Depends what country you live in.
Best bet, wherever you live, is when you apply for jobs, to take off any dates from your cv (resume) that reveal your age. And only put your initials, too, some would argue.
It is true that when you walk in the room and people see your age, they may be put off. But getting an interview is the hard part; at least once you're in the room, you will have a chance to prove that you are up to the job requirements.
In the USA, and supposedly now in the UK, you should not be discriminated against on the basis of age. BUT, in reality, we know such prejudice exists. Moreover, some employers can legally defend their decision not to employ you on the basis of age, on some grounds -- like if they argued that 6 months training was involved for the post and therefore they had to take on people with at least X number of years of future employment, to recoup their investment.
You may therefore want to tackle the issue straight on during the interview. Just say that you know you might want to retire sooner than a younger job candidate, BUT point out that a younger candidate might equally likely leave the job after the same number of years for other reasons, and otherwise talk up your strengths; willingness to work as part of a team, ability to learn new things, etc.
My mom was a SW; When it comes to the practicalities of social work, "life" experience can count for a lot. Good luck.
Best bet, wherever you live, is when you apply for jobs, to take off any dates from your cv (resume) that reveal your age. And only put your initials, too, some would argue.
It is true that when you walk in the room and people see your age, they may be put off. But getting an interview is the hard part; at least once you're in the room, you will have a chance to prove that you are up to the job requirements.
In the USA, and supposedly now in the UK, you should not be discriminated against on the basis of age. BUT, in reality, we know such prejudice exists. Moreover, some employers can legally defend their decision not to employ you on the basis of age, on some grounds -- like if they argued that 6 months training was involved for the post and therefore they had to take on people with at least X number of years of future employment, to recoup their investment.
You may therefore want to tackle the issue straight on during the interview. Just say that you know you might want to retire sooner than a younger job candidate, BUT point out that a younger candidate might equally likely leave the job after the same number of years for other reasons, and otherwise talk up your strengths; willingness to work as part of a team, ability to learn new things, etc.
My mom was a SW; When it comes to the practicalities of social work, "life" experience can count for a lot. Good luck.
