Even approaching 10 years in retirement, I still stumble over answering the question, “What do you do?’ For 30+ years, my total identity was singular and tied to my career, to what I did. I was a Products Researcher at P&G. [For those not familiar with the Corporate lingo, that’s a product designer for Procter & Gamble, a global consumer products company.] I’ve come to realize that the answer to this question (“What do you do?”) is often a challenge for many retirees. It used to be simple, especially for career focused individuals and/or workaholics. Similar to my “I’m an ABC at XYZ” there was usually a simple response.
These what-do-I-do role identities provide the answer to the human quest of “who am I”. Our identity emerges from the roles we occupy; roles that have socially acceptable behaviors, responsibilities, and tasks. In the past most people had only one or two dominant lifelong career roles, which were integrated into one’s self-concept.Teacher, Doctor, Lawyer, Product Designer, Nurse, Realtor. If someone had a side hustle, whether volunteering or a hobby, it was usually not the first role claimed, nor the primary who am I identity.
Beyond role identity being a challenge for retirees, in today’s world a single career for life, or even a couple of distinct careers in a row, seems like an antiquated concept! Today, it is the pursuit of multiple careers simultaneously. And to this end, I’ve been seeing more and more references to the multi-hyphenate.
The hyphenate identity language originated, and is still dominant, in the entertainment industry. Singer-songwriter or writer-producer or the triple threat actor-singer-dancer have all been commonplace role/identity statements for years. More recently this type of hyphenate roles are being used in the knowledge creation industry with its focus on curated content creation (Blogger-Speaker-Author or Consultant-Podcaster). But it is also a reflection of individuals needing to hold multiple jobs to make a living wage (Uber driver-house cleaner-dog walker or yoga instructor-barista). And I’ve begun to see combinations of the more personal (hobbies, volunteering) with professional (model-influencer-philanthropist).
So is the emergence of more and more role identity hyphenates because of the fragmentation of modern day work, the growth of the gig economy, and/or the emerging societal expectation for a side hustle to produce income? Or is it an example of an emerging culture that defies any current categorization? Or simply a growing cohort that self-proclaims all one does as a form of narcissism?
“Hyphenates” always existed as individuals, but in the past were called a Renaissance Man (yes, usually a man) or a polymath. My Renaissance Woman blog in Sept 2019 explored this idea [link here]. I wrote that a Renaissance Man/Woman was “a well-rounded individual full of knowledge across many fields”. This was my first recognition of my dabbling into various fields of interest and not achieving mastery. But a Renaissance Man/Woman was one who was “delving just deep enough to gain knowledge; she/he recognizes that not everything has to be mastered”.
These hyphenated identity statements feel like a movement away from specialization and mastery, which challenges my conditioned belief systems! Back when I was working, I was a generalist (another term for hyphenate) in a place that valued and rewarded the specialists. A specialist has (and is known for) deep mastery of a single space. There was the derogatory “jack of all trades, master of none” belief about generalists. Net, I believe that mastery is what one should be attempting to achieve.
However, when I was working as a generalist, I would also claim I was fluent in three languages – the language of the consumer, the language of the market, and the language of technology. With this insight, I started to explore the concept of Language Fluency as a metaphor for mastery, but then I found this fabulous Five Levels of Mastery. (reference: https://gobemore.co/the-five-levels-of-mastery-and-how-good-is-good-enough/)
LEVELS OF MASTERY
LEVEL 1: UNDERSTANDING – You know a little about the field, it’s connection to other fields, maybe some of the key players and their unique roles. You don’t know enough to do anything or to have an informed opinion, but you are aware of what others do or think.
LEVEL 2: BASIC COMPETENCE – You have a solid understanding of the key concepts. You could explain it to someone else to teach them the gist of it. If it is a skill, then you can do most of what you need to do, albeit slowly and inefficiently. You may need to refer to manuals or mentors for difficult tasks, yet you can get most jobs done.
LEVEL 3: FLUENCY -This is the level of a typical professional. If it is a school subject, this might be someone who majored or even mastered in the field. In a company, it’s a standard employee who makes a living doing this skill. You know all of the key aspects of your job and you can execute them efficiently and without assistance.
LEVEL 4: CREATIVITY – This is one step above being a professional. It is a professional with a specialty or unique ability that sets them apart from the average person at level 3. This might be a professor who has done unique research in their field, an athlete who brings a unique approach to their sport, or an employee who is able to produce results that others are not.
LEVEL 5: MASTERY – This is the final level and it involves understanding your field, craft, or skill so well that there is virtually nothing you can’t do. You understand the connections between your work and everything it touches. You are able to solve new and unique problems that others cannot. You are often not only dominating your field, but inventing where it will go in the future.
The author stated, ”You usually only need to get to somewhere near Fluency in a few strategic areas.” I wish I had this understanding of mastery when I was working. I’m not sure it would have helped in a culture that rewarded Level 5 Mastery, but it would have given me an argument for being better rewarded with my multiple fluencies!
So, today’s hyphenate terminology is more about careers and making money. It is not about mastery; fluency is good enough. Specialists are going away. Those with a broad range of competent skills seem to be the wave of the future and they are being defined with multi-hyphenate role identities.
Even though I do not generate income from any of my current pursuits, why do I still feel compelled to role define who I am? Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Naming an identity presents a sense of who we are, how we fit in the world. I recently saw this analogy about zebras, which resonated as to why I feel the need to have a labeled role identity! [Reference: https://adhduk.co.uk/2023/05/09/the-zebra-analogy-an-analogy-for-the-importance-of-a-diagnosis-and-a-label/]
The Zebra Analogy – “Why do you need a label?” Because there is comfort in knowing that you are a normal zebra, not a strange horse. Because you can’t find a community of other zebras, can’t learn what makes a zebra thrive, what brings [you] a zebra joy, if you don’t know you are a zebra and you are learning solely from horses. It is near impossible to be happy and mentally healthy if you’re spending all your life thinking you’re a failed horse, having others tell you, ‘you are a failed horse’, when all along you could be thriving and understood if everyone, including you, just knew you were a zebra.”
I’ve always found comfort in labeling. Perhaps an anomaly in today’s culture where people create new language for identity all the time, but whether it was segmentation models, Enneagram typing, Cohort alignment, or archetypes, I’ve always been a proponent of naming and labeling.
So, I need to role define myself so I’m not feeling like a failed horse. I need to accept that a role identity does not mean achieving mastery. I probably should not use the multi-hyphenate language, as I’m not attempting to generate income from any of my role identities!
So the next time someone asks me, “What do you do?” I can reply, “I’m an amateur gardener, a dabbling (competent?) crafter, an irregular blogger, a knowledge synthesizer, an aspiring foodie, a latent adventurer, or a shelling enthusiast” depending on the day. I’m many things, but no, I am not joining the multi-hyphenate trend.
How about you?
Picture: This week’s dabbling craft.
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retirementtransition 
Hi Pat.
I do not plan to hyphenate, but I recently discovered that it can “lean in and lean out” as I feel moved or drawn to do so. My writing (poetry), knotting (macramé), teaching (teachers) and coaching (life), the latter two I restarted recently, don’t have to be full-time. As a long-time friend, who is also a life coach, recently told me, I can lean in and lean out as I desire. It’s such a relief not to have to choose a label, name, title.
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Another fascinating idea – lean in and lean out. Even after almost 10 years retired, it still feels weird to me to not be leaning in 110% on one thing! Leaning out was never part of my skill set, and in fact, it isn’t a solid skill even today. I’ll need to work on that lean-out aspect!
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Although I got that question (What do you do?) earlier in my retirement, I don’t hear it very often anymore. Maybe it’s because I mostly hang out with similarly retired people or maybe it’s because I now look old enough for someone to assume I’m retired. Now I hear “What do you do for fun?” which is a much easier, although ever-changing, question to answer.
I’ve never worried about labels, but being a happy retiree is a great label to have!
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Janis, Although I mostly hang with retired folks now, a couple of my new dip-your-toes in activities have been with a younger, still working crowd, so the question comes up. I guess it’s nice when they are surprised I am retired. I am more comfortable saying I’m retired. I also found some newer retired folks I’ve recently met are using their new labels – the other day, it was “I’m a retired heath care worker and now a crafter”, “retired teacher and now a writer”, etc.). So maybe it is a time thing.And I’m learning many folks don’t need/want labels, but others do!
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Barbara de Angelis, in “Real Moments,” says, ” Your job is what you do to survive physically & to support yourself & your family. It is the profession you choose, the skills you develop…Your work is what you do to survive emotionally & to support your spirit. It is the lessons you are here to learn. wisdom you are here to gain.” My retirement was a milestone that recognized a long career in healthcare & the investment I made to a retirement lifestyle. I feel like I can be more of who I am without the constraints of any role definition. I may not have a job to go to but I certainly have work to do as I continue on this earth journey. When asked, “What do you do?” I say I look after myself & my home. If they want to know more details, they may ask. I’m still not convinced that people are really interested in what I do; they wonder what they would do in retirement. The levels of mastery could be applied to life in general. We can only strive to achieve some level of mastery in this life journey. I worked as a generalist in a rural hospital. We had to deal with it all – emergencies, trauma, obstetrics, cardiac care, hospice, pediatrics, ortho, etc. I came to believe that being a generalist was a form of specialization. I’m specializing in retirement now, contributing to society in a purposeful way not defined by a career role.
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I love your insight “I’m still not convinced that people are really interested in what I do; they wonder what they would do in retirement” and agree. Many of us spend so much time on the career role that we have no idea what to do with all that time when it becomes available. And for many, that is frightening. Being able to replace one label with another can help ease the fear. In retirement I am finding joy in many things, hence my exploration of hyphenated labels!
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When asked what I do, I never describe myself as retired hyphenated with what I used to do. Instead, I proudly tell people that I am an explorer engaged in the discovery of Planet Retirement. It very much shifts the focus away from what I used to be and the idea that we all carry a label to a discussion on the benefits of this stage of life.
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I agree there are so many benefits to this stage of life. I kinda like the term Planet Retirement Explorer!
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I am doing a LOL here. I like had no idea this was a thing, but my instragram tag line for many years was Traumanurse/mom/wife/daughter/quilter/volunteer. Once I retired and became a Nan, I changed it to this. “Many things to many people, but the best is Nan”. So I guess labels work for me.
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Bernie, the other phrase for this trend was “slash work”. Hyphenate was more often used, so I stayed with that. You were ahead of the trend! But, I adore your new response.
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Me too as I absolutely am so blessed to be a Nan.
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Hi Pat. A great post and topic. I too struggled early on with using “retired” as a label — it’s just so ridden with bad stereotypes. I prefer to answer the question not as “who I am” but “what I’m doing” — e.g., I write about retirement life/life after a full-time career to try to be a voice to help others navigating that change, i’m learning more about finances, nutrition, gardening, I enjoy healthy cooking, I’m thinking about a volunteer position incorporating food/nutrition. But I no longer shy away from saying I’m retired from my former career.
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Judi, It’s fascinating how many of us are getting more comfortable in the responding “I am retired”. Is the vision (stereotype) of retirement changing? Are we changing? Are we just “growing into it”? I wondered for me if it is because I am now the “age” to be retired (versus the early retirement age I was) or because I’m now in Florida where every other person seems to be retired! I’m definitely going to ponder this, as it’s not just me saying “I no longer shy away from saying I’m retired.”
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I retired at 58 from a 4 decade demanding healthcare career. “What do you do”? Me: what I want, when I want. (LOL) I love my life. Walk, lift weights, quilt/sew, garden, preserve food, cook, bake bread, read, nothing. I love all the choices life has to offer. Heck I even clean our home. Labels kill and meeting the expectations of others is not the best way to improved mental health and recovery from demands!
Happy Monday 🙂
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It sounds like we could be twins! Same professional story, and now our retirement stories seem very similar!
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Elle, I agree about all the choices life has to offer! And I also do what I want when I want. And yet, I still feel the internal need for a label! Many folks don’t need labels – I’ve always known this and hear again in comments here. For me, labels provide structure…and I love/need structure.
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I’m not much for labels, but if it works for you then have at it. That being said I don’t think I’ve ever used a hyphenated word to describe myself. A missed opportunity?
When asked: “What do you do?” If I’m feeling ornery I tell the person I’m a kept woman. I also sometimes say “as little as possible.” Or if I’m sensing the person actually is interested I say “I’m a writer.”
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Ally, I quite like the “kept woman” answer. I recognize that many people don’t need labels, and in fact rebel against them! I have always needed them as they help me find stability in my world. Ah well, perhaps I’ll start responding I’m a failed horse…I quite like the idea of being a zebra among horses.
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It is interesting that we need a label. I was an orthodontist. That was before hyphenating. But other than being a mother I’m not sure what else I had time for in those days. I, like leanelc, didn’t like to say I was retired at first because of sounding old or as one individual put it, “no longer contributing to the world” but I have found that I now just say I’m retired. If they want to do with my retirement I suppose I could say I’m an elementary-leveled ballroom dancer, a non-profit board member, and a fairly experienced gala chair/co-chair. Oh and now I can add part time caretaker of my grandson. But I have grown to love being able to say, “I’m retired! Great work if you can get! I highly suggest it!”
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Retired at 58, as noted above. First reaction from some people “are you old enough to retire”? Well, what age is THAT!? People are funny but not always ha ha funny 😉
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I retired at 53… Oh yeah, I got that a lot! Everyone assumed I would start another job, a second career, something!
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Candyse, I’m thinking you’re more than entry-level ballroom dancer! But, I too am getting more comfortable with saying I’m retired. Of course, lots of people down here are, so it’s no big deal! Interesting however, I have not yet put “non-profit board member” on my litany… and I’m on two boards! I do love being retired, and I love my days that are full of various activities. I just need to keep reminding myself it’s OK not to try for mastery in any of those various activities!
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Hi Pat – I loved the zebra analogy and the ‘failed horse’ feeling. I also think it’s interesting that you said “I probably should not use the multi-hyphenate language, as I’m not attempting to generate income from any of my role identities!” – that brings our Western culture to the forefront where success is defined by dollars – and successful retirement teaches us that our self-worth can be defined on a different scale to that one.
I used to try to answer the “what do you do?” question with a “role” when I first left work – but really struggled because I didn’t want to say ‘retired’ because it sounded “old” but the alternative was ‘unemployed’ or coming up with something a bit wishy washy. Since my second turn at retirement I feel much more comfortable just saying “I’m retired” and being proud that I’m financially in a place to not have to work and to be the captain of my own ship at last. No hyphens for me – just quiet appreciation for this stage of life.
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Leanne, great insight about how our Western Culture puts dollar signs on success! And actually, like you, I am more comfortable to say “I’m retired” now than when I first retired. I retired early and it felt like I should still be earning money, being productive, doing something of importance. I still have the need to define myself in me! (not everyone does, I’ve found.)
I’m meeting more and more folks who are retired now, so now the question is more often, what activities are you involved in…because someone is looking for a pickleball partner or a good book to read.
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