Greetings! 

The WisdomCircle Community is buzzing with new activity - members are sharing resources on various topics ranging from Finance to Making an Impact and are posting their thoughts, opinions, and experiences in the Community Conversations group. Through the Community you can network and connect with other members, read insightful posts, and make your own! 

Join the completely free WisdomCircle Community to be a part of a growing network of senior professionals. 

In this month's newsletter, we feature:

Vedanta Vision is looking for a COO who will work closely with the Managing Trustee to support the development of the organisation through fundraising, event coordination, brand-building activities, and administrative tasks. Responsibilities include managing the Trust's finances and assisting in achieving its objectives through effective oversight and promotion.

 Please sign in to your WisdomCircle account to browse and apply for opportunities that suit your requirements. 

WisdomCircle routinely organises events for our valued members. These sessions are thoughtfully curated to align with the unique interests, needs, and aspirations of our community.

As a member of WisdomCircle, you have access to the recordings of past sessions. 

About Sonali Piri

With 24 years of diverse work experience spanning both profit and non-profit sectors, Sonal has had the privilege of contributing to manufacturing and service industries alike. She has served in key roles, including as Deputy Director at National Productivity Council, a central government organisation, and worked with leading foreign multinational corporations. Her most recent full-time role was as Director HR at HelpAge India, a social sector organisation. Sonal has also co-authored a book 'Public Administration' and am an accomplished Odissi dancer.

A defining chapter of her life was spent caring for her critically ill parents all alone (both 100% dependent). Despite doctors' prognosis that they had only hours to live, my father survived for 4 more years and my mother for 9.

Her achievements in life are grounded in the solid foundation laid by her dearest parents and dedicated teachers. This has shaped both her professional and personal journey.

⁠⁠Looking back, what would you tell your younger self about preparing for retirement?

"Looking back, I will tell my younger self that life is a journey, not a destination. Whatever comes in life, put up your best foot forward, learn new skills and always think, plan and act so that you have skills that resonate with your innate abilities and have value to the society also. The Best is yet to come!"

⁠What are you passionate about, and how do you spend your time now?

"I am passionate about contributing something special to some section of the society, about honing my talents and skills. Thanks to WisdomCircle, I am fully busy with the Consultancy work. I have 6-8 years of full-time employment left with me, so am looking forward to a more engaging employment. I am also writing a book on an HR related topic."

On her experience with WisdomCircle

"Wisdom Circle is a wonderful concept, and is bound to grow by leaps and bounds. I am full of gratitude to Wisdom Circle for this opportunity. Zaira who interacted with me on behalf of WisdomCircle played a fabulous role. WisdomCircle should approach more and more organisations so that most of the senior positions - either full-time or part-time or consulting work are done through Wisdom Circle. My Best Wishes to WisdomCircle, Neeharika and her great team!"

We’re excited to share some recent updates aimed at enhancing your experience on WisdomCircle. Here's what’s new:

New toggles under the search bar makes it easier to filter remote and part-time roles directly from mobile devices.

This "Ask a Question" lets you submit queries directly to our team. When you click “Submit,” your query is sent to hello@wisdomcircle.com with your registered email in CC, so we can respond promptly.

Contract details, including time commitment, location, and compensation, are now prominently displayed at the top of every role description. This ensures you can quickly access the most critical information without scrolling.

We now offer a complimentary 15-minute video consultation exclusively for women professionals. This support is available after completing your profile, applying for a role, or being shortlisted.

How to Balance Privilege and Intersectionality

Shoba Narayan writes, “The good news, at least for those above 50, is that many of the things my daughter(intersectionality) was talking about could be addressed by a simple practice: listening more, speaking less. As you age, there is a tendency to pontificate, particularly to younger folks. They may know a lot more about AI, dark-verse, and intersectionality, but you have ‘lived’ more than they have, and therefore the assumption is that you know more. In India, it is part of the cultural norm. Elders are allowed to speak. They are given airtime in family gatherings while the youngsters either sit silently with bored faces or check their phones. This is very apparent during festive family gatherings for Diwali or Christmas.”

She explores how one can become more aware of their privilege and become more attuned to the language used while speaking with people can make a big difference in the way you are perceived and regarded.

To share your articles, blogs, and other written content related to your post-retirement experience, write to us at content@wisdomcircle.com.

WisdomCircle honours those challenging cultural expectations of elders slowing down and retreating into retirement by shining light on their journey through an inspiring series called “Wisdom Stories”. 

Paresh Vaish in his interview with Saonli Bedi of WisdomCircle says,

“Retirement is overrated and there is only so much free time that one can enjoy. One needs to be professionally and intellectually engaged, connect with people and stay relevant. This plays into our physical well-being as well. My advice is to plan post-retirement life with thought and identify areas of interest to sow the seeds early. It is easier to do that while you are still working.

Today I am a Senior Advisor to Ernst & Young in India and part of Social Venture Partners. I also offer advice on wealth management, a topic close to my heart. I enjoy being active and continue to seek out areas of interest that impact people in a positive way.”

India’s next demographic dividend is silver generation. Singapore, Canada show how

India’s ageing population, often overlooked, has the potential to become the country’s next demographic dividend. Vibhav Mariwala, a Senior Policy Advisor at WisdomCircle, highlights in The Print how retirees can fill talent shortages, leveraging their expertise and experience to drive economic growth. Drawing lessons from Singapore and Canada, which actively integrate their senior populations into the workforce, the article highlights the need for India to adopt similar strategies. By enabling the silver generation to contribute meaningfully, India can unlock a vast, underutilised resource while enhancing retirees’ quality of life.

Have an achievement you'd like to share with us? Write to us at engage@wisdomcircle.com.

If you haven’t already, join our WhatsApp Announcement group to be up-to-date with new opportunities and events.

How has your experience with WisdomCircle been so far? Share your feedback with us. 

WisdomCircle connects senior experienced professionals, who are typically over 50 and retired, with meaningful opportunities that leverage their lifetime of wisdom and experience.

We are passionate about making post-retirement life meaningful for WisGen.