by Laura Leigh Fields

Created on: September 20, 2008   Last Updated: July 15, 2010

The retirement age is just a suggestion just like a retail price. Many manufacturers will tell a store what to tell an item for but they are free to make their own choice. This is the same case with retirement. Many older people are still in the working world and loving every minute of it.

If you are older but not ready to retire, you don't have to. You can still find a job. You just need to make yourself available in the working world. The first way to do that is to create a resume.

The first thing you should know is that many employers cannot ask your age. Therefore, it will be less of an issue than you think. If you believe it could be a problem then you should use your age as a tool rather than letting potential employers use it as a factor for not hiring you.

Offer references to previous jobs. Provide phone numbers of people who will speak well of the jobs you have performed in the past. Provide personal references of people that know what an asset you will be for the company. Having good references for a resume is a must.

Be confident in your abilities. A resume is a way if selling yourself to the company. Show that age is nothing but a number. Pick strong descriptive words that will focus on your good characteristics.

Speak proudly of your strengths. It's okay to brag that you won a baking contest when applying at a restaurant. If you raised six kids, a resume for a daycare center should say that. If you are a role model for others or have made a difference in someone's life (or the world in general) you should say so.

Admit your weaknesses. Be willing to turn negative situations into positive results. Speak of what you will do differently and how you can change things for the better. Don't fear change and be prepared to prove it.

Use your experience as a stepping-stone. Offer a wise perspective to the situation. Talk of your experiences in life and how they can be related to the job at hand. Tell of skills learned later in life that you are glad to have found. Speak of activities that you will never grow too old for. Show that you are proud of the person you have become and being old doesn't mean that you are ready to give up and start knitting full time.

Despite your age, speak of your willingness to learn more. Let the potential employer know that being older doesn't mean that you have one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave. Show that you aren't willing to let a few gray hairs hold you back from increasing your knowledge as an individual.

Mention your compassion and love for learning. Let those reading your resume know that you are willing to try new things. Use your age as a tool to prove that you can't be easily discouraged and you won't easily give up.

Don't just set yourself apart from the young whippersnappers. Put yourself above and beyond them! Think of issues that younger folks applying for the job could possibly have and focus on offering reasons why would be better a candidate.

Don't just write one resume. Make several. If your dream job doesn't hire you, keep trying. There are many great jobs out there for older people. You will find one that you suit and an employer that is lucky to have you.

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