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Woman Restarts Career at 54 After Caring for Her Mom
At 54, Jacquie Johnson had to restart her career after taking time off to be a caregiver for her mother.
“My job search was challenging because I had a break in employment — which needed to be explained — and age discrimination is real,” Johnson tells AARP. “It felt as though I was hitting a wall.”
Johnson found help by enrolling in AARP Foundation’s Back to Work 50+, a nationwide program that provides older adults with the training, coaching and job search tools that can help them compete with confidence for today’s in-demand jobs.
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“Through all of the support, [the program] broke down that barrier. That wall began to come down,” Johnson says.
AARP Foundation offers resources and programs that can help older adults from all backgrounds find jobs and improve their financial security. In addition to Back to Work 50+, these programs include the Senior Community Service Employment Program and Work for Yourself@50+.
Kenneth Terrell covers employment, age discrimination, work and jobs, careers, and the federal government for AARP. He previously worked for the Education Writers Association and U.S. News & World Report, where he reported on government and politics, business, education, science and technology, and lifestyle news.