My whole team was laid off two years ago. Last year I did a startup that unfortunately folded when my business partner had a major family tragedy. This year I've been contracting and looking for work. I ran the numbers and I can't retire yet. I'm looking to work another 8-9 years.

If you're not doing it already, I'd highly suggest using every free moment you have during your contract work to network with the client, any other contractors, sales reps, account managers etc. you encounter there. i.e. don't just spend your days heads-down doing the work: get to know everyone you can, and more importantly get them to know you, while you're there. And don't be too busy to take the occasional coffee/water cooler break or group lunch. You can get a surprising number of leads this way.

Could you feasibly retire now? I’m not suggesting you should; rather that it might be something to fold in to your cover letter or resume, that you are seeking work because you want to even though you don’t have to. Some may be thinking you’re biding your time until your 65th birthday.

I was looking for this answer, and sad to see it so far down the bottom.

If a company is hiring for a senior position, then _from an HR perspective_ they want the employee to ideally stay for 2-4 years. You're at the age where not only you could retire soon, if the job gets hard then it's a permanent option on the table that an employer will need to continue to compete against and eventually will lose.

Going for high-pay contracting positions will probably be hugely effective. People will understand where you're coming from, and you might get to work on more interesting things because your resume impressively speaks for itself.

I am sorry, but in this industry anything more then 3 years in not a job hopping, but a norm.