Preparing for the Job Search with a Little Help from AARP

     Yes, you read it correctly:  AARP.  If you are 50+ and have not yet joined AARP, I urge you to do so.  No, I am not being compensated in any way for endorsing the organization, but there are a lot of benefits to being a member.  For example, you can get discounts on all manner of things, they have all types of resources on their website, and you get two different print publications from them:  AARP Magazine and the AARP Bulletin.  The publications contain human interest stories, articles about topics relevant to the 50+ crowd, and legislative updates on issues that concern people in that same age group.  It was in one of the publications where I read an article about how the economic downturn has left a lot of older workers unemployed and looking for work.  The article contained a number of suggestions for how those workers could better prepare for their job search.  It was like fate had drawn me to an article written just for me!
     One of the recommendations AARP made was the one I tackled first, and that was to get a haircut.  I get the need to have a more contemporary look and let's face it--this is an easy task to handle.  I had been letting my hair grow long, and frankly, it looked like crap.  To my great disappointment, my 50-something hair somehow looked nothing like my 20-something hair, so I was considering cutting it anyway.  Now, I refuse to invest any time in styling my hair, mainly because I have neither the patience nor the talent for that sort of thing, so I needed a maintenance-free hairstyle.  I ended up getting a cut that kept a little length (just past my shoulders), but has some layers.  I can just wash my hair and let it air dry now, and I think it looks relatively modern, so check that off the job prep list.
     As for next steps, I'll leave you in suspense for the moment.  I originally planned to write a bit more in this post, but I've spent most of the day working on my second job, which is teaching college English.  I've been grading research papers from my freshman comp classes, a task that leaves me mentally exhausted.  And that's all I'll say about that topic.