The three more seasoned employees explain their decision to start again.
Is that what he strove for? In order to start a second professional life as a golf golf administrator. He had to enter the internship program first, however.
Although internships are often associated with younger folks, they may also be a good fit for older professionals seeking a career move. One subset, “returnships,” is devoted to assisting the elderly in re-entering the workforce after a hiatus for retirement, caregiving, or other obligations.
Internships, both paid and unpaid, are available from a wide variety of organizations and businesses, and the majority of them do not impose age limits. Three interns older than 50 were part of the USGA’s internship program this year, for instance. Internships, as they discovered, may be a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and put one’s years of experience to good use.
Yergey, who is 57 years old, sees the internship as an opportunity to make a second career out of something she has always enjoyed. He has been an avid golfer ever since he began playing the game as a graduate student at Massachusetts’s Boston College.
In his spare time, Yergey would travel to faraway golf clubs during the summers and holidays of his teaching profession to assist at events like the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship in 1995 and the Ryder Cup in Florida in 1999.
He considered becoming a professional golf teacher in his early 50s, but financial concerns prevented him from following through. He also started to doubt his dedication to teaching around this time.
Penn State Golf Course was seeking volunteers in the summer of 2022, so he used the chance to begin the modification. If Yergey remembers correctly, he was a high school golf coach when he was asked to assist with the game’s tempo and speed.
He volunteered for two other events that summer as well. As his self-assurance grew, he sought out an internship with a junior golf organization, only to be turned down.
Around that time, he established what is now known as the P.J. Boatwright Internship Program within the United States Golf Association. Interns in the Boatwright program spend 40 hours per week at one of the 58 Allied Golf Associations throughout the nation, learning the ins and outs of game management. Some internships last up to a year, while others are shorter. Depending on the organization, participants earn a monthly salary, like $2,000 for Yergey. Applicants need not be college students pursuing degrees, and there is no upper age limit.
In Yergey’s case, the Alabama Golf Association offered him an internship. Reflecting on his time as the senior member of his cohort, he realizes his position is coming to an end.
“We were able to learn from one another,” he states. “The media intern gave me a tour of their social media projects, and the other interns were more than happy to answer any questions I had about the technology they were using, which I did have on occasion. In any case… One of my fellow interns is pursuing a master’s degree, and I was advising her on certain professional matters.
His experience as a teacher has made him the “oldest person in the room,” as he puts it.
I have a terrible habit of putting myself down. Embracing self-deprecation is not an issue for me. It’s something I picked up on the job. Establishing rapport is aided by this. The same is true for this role.
In an effort to broaden their professional horizons, some retirees become interns.
Internships are a great way for folks to test out a new field after deciding to unretire. Barbara Morrow, a resident of Reno, Nevada, and a 58-year veteran of the United States Air Force, served for 34 years in the Air National Guard. Something was lacking when she resigned as a brigadier general; the lack of camaraderie being an integral component of any organization was the most noticeable.
“Oh, retire, travel, do this, do that,” are the words that everyone uses. The amount of traveling you can do, she explains, is limited.
“Retiring during COVID was a bit of a weird adjustment since I worked pretty much my entire life. You see yourself cruising around in your mobile home, thinking it’s all glamorous, says Morrow. “That has never been, and still isn’t, something I’m interested in.”
Her spouse extended an invitation for her to join him on the golf course, which sparked her interest in the sport. From discus to basketball, she was a young athlete who excelled. Her college’s basketball hall of fame has recently honored her with an induction. On the other hand, Morrow had never played golf before.
She explains that her husband purchased golf lessons when she tried using her mother’s old clubs and realized she was unprepared.
Joining a women’s club that got together for Thursday golf games wasn’t enough for Morrow in her search for a community. Morrow applied for an internship at Boatwright after hearing about it via the Northern Nevada Golf Association (NNGA).
I never expected to get a phone call… “I don’t think I fit the profile for an internship,” she remarks.
When the present bookkeeper retires, Morrow had planned to work in the office. However, her intentions changed as she learned about tournament administration.
“When I was in the military, I oversaw major events. “This [role] was just second nature to me because I had to organize deployments around the world,” she explains.
Internships often result in permanent jobs.
Eagle Bend Golf in Kansas has offered 68-year-old intern Greg Wyatt a permanent position upon completion of his internship. The managers of Central Links Golf extended an invitation to Wyatt, a former employee of the Kansas Department of Transportation and a competitive golfer, to apply for the internship.
At least twenty years have passed since Wyatt first crossed paths with Casey Old, Central Links’ director of regulations and competitions.
I first met him while he was working part-time at one of the several local golf courses. According to Old, “he became increasingly interested in our work here and in tournament administration” after participating at a few of our tournaments. “Next year, he’ll have a more permanent position, but for now, we’ve decided to give him this internship with Boatwright to help him out.”
“He had a wealth of knowledge about golf and its ins and outs, so for him, the internship was more about gaining experience in the technology side of things, getting to know our staff members better, and learning the ins and outs of tournament operation,” Old explains.
A much, according to Wyatt. “I’ve been assigned additional responsibilities beyond my previous volunteer work,” one of which is the development of the software Golf Genius.
He professes his affection for it. “Basically, the USGA is footing the bill, but it’s the same as what I’ve been doing as a volunteer.”
According to Old, Wyatt will keep helping after his internship expires in October until the start of his new career in March. “He will be going to different locations around the state to help run tournaments exclusively.”
A guide to locating a returnship
Carol Fishman Cohen, chair and cofounder of the career-reentry business iRelaunch, which works with 70 worldwide firms that offer returnship programs, says that “but about 80 percent of career reentry programs are returnships.” While there may not be a comprehensive list of all returnship programs, there are certainly plenty.
“They entail a paid internship-like experience that usually lasts anywhere from twelve to twenty-four weeks…” A whopping 85% of those who took part are finding employment.
