Transcript: Chat on Jobs and Experienced Workers With AARP President Rob Romasco

Comment From Russell: Isn’t it illegal to discriminate against older people? How do they get away with it?

Rob Romasco: I want you to know that AARP has endorsed bipartisan legislation to combat age discrimination and defend the rights of older individuals in the workplace.

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, sponsored by Sens. Tom Harkin, Chuck Grassley and Patrick Leahy, is designed to remedy a flawed 2009 decision (Gross v. FBL Financial Services Inc.) by the U.S. Supreme Court that made it far more difficult for older workers to prove claims of illegal bias based on age. Learn more here: http://blog.aarp.org/tag/powada.

This is all part of AARP's three-prong strategy to help older workers: 1. We champion the value of older workers in the workplace. 2. We support laws that guarantee a fair playing field. 3. We give you the tools to help you to find and compete for good jobs.

Comment From Carol: Hi, I have been looking for a weekend part-time job and I am having a hard time in Pittsburgh. Any ideas? Thanks!

Rob Romasco: Many of our members are in the same situation as you — looking for part-time work. There are jobs out there for seasonal, full-time, part-time and temporary workers. AARP recently released a book written by Kerry Hannon called Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy ... And Pays the Bills. Here's a link: http://blog.aarp.org/2012/09/21/new-book-focuses-on-great-jobs-for-older-workers.

Of course, there are free AARP online resources you can use. Check out www.WorkReimagined.org. Another source is the AARP job search engine powered by Indeed.com. This search engine has compiled over 500,000 new jobs over the past week alone.

You can type in your search criteria (ex: job type, part-time, etc.), list your location and then click “Find Jobs” to bring up a list of all jobs that match your criteria. For example, I just typed in “part-time” and “Pittsburgh,” and came up with almost 1,800 job results.

Comment From Nancy: What are the benefits/pitfalls of letting potential employers know how many years of experience you have?

Rob Romasco: Nancy, the reality is your experience is the truth. Your challenge is to cast it in a positive light. Turn your experience into an asset. What value does that experience bring to your prospective employer, and wrap it up in a package in terms of how you approach work and the value you can bring.

Trying to hide your experience is like trying to hide your light under a bushel basket. Sooner or later they'll figure it out.

Next: I'm over 50 and there seems to be a lot of competition even for part-time positions. »