades as an employee, many experienced professionals find it surprisingly difficult to explain who they are now, especially if they want to keep working, but working differently.
I see this often with people in their 50s and 60s who are exploring portfolio careers, fractional roles, advisory work, consulting or project-based leadership. They have deep expertise, strong networks and a track record of impact, yet feel awkward, vague or out of step when asked: “So, what do you do?”
A new context for later career work
Part of the discomfort comes from a mismatch between old assumptions and new realities. We are living longer, working longer, and for many people traditional ‘retirement’ doesn’t work.
Instead of winding down, they are widening out, seeking more variety, autonomy, strategic contribution and work that aligns with what matters now. They want energy and sustainability, alongside time for family, community, health and interests.
Yet, the dominant image of retirement, walking the beach, playing bridge, putting your feet up, still looms large. For those who do not identify with that picture, it can feel isolating.
Many tell me they are regularly asked by people in their community, “Have you retired?” When the answer does not fit a neat box, conversation can stall.
Accessing the non-traditional labour market
These conversations matter because the way organisations access talent is changing. Many organisations are less focused on filling permanent roles and more focused on accessing expertise when they need it.
They are looking for people who can solve specific problems, lead through change, bring wisdom and perspective, often without a full-time hire. This creates opportunity for experienced professionals.
But those opportunities rarely sit neatly in the advertised job market. They emerge through conversations, referrals and relationships, what I often describe as the hidden market. To access it, how you talk about yourself matters.
A helpful way to reframe these conversations is to stop leading with job titles and career history, and instead focus on three things:
- Who you are now: What energises you at this stage? What kind of contribution matters to you now, not last year or ten years ago?
- How you work: What is distinctive about the way you operate? This might be your ability to integrate complexity, bring calm in uncertainty, connect people and ideas, or translate strategy into action.
- How you add value: What problems do you help solve? What situations do you step into particularly well? Where have you solved that exact problem in a similar organisation or context? Rather than memorising a pitch, think in terms of planned spontaneity. Be ready to meet the moment.
When you focus on contribution rather than chronology, age becomes irrelevant.
From experience to relevance
What many experienced professionals underestimate is just how valuable their deep experience and ability to see patterns and get things done actually are. They have seen cycles, crises, restructures, growth spurts and cultural shifts.
They have solved problems others are encountering for the first time. The opportunity now is to articulate that relevance clearly, not as a list of past roles, but as current value.
For example, instead of saying: “I spent 25 years in senior leadership roles across large organisations,” you might say: “I help organisations navigate periods of change by bringing clarity, alignment and practical decision-making, particularly when things feel complex or stuck.”
The first describes a past. The second invites a future.
When you focus on contribution rather than chronology, age becomes irrelevant. This shift allows conversations to move naturally toward premium, interesting work, often outside traditional roles. It also takes pressure off you to explain or justify your choices. You don’t need to fill every gap or convince everyone. You simply need language that feels true, clear and useful.
Many people in later career are quietly pioneering new ways of working, often before the rest of society has fully caught up. If that is you, feeling slightly out of step may not be a problem to fix, but a signal you are early.
Finding the right language helps others understand what you are doing. More importantly, it helps you step confidently into conversations where opportunity lives.
Robyn Greaves is a career change coach who specialises in helping experienced professionals create meaningful and sustainable later careers. She is the author of Your Third Chapter: How to thrive in your 50s, 60s and beyond and work for as long as you choose.
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