Finding a job or changing career paths after 50 can be challenging.

“Many older workers face age discrimination and are often overlooked for jobs they are qualified for,” says Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP.

Still, about 38 million adults age 55-plus are currently employed, Roszkowski says. And roughly 1 in 4 workers 50 and over are planning to make a job change this year, up from 14 percent in 2024, according to a recent AARP survey.

To help, AARP has teamed with Indeed.com, which connects 610 million job-seeker profiles with millions of potential employers, to launch a job search platform and career resources hub for older workers to help them stay competitive in the job market.

AARP members and others who have created an online account at aarp.org are eligible for discounts on various personalized services, including one-on-one career coaching, résumé review and interview preparation. Visit aarp.org/IndeedCareerServices to learn more.

The collaboration with Indeed is only one of the resources AARP and its affiliates offer to help older job seekers.

Harold St. John, 64, was laid off in January 2024 from his IT position. “I figured with all my skills and talent, I wouldn’t have any problem finding a job,” he says. But after spending several months applying without getting any offers, St. John grew concerned.

That’s when he heard about Back to Work 50+ (BTW50+), AARP Foundation’s free job search training program that provides sessions led by career coaches to help older job seekers build skills and find opportunities.

St. John worked with AARP Foundation coaches to refine his résumé and find the best job opportunities to match his skills and experience. He’s back to work, at a digital music publishing company in Brooklyn, New York.

After leaving a job to care for her sick mother, Chicago resident Jacquie Johnson, 59, also had a hard time returning to the workforce, despite her two master’s degrees. “It gave me so much anxiety,” she says. But Johnson tapped in to the resources BTW50+ provides and learned how to better pitch herself to employers. (There’s a link to BTW50+ at the Finding Work Resource Center, discussed below.) 

“Having someone to help you navigate that process is so needed. It takes away a lot of fear,” she says. Johnson now works as an office manager for a consulting firm and as an administrator for a mental health practice.

Here are more ways AARP and its affiliates can help job seekers.

▶︎ Work & Jobs Resource Center: Go to aarp.org/work for professional career advice and other job-search tips.

▶︎ Skills Builder for Work: These online courses will help you build critical skills for today’s dynamic job market. Visit aarp.org/workskills for more info.

▶︎ Job Search Toolkit: Whether you’re looking for a new job or thinking about a career move, Strategies for a Successful Job Search is a free toolkit that will help you every step of the way. Go to aarp.org/jobsearchtoolkit to download.

▶︎ On-Demand Webinars: These free webinars can help you hone your interviewing skills, find remote work or develop a positive mindset in your job search. Go to virtualevents.aarp.org/workjobs-hub for details.

▶︎ Finding Work Resource Center: AARP Foundation shares the latest tips to set yourself up for finding a job or self-employment success. Its resources include BTW50+ and Work for Yourself@50+, as well as the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Go to my.aarpfoundation.org/work/finding-work to learn more.

Follow AARP on LinkedIn for the latest job search tips and to keep up with how AARP’s legal and policy teams are working to protect older workers from discrimination.