Should He Train for a New Career at Age 50?

Clarence writes:

It’s been over 18 months since I last held a full-time job in the electronics field.
I have placed many, many resumes with employers. Many told me they have hiring freezes, most have cut back and not hiring at all, and the rest are seeking individuals with core experience. Also, I’m 50 years old. Question: Do I keep taking the rejections in stride and keep placing resumes, hoping for a break. Or, should I drop my field and try to get a loan to go back to school and start over again at age 50!

The Career Doctor responds:

Of all the career fields, I think technology has been hardest hit during these last few years when our economy has been struggling and some jobs moved overseas.

I know you did not plan to be out of work for 18 months — no one ever expects a job hunt to last too long — but what have you been doing all this time (besides looking for a new job)? Ideally, besides looking for a new job, you have been doing some consulting or gaining some new skills and training. If you want to stay in the field, I would immediately get working on both of these areas because employers don’t want to hire anyone — especially someone in the technology field — who has been doing nothing for 18 months.

At your age, will you experience some age discrimination? It’s certainly possible, especially in the technology field, but there are numerous things you can do on your resume and in the interview to deflect some of it.

Are you too old to change careers? Not at all. In fact, there is growing evidence that the baby boomers are going to totally transform the stereotypes of older workers and the rules of career change later in life.