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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 J U LY 8 , 2 0 2 4 Despite all benefits of hiring once- retired workers, age discrimination is often an obstacle for those returning to the workforce, especially in Maine where many of the available jobs lie in hospitality work. "In Maine, we have an abundance of hospitality work, which doesn't nor- mally lend itself to someone retired. Not because they can't do it," Strojny says. "But because there's an age bias. If you are going to hire someone as a server, generally the employer will want to hire someone young. e employ- er's perception, which in some cases may be a reality, is that younger means quicker. And so, the fact remains that we still need more hospitality workers." As part of her position at SCORE Mentors, Strojny helps people of all ages develop their professional skills and achieve their business goals. She advises older employees to become familiar with basic technology to become more competitive in the job market. Learning how to text, email, use apps, and be up to date on current affairs, can help boost an older person's chances of succeeding during a job interview. Keeping skills sharp, espe- cially for those who have been out of the workforce for some time, is key. "Age bias can be mitigated by preparation. So how you dress, how you look. It doesn't matter what your age is, but how you present yourself is really the important part," she says. 4 tips for reentering the workforce Whether someone is looking to retire or preparing their skills to return to the workforce, Strojny offers four tips: 1. Be honest with yourself in terms of how you think you're going to spend your time. 2. Assess hobbies or interests you have to see if those could bring you more satisfaction or help you acquire different skill sets. 3. Check out volunteering since often giving back is one of the best ways to know you're con- tributing to something larger than yourself. 4. Start small. If you've had a big cor- porate career, you may be thinking that you must have some major master plan, but often it's small steps such as pursuing different interests and hobbies that lead to new opportunities. Retired Mainers who are going back to work are changing the game for Maine's labor market. Regardless of their motivations, these older pro- fessionals are taking their work expe- rience and perspectives back into the field with them and redefining what "retirement" means. "I believe that the most successful older people are what I call lifelong learners. ey never just sit around, doing the same thing. ey're out tak- ing classes, doing hobbies. It can be hard to restart your engine, but these individuals are out doing something and trying," Strojny said. S l o a n e M . P e r r o n , a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z One reason is rising prices, inflation, people who can't make ends meet. The other is people who don't have to work for whatever reason, but they need to keep themselves busy by doing something they are interested in, as opposed to letting their minds rot. — Nancy Strojny SCORE Maine F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Nancy Strojny is SCORE Maine's assistant district director. Fast facts and figures S O U R C E : "Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2023," Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy 70.6 million people received benefits from programs administered by the Social Security Administration in 2022. 5.6 million people were newly awarded Social Security benefits in 2022. 55% of adult Social Security beneficiaries in 2022 were women. 85% of Supplemental Security Income recipients received payments because of disability or blindness in 2022. 55% 85%