Your Career Coach

Rocket Reentry No. 2

Dear Michele,

I’m in my 50s and am seeking to start a career. I spent a lot of time being a caregiver to my elderly parents. I’d like to use my experience to begin a career in gerontology. Can you give me some advice on how to reach this goal and how to put together a proper resume?

- Better Late Than Never

Dear Better Late,

Approximately 70 percent of jobs are filled by personal referral. As a first step, touch base with your parents’ doctors, nurses or other medical staff and ask them what type of jobs are most needed in gerontology. Find out what kind of training is required for those jobs and select something that has a manageable training time frame for your needs. Who knows, perhaps the professionals you talk with are in a position to hire you! To get help with your resume, find out if there’s a Women’s Center in your community; you can usually find one through your local government office or community college. They often help women entering the workforce put together a resume free of charge.