Stanley Brandon of Jasper (Ala.) has a reason to smile these days. He recently landed a new job as a security officer for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Police Department.
He credits his participation in the BACK TO WORK 50+ at Bevill State Community College, a program in partnership with AARP Foundation, for helping him get job-ready.
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Brandon retired in 2008 from the Hayward California Police Department. He later moved to Alabama and after a few years of retirement, he discovered something unexpected: “There’s too much month left at the end of the money.” The income from life savings and the 401ks were not enough to maintain the same lifestyle as he and his wife, Jeannie, enjoyed before retirement.
Dreams of travel and a life of leisure after retirement are often shattered because living expenses and health care costs are underestimated during the planning process. This is a common thread that runs through people over 50 who have retired.
Stan and Jeannie were among the people who “planned” for retirement, but found themselves stressing about the future. Those unfortunate workers who were downsized or fired for various reasons are finding themselves in an even more precarious position.
When it becomes apparent that a job is necessary to survive, the realization sets in that things have changed since the last time they looked for work. These days there are more people applying for jobs. The competition is younger, and they are often more tech savvy. But fortunately, there’s hope.
Some employers may think they want to hire younger people, but what they want is someone who can quickly contribute to the bottom line of the company. This factor is an advantage for older workers who often have better communications skills, life skills, experience and have better judgment. They also tend to be more dependable.
One reason older workers aren’t finding a job is that they are shooting themselves in the foot. Too often you hear people over 50 say, “I’m too old. No one wants to hire me.” These statements are simply not true.
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