Even the Peace Corps has launched an initiative to increase the number of volunteers who are on the other side of 50, to 15 percent of its participant pool. In a recent op-ed piece in The New York Times, Robert L. Strauss, a former Peace Corps country director who now heads a management consulting company, wrote, "I observed how many older volunteers brought something to their service that most young volunteers could not: extensive professional and life experience and the ability to mentor younger volunteers."

Laura Hill, a Manhattan-based career coach and founder of Careers in Motion, agrees that experience counts. As increasing numbers of baby boomers retire, she says, "Companies need seasoned people who can mentor and train and troubleshoot with good judgment."

Further, an upside to age is that "you have a very long track record at this point," she says. "If a 28-year-old or a 38-year-old has a one-year job gap on his resume, it's a real question mark. As you enter your 40s and 50s, your shelf-life is longer."

Wisdom of the Ages

While some employers like that you act your age, they may not want you to show it. Some career coaches recommend older applicants omit graduation dates on their resumes. However, Hill isn't of that opinion. "For experienced recruiters, missing dates equal a red flag. They assume the person is 62 at the get-go, and the assumption may be worse than the reality," she says.

However, she does suggest applicants consolidate their elementary early jobs. Her guideline is whether specifying a particular job adds value to your resume.

Thinking Botox? Think Again

While a job hunt at 50-plus is "a great time to go on a diet and lose those 15 extra pounds and shop for some new clothes," Hill stops short of recommending plastic surgery for her clients. Although you should be role-specific and company-appropriate, "it's more important to be stylish than to be prim, proper or formal," she says. "And I do believe in coloring one's hair. It imparts a sense of vim and vigor when you go on interviews."

Because 50-year-olds generally command higher salaries than younger employees, it usually takes them longer to find new positions. While some perceive this as age discrimination, employers often define it as salary discrimination. The difference, says Richard Bayer, chief operating officer of the career-counseling network the Five O’Clock Club, is "job hunters can change the salaries they demand."

Bayer cautions job-seekers against "perceived discrimination," or seeing bias where none actually exists. Rather than throw in the towel and despair prematurely if they don't snag a high-paying job in two weeks, he urges candidates to stay confident and keep their job search and networking efforts active.

"The (hiring) company knows more than the job-seeker knows," Hill observes. "It knows what the manager is like, what the job is like and what the company's needs are." If a business declines your services, "it's actually doing you a favor, because it knows you'd be a mismatch. You'd be miserable and you'd be gone when the phone rings with another offer that's a better fit."

She adds, "Don’t beat your head against the wall. If an employer rejects you, move on."

Original version published Sept. 14, 2006

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