Passion shows no sign of quitting

FIVE years after her youngest daughter completed high school, Victorian Women's Trust executive director Mary Crooks has no intention of retiring any time soon.

By InvestSMART · 9 Feb 2012

By InvestSMART ·
9 Feb 2012

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FIVE years after her youngest daughter completed high school, Victorian Women's Trust executive director Mary Crooks has no intention of retiring any time soon.

"I feel immensely liberated," says Ms Crooks, 61, who has helmed the women's advocacy and philanthropy organisation for 14 years.

"If you're interested in the kinds of things I'm interested in, you could argue you're still hitting your straps through your 50s and your 60s. I come across women in my job in their 70s and 80s and they just have extraordinary wisdom.

"In my view, there's no chronological point where I'd want to turn the tap off and say, 'that's it, brain stop working'."

Like many baby boomer women, Ms Crooks says her superannuation is "not great", because of the time she spent as primary carer to her two daughters in the mid-1990s after two decades in academia and social policy.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't realise that the longer I keep working, the more [my superannuation] is going to improve but it's not why I'm working."

Many younger women, planning to start families, have told Ms Crooks they worry that it could be the end of their careers if they take time out with young families.

"My advice is to see your life as having enormously productive chapters, so, as the chapter you might spend as a primary carer closes or half-closes, you move on in your 40s and 50s and 60s as a highly creative contributor to your career and workplace."

Older workers shouldn't slow down just because they think it's expected of them, Ms Crooks said.

"Bugger that! Just go with your passion . . . A lot of it is about mindset as well."

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

What does Mary Crooks say about working after 60 and retiring?

Mary Crooks, the Victorian Women's Trust executive director, says she has no intention of retiring soon at 61. She feels “immensely liberated,” believes people can keep contributing in their 50s and 60s, and sees no single chronological point at which you should stop working.

Will working longer improve my superannuation (retirement savings)?

According to Crooks, working longer will generally improve your superannuation — she admits the longer she keeps working, the more her super will improve — but she emphasises that this isn’t her main reason for continuing to work.

How do career breaks for caregiving affect women’s superannuation?

Crooks highlights that many baby boomer women have ‘not great’ superannuation because time spent as a primary carer (as she did in the mid-1990s) interrupted contributions after long careers in other fields.

What practical advice does Mary Crooks offer younger women worried about taking time out to start a family?

Her advice is to view life as a series of productive chapters: a chapter spent as a primary carer can close or half-close, and you can move into your 40s, 50s and 60s as a highly creative contributor to your career and workplace.

Should older workers slow down because society expects it?

No — Crooks says older workers shouldn’t slow down just because it’s expected. Her message is to follow your passion and mindset rather than bow to age-based expectations.

What mindset does Mary Crooks recommend for people planning late-career work or retirement?

She recommends a passion-driven mindset: keep doing work that interests you, recognise the value and wisdom older people bring, and don’t treat retirement as a fixed chronological switch-off.

Is improving superannuation the only reason to keep working according to the article?

No — while Crooks acknowledges that continued work helps superannuation, she stresses that financial improvement isn’t her primary motive; purpose and contribution drive her decision to keep working.

What does this article suggest everyday investors should consider about planning for later life?

The article suggests balancing financial planning with purpose: recognise that working longer can help your superannuation, but also consider career chapters, personal fulfillment and a mindset that values continuing contribution into your 50s, 60s and beyond.