I liked it so much I published it on my blog as well.

Thanks so much,

Kevin

So, it is not “our” age that is the enemy, but rather it is “our” attitude that will make all the difference in the world.

Consultants of all types routinely operate their businesses out of their homes and, frequently, turn out to be quite successful. Think “independent contractor” to use an IRS designation. Many women today have also discovered that businesses of all sizes are birthed around their kitchen tables.

Franchises also tend to work out as a solution in this process.

“Dream your business up” and let your imagination take you on the journey of a lifetime. The next step in this process is up to you!

I take a bit of exception to “going back to school to get more education or more training” as practical advice for those of us over 50 - unless a few classes would make a difference in our “employee desirability”.

It’s hard enough trying to get a job after 50 - add to that a few more years of “re education and training” and we are even further outside of today’s corporate age preferences for the young.

Frankly, let’s be honest, it’s not our experience, education or credentials that are at issue - it’s our age, our salaries and the benefits we receive as long term employees. This is what makes us vulnerable to “downsizing”.

I think that we, as boomers on the outside limits of retirement age, need to get a lot more creative, aggressive and think outside the box of conventional job hunting parameters. Dusting off our resumes, taking a few classes to fatten up our credentials, pounding the pavement from interview to interview, and all the other traditional forms of job hunting will not change the fact that we are no longer of desirable employment age.

Additionally, the work world we entered many decades ago no longer exists and we need to be aware of how employment has changed. It’s no longer a given that a full time job comes with health benefits, overtime, retirement packages and paid vacations.

What do we do? We create a need for our experience, our talents, our abilities and our work ethic!!! We stop looking at our resumes, job listings and jobs that we are qualified for and we look for ways to create a job that fits us!

Instead of applying for an existing job:

1. How about researching a company, seeing where they need help and going in and telling them they need you and why!

2. How about starting a consulting business in your field and marketing yourself as an expert “whatever” who solves problems? (Because I’ll bet you’ve solved a lot of problems over your work life!)

3. How about writing about your field for those “younger” job hunters out there? Sort of like how stagers dress up a home for sale - maybe you could stage people to get ready to get a job!

Just a few “outside the box” ideas for creating a new way to work in this treacherous employment environment. I send out a challenge for all of us over 50 to come up with some more!