AARP Offers Job Re-Entry Workshop

An orientation session for a series of workshops to prepare middle-aged and older people to re-enter the job market will be held at Los Angeles Valley College today in Van Nuys.

It is not necessary to go to the orientation session in order to attend the the workshops, which are scheduled throughout August, said Rochelle Linick, volunteer consultant for the American Assn. of Retired Persons, which organized the event.

The AARP Works program will not train people for particular jobs but instead will help them with job hunting skills, such as writing a resume and coping with problems such as age discrimination.

“We don’t want to see an older person sit in front of a manager and be told, ‘You’re over-qualified for this job,’ ” Linick said. “That translates into ‘I can hire someone else cheaper.’ ”

The workshop, led by AARP-trained volunteers, will help older job hunters redefine their skills and take a new look at their capabilities.

“We’re also talking about people who are faced with having to go back to work for the first time in many years,” Linick said, like a homemaker who may need to take a job after her husband is laid off.

Some workshop attendees, for instance, may have worked for big companies for a long time and now realize that they might be better off in a smaller company, Linick said.

“We want people to understand they have a huge variety of skills that they can take advantage of,” Linick said.

Workshop participants also will practice handling job interviews.

Those interested can call Linick at (818) 348-1964. A $20 fee covers the cost of workshop materials.