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This past fall, AARP invited job seekers age 50 and older to share their vision of the perfect job to become entrants in AARP’s “My Dream Job” Contest.

Over 7,000 people entered the contest nationwide, and AARP selected Stephany Humenik, 56, of Lansing as one of their six “My Dream Job” Contest winners based upon her compelling essay detailing her return to college in order to become a paralegal in Elder Law.

“At age 52, I grew weary of working for minimum wage and few, if any, benefits,” Humenik said.  “So, I decided to pursue an associate degree as a legal assistant.”

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 DC

To enter the contest, job seekers age 50 and over were invited in fall of 2007 to submit their vision for the perfect job in a brief essay and describe how journaling about their pursuit would help others.

“I am eager to begin the search for ‘my dream job,’” said Humenik. “I am among the ranks of a generation of Baby Boomers who are quickly moving toward retirement age but do not particularly want to retire. My desire is to work for a firm or organization that champions the cause for seniors, particularly those who are being taken advantage of in any way.”

Humenik, and the five other winners, will receive one-on-one career coaching or business start-up assistance from RetirementJobs.com, a Dell laptop computer, a $500 American Express gift card, and a trip for two to the 2008 AARP Life @50+ National Event & Expo in Washington, DC. In return, AARP “My Dream Job” Contest winners will chronicle their experiences every two weeks on “AARP Water Cooler: Your Place for Job Talk @ 50+,” an AARP online community site for job seekers age 50 and older. Each winner will also give a presentation at the AARP Life @ 50+ National Event & Expo.

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.

“More than 70 percent of boomers want to continue working, and AARP is committed to providing information and resources in helping them remain in the workplace as vibrant as ever,” said Steve Gools, AARP Michigan state director.

To meet the Michigan winner, and to follow her progress, join her Water Cooler Community group, or to simply share your personal success story, visit www.aarp.org/mydreamjob.