People tell me all the time that I dont seem 62.
I guess its because I have so much energy.
I needed a change.
Im one of those perpetual third-career people.
Until that point, Wanda Larosiliere had had a long and varied employment history.
Shed written software and worked in quality assurance.
She was a defense contractor and a contractor at NASA.
Im more active than that.).
She went to work for a community nonprofit, running their summer enrichment program.
It was very rewarding, but not gainful, she says.
I still need gainful work.
Looking for work in your 60s, where do you start?
The field is so full, and youre competing with a huge age range.
Here I was thinking I was tech-savvy, but I didnt even know about LinkedIn.
They didnt have that last time I was looking for a job, she says.
At the workshop they told me, We dont see a lot of people with your background.
OK, I said, but Im still out of work.
Do employers want someone young and fresh out of school, or someone my age?
She was interested in the auto industry and hoped to find a job in quality assurance.
Employers use Alabama Works!
to request resumes and find employees.
In the end, Wanda was hired to start on the production line.
She was daunted, but she also says, I was jazzed!
I passed all those tests and got a job at 62.
The work on the factory floor was physically demanding.
I got so buff!
We were running all over the place to retrieve parts, running back to install them.
Her trainers supported and encouraged her, but ultimately, she couldnt keep up.
She went to her trainer and reluctantly told her she had to quit.
I cant stay in a job if Im not making a contribution.
Thats very important to me.
A contractor from another company who was working at the same site noticed her and her work ethic.
He suggested that she use him as a reference when looking for her next position.
When a new opportunity came up, she did just that and got the job.
Wanda says BTW50+ taught her several things that changed her outlook on job hunting later in life.
She also says that participating with other people in the same demographic was encouraging and eye-opening.
I cant tell you how many classmates from the program were feeling really positive about following it.
We talked about it all the time.
The program also taught her about self-care.
They say to verify theres time and resources for self-care.
You cant just work yourself into the ground.
Between my great-grandparents and my grandparents generations, the world was pretty similar.
Same with my grandparents and my parents, she explains.
But between my parents generation and mine, its so different.
