I am older I get it, but during an interview recently this woman actually said to me..."How often do you plan to use the company health insurance?" She then tells me she is asking because I am past the age of most of their 'typical' applicants. I felt like I was sucker punched. I am perfectly healthy and active. Hell, I am more fit than a lot of the 20 year old's I see out there! So I ended up going to another job interview that week and thankfully they were welcoming and warm. They seemed to appreciate my experience and ideas. A complete 180 from that other one, which makes me so grateful that some people out there can still see past a person's number. You're only as old as you feel guys!

If you’re unemployed, now is the time to do something! Volunteering allows you to network and potentially get your foot in the door with a future employer.

Try volunteering for a nonprofit organization or do pro-bono work in a job that uses your skills. It will build up your resume with current experience. It also fills in gaps of time that you've been out of work on your resume. You also never know, you might just meet someone who will lead you to a job opening elsewhere.

According to a study conducted by LinkedIn they revealed that, 42% of hiring managers say they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. So head out there and volunteer!

To search for a volunteer position near you use the 4 easy steps below:

1.Click on “Jobs & Companies” at the [top of the page] (http://www.jobcase.com/jobs/search) 2.Enter the word volunteer into the search field that says Job title and then enter your location 3.Click on the blue hour glass symbol to search 4.Once the list is up, click on “View Job" of any you are interested in and then apply.

Happy volunteering!

If you’re older like me than sometimes you believe you’re more qualified than the person who is interviewing you. Hey it happens! They are often younger than us and it’s slightly embarrassing. You might cop an attitude, maybe without even realizing it. You might even try to tell them why their job description is faulty in some way, or unrealistic, even.

Don’t.

If the person interviewing you IS younger, you could come across as condescending. You might be resentful that you’re actually in this awkward position of having to come to their office.

Get over it.

You don’t take the interview seriously and it shows because you haven't done your homework on the person who is interviewing you, the company, the industry, its competitors. You think you’re there for them to get to know you, when really they want you to show them how much you know about them.

Next time research the company!

Since it might have been a long time since you’ve interviewed for a job, this is to be expected. HERE IS MY ADVICE….calm down. Practice some interviews with a friend (someone younger even). Videotape or record it, so you can see how to tweak your performance. Always remember to be yourself, sincere, straightforward. Keep it conversational. Focus on the company’s needs, not yours. All the best.

The first step to getting hired is to LAND that interview! To help avoid any bias in the recruiting processes, you should always review your resume carefully. It is the first thing they will see, and the deciding factor if they will bring you in for an interview or pass you by.

Take a look at your resume and ask yourself; Does my resume emphasize my key experiences and achievements, OR my age?

Younger workers today are more likely to viewed as innovative risk-takers with the latest skill sets. Make sure your own [resume] (https://www.jobcase.com/community/topics/resumetips) captures your innovativeness, knowledge, and the strengths you would bring to that company. When in doubt have friends and family look over your resume and provide feedback!

Helen Dennis, (a specialist in aging, employment, and retirement) says to, “Focus on selling your skills, and abilities to create, solve problems, and innovate. Older workers need to think in terms of the competitive edge, not only for themselves, but how they can make their employer more competitive, and what they can add to that company."

You can find some other great informational posts and support for those [over 50 here] (https://www.jobcase.com/community/topics/Over50andAmazing).

Good luck, you can do this!!

Worried about how to avoid the age questions that may come up? Try the following 3 things!

1- Re-state the question. If they ask for your high-school or college graduation dates simply say, “I went to the University of...., and it was a very successful time for me because..." and then immediately mention something you accomplished there. You could say for example, "I had a 3.8 GPA" or a club you belonged to or lead for example. You don't have to answer that question with dates specifically.

2- For online applications, try giving vague dates. While some online applications cannot be submitted unless all fields are completed, you might be able to generalize the info to a decade. If not, you might contact the company's HR department to point out the issue; it's contrary to [fair-hiring laws] (https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/), and it might be a part of the online application process that HR is completely unaware of. If they ask for your photo ID and/or your SS number before you are hired, you could express your concerns with identity theft. These are not items that need to be provided until you are hired (typically used for background checks).

3- Be aware of questions that could lead you to reveal your age. These questions could be as innocent as, "Are you over the age of 18?" and, "What are your long-term career goals?" Be cautious about what the interviewer is really asking. An interviewer might leave a bit of silence after you answer; it doesn't mean you need to fill that silence with more detail. Make sure to stay focused and on track and don't offer more than is necessary.

Be sure to showcase your skills in person during the interview as well as on your resume. Remember, a good company will see past your age and not view it as an obstacle. You are just as valuable as a younger candidate. Now get em!

Professional dress has changed massively in recent years. Business casual has made its way into almost every industry, even the most conservative, and you have to look current to avoid looking dated.

Interview attire can often be seen as a test of a candidate’s familiarity with the company culture and industry. The fact that you are wearing something current, will show you have put some effort into preparing for the interview, so do your homework.

Spend a little time researching the company to determine suitable interview outfits. If you are still not sure, you could also discreetly ask your HR contact for advice about company culture, or even connections in your LinkedIn network or ask friends here on Jobcase.

To help prepare check out these [interview outfit ideas by industry] (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/733383120539946079/) for [men] (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/358388082831309366/) and [women] (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AX_ZeInJN_5eadPtidhvNn4rAPbcwVYaKQONCVReTae5pBgg1Zi9ocU/).

Good luck on your interview!

I was rather shocked recently when a potential employer asked if I could provide my age. I think it was quite clear that I was an older candidate. Of course in my shock I didn't do what was sensible and I ended up providing my age. The interviewer asked why I was reluctant at first. I wanted to keep things civil rather than saying "This is illegal!" so I just said that it was "unconventional." Should I have just told her, "I would prefer not to disclose my age?" I don't get why age is such a big deal. I could kick ass at ANY job!

Pat Thomson, 73, works and lives on North Sea oil rigs all around the world. Here is her AMAZING story.

"There’s a lot of fun in the work I do. Although it is hazardous, it is exciting because you have all sorts of different environments to deal with. The lads on the rig are very respectful, because I am so much older and also because I never ask for anything special, though they can be pretty cheeky to me. In the early days, it was a challenge. It definitely wasn’t a female environment then. My title now is a freelance offshore materials and logistics superintendent, it does sound fancy now that I say it out loud, but it's definitely not glamorous.

I work and sleep – there’s not a lot else you can do on a drilling rig. But you have a family atmosphere, because you are living together 24 hours a day, for 21 days at a time. If you didn’t get on with people, it would be a nightmare.

I work very long hours, often 16 hours a day. I can get called out at night when I am sleeping. It’s stressful and tiring, but there’s something challenging about it. Sometimes there can be a situation where we are having a breakdown and the whole rig can shut down, and I have to go and suddenly charter helicopters, get all the equipment flown out. That is quite satisfying.

I left school with no qualifications. When the children were young, I started going to night school and got higher English and maths. Then I got accepted for primary teaching, did that, and then went to BP. I found it male-oriented, so I did something to make me different and did a higher national in business studies through distance learning. Then I decided I was bored again and did the Open University in foundation maths, pure maths, applied maths, physics and engineering. So I’ve got a BSc in maths and engineering.

I feel more tired when I am not working – I tend to sit around and go to bed early – but when I’m offshore, I am in the office by six o’clock in the morning and I’m not in bed till nine or 10 at night. I thrive on that – I don’t know why. My grandchildren say I am crazy, but I’m not one for housework or knitting: I like working.

What an incredibly strong and amazing woman, proving that you can work at ANY age and do anything you set your mind to! : )

I am older so I am going to pass along some words of wisdom here. Chances are you probably haven’t had to show anyone a resume in years, right? I get it. So you might throw something together and think it’s clear to anyone who reads it how amazing you are, how top of the line, award-winning spectacular, but not everyone even knows how important what you did is. You need to SHOW them!!

The key is to make your resume NO more than two pages. Most recruiters will scan it in 20 or 30 seconds. Choose a traditional font, such as Times New Roman, in 9- to 12-point size, and use black type on white paper. You could also use Arial, Calibri, Cambria and Tahoma, they're pretty basic looking.

Stick to the most recent 10 to 15 years of experience. Avoid giving dates when it comes to decades-old experience and only include jobs if they’re relevant to the work you’re currently seeking. There’s no need for college graduation dates. Match the experience and skills you cite in your resume with the exact skills employers say they’re seeking in their job posting.

Your resume NEEDS to tell a story, not provide a list of job titles and dates. Slide in little snippets here and there such as you cut costs by a certain percentage, increased sales by 25 percent, or delivered project months ahead of schedule, etc.

Proofread your resume!! Of course, you do this, but it’s so easy to miss something. Print it out. Read it again the next day. Read it out loud. Ask someone else you trust to read it. Sloppy mistakes make it look like you’re careless and aren’t that interested in the job. So watch what you're doing on that resume.

Jean Miller is a cloakroom attendant at the Vidal Sassoon hair salon, drives the 25 miles from her home to get there, and is 92 years old with no plans to retire anytime soon! Here is her story from The Guardian.

"When I first came here, I thought, 'What on Earth am I doing in among this young crowd?' But I’ve been here 17 years now and I love it. They are quite a cheeky lot sometimes. There was a rule made: 'Don’t swear in front of Jean.' Half the time now, I don’t hear what they’re saying, but when they say, 'Oh, sorry Jean,' but I know.

My husband Johnny was the district manager for a household supplier, and I was a sales representative there for 29 years. I retired at 60, in 1993, but I couldn’t stand it. I now work three days a week, from 9am to 4.30pm. I am included on all the nights out. They are absolutely hectic. It starts off nice and calm, and before the end of the night everybody is swinging about. I’ve been at every night out they’ve had since I started.

Lots of people say I am youthful. I don’t know about that, but I have looked after myself. I take cod liver oil tablets every morning. I had bowel cancer 10 years ago and the surgeon said to me I had five years. I said to him: “Five years! I am expecting to live much longer than that.”

If you’ve got an interest in people, that’s what gets you out to work. I know I will need to stop some time, but it will be when I really have to. There’s no way I am sitting in a chair."

Go Jean!!! Remember, age is just a number.

-Would you rather be actively working at age 75 OR be retired?