Begin Again

If you have an AARP card you might relate to something I just did with a teeny bit of guilt – I purged over 15 years of job experience from my resume before I submitted a job application. According to suggestions in an AARP Foundation article, we “workers over 50” might improve our employment chances if we only include the past ten years of work experience on our resume. Who am I to ignore what seems like a very valid bit of advice? I’ll get over the guilt.

Given the string of job search dead ends I’ve hit since my position was eliminated in March of 2025, I’m open to adapting more things – my mindset, my job search criteria, my expectations – but that one “modernize your resume” tip whipped up some resentment I wasn’t expecting to feel. Why should I hide professional experiences that hint at my age? Where’s the “modernize your over-50 worker mindset” commitment from employers and other hiring influencers?

I’m not here to answer those questions, though I think it’s fair to ask them.

My purpose here is to…how do I word this…vent. Occasionally. But mostly, I want to reclaim the potential and capabilities of over-50 people for our work lives, and all other aspects of our very vital existence. How about that? I like that. I like it a lot. I hope you do too.

So let’s begin. Again.