Career Help and Advice

Because it's illegal, prospective employers cannot ask your age or tell you they won't hire you because of it. All I can tell you is that my DH was laid off when he was 55 after working at the same place for 30 years. He is in the IT business, which you would think would be relatively easy to get another job in, and he was out of work for 1 1/2 years. When he did get a job, it was at half the salary of his previous job and doing more "hands-on" rather than managing. His peers were 20 somethings who could have been his grandkids! The silver lining is that he kept looking while he was at the new job, and 9 months later, he landed a management job that paid more than his first job. So, it's a matter of being at the right place at the right time, but don't think for a minute that age does not figure into it. If you look young, you've got a lot going for you. Just don't put the years you graduated from college on your resume!

Also, if you have been a stay at home mom for a while, use some of your volunteer work (say, things you did at the kids' schools) as "job experience." I have been told stuff like that really helps.

Good luck.