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In fall 2007, AARP invited job seekers 50+ to share their vision of the perfect job. Contestants were asked to submit a brief essay about their work aspirations and to describe how journaling about the pursuit of their dream job would help others. 

Contest judges read over 7,000 essays to identify six unique individuals whose journeys could benefit others in their dream job pursuit. AARP My Dream Job Contest Winners and their winning categories are:

Career Changer:  Jenette Guillory, Chicago, IL
Downsized:  Kathryn Coverston, San Marcos, CA
Entrepreneur:  Bob Mello, Bay St. Louis, MS
Flexibility Seeker:  Deborah Flowers, Twinsburg, OH
New Worker:  Stephany Humenik, Lansing, MI
Retired and Restless:  Darryl Dillingham, Washington, D.C.

Winners receive a career coaching or business start-up package from RetirementJobs.com, a laptop computer, a $500.00 American Express gift card, and a trip for two to the 2008 AARP Life@50+ National Event & Expo in Washington, DC. 

In return, winners will chronicle their experiences every two weeks on The Water Cooler, an AARP online community site for job seekers 50+.

The winners’ diverse backgrounds and life experiences are illustrative of the common journeys and challenges that job seekers 50+ encounter. At The Water Cooler, older workers can seek and share advice on how to find a job, jump-start a new career or business, survive a job loss, return to work after retirement, confront age bias, and more.

Meet the winners, follow their progress, and join their Water Cooler Community groups at www.aarp.org/mydreamjob.
 
Eight in ten Boomers anticipate working in retirement and nearly half of pre-retirees ages 50-70 expect to work past normal retirement age in a job different from their current job. These trends are propelling the growing need for information, resources, and tools that address the work interests and needs of older adults. 

AARP offers a variety of practical tips and tools to help 50+ workers assess their skills, write a resume, broaden their job search and plan their next steps for employment at www.aarp.org/money/careers.

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