when are you too old??

[mom-from-missouri]

Husbands company laid off (perm layoff) around 300. No severance pay, no unemployment as they were not an American owned company. He gets the retirement he paid in, but the pension (all company paid) is gone.

He had no college degree. He is one of the old guys who started at the bottom and worked his way up (from guard to chemical engineer--from $2.84 and hour to $40 an hour when he quit).

All other companies of same business, for the same job, want a 4 year degree or more.

Even the custodial job at the local school requires a college degree.

All that he can find are temp, seasonal jobs or jobs that pay $9 a hour. Pretty sad for someone in their mid 50's.

I suggested going back to school and changing careers. He has always wanted to be an RN. But he thinks he is too old to learn (he doesn't even type-had a secretary to do that for him while at work, and me to do it for him while at home).

Are you ever too old to go back to school? 4 years from now, would someone hire an almost 60 year old RN with no RN experience??

We have literally sent out now, 387 resumes. 4 responses. 3 different career centers have looked at his resumes and said it is well written--just no demand what what he did now, and not qualified for much else......

[QuarterMillionMan]

My thinking is that it is never too late or never too old to pursue something especially if it is a passion. And he may need to take a $9 an hour job. Especially if he is getting nothing currently. In my opinion anything is better than nothing. In addition, he may need to learn to start typing his own documents. Don't do it for him, you are enabling him.


I was a late bloomer myself. I'm currently 49. I was 42 when I got my MSW degree (social work). I would really like to pursue an MBA but like your husband, I'm having my doubts. I'm not sure I can muster the energy to overcome what seems to me to be an insurmountable task.

[cardtrick]

You are right. It will be hard for him to get hired at that age, with no experience. Can he do consulting work in his field? If it's specialized enough, there should be opportunities. Or perhaps start a business of some kind?

[LittleMissSplendid]

One is never too old to learn or go to school. In my Master's program there was a woman in her late 60s and a few guys in their 50s. If your husband has an interest in nursing there are options besides becoming an RN. While he isn't too old to learn I can see why he wouldn't want to spend the next 4+ years to become an RN when there are related jobs that require much less school. Off the top of my head..... xray tech, lpn or lvn, phlebotomy, radiation therapy, occupational therapy, surgical tech....and I'm sure there are many others.

[JoeP]

I don't think it is ever too late to learn, but may I suggest being a school bus driver? Around there, they get $12 plus benefits. He may qualify for enough time to get a decent pension to supplement whatever you have saved in your other retirement accounts.

[rennigade]

Is it possible to move to a location with more jobs in his field? He's in his 50's...may only have to work a couple years before retirement.

[Goldy1]

It's questionable in my opinion, but I'm always cautious about investing the time and money into school.
I have a 4 year degree and have taken jobs at $10 an hour. My degree is in teaching and Michigan is saturated.

You never know with your health. my mom got accepted into a nursing program at about age 56. It required a lot of schooling to get that far and she had straight A's and had to pass an exam and get references and write an essay. She decided not to do it. She has arthritis now which came out of nowhere. Tough to be a nurse when not in good physical health.

Your situation is my family's fear. My dh has a good job in cad/cam but one year degree and he likes it but his job is such a niche (
employers want you to know one of MANY specific cad programs and also have designed a specific KIND of product on it)finding a new job would be tough.Some guys get lucky and get cross trained at work.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Don't forget there are 2 year RN programs.

[krantcents]

I changed careers (CFO) to teacher when I was 55 years old. It is possible, but difficult. My wife is a RN. She has commented how the profession has changed. Hospitals do not hire full time, per diem (no benefits) is more typical. New RN's without experience cannot get jobs. It would help if the program he enters is associated with a hospital where he can get practical experience. He may have to look for jobs with the federal government such as the VA. Many men go into nursing and become supervisors. Age is less of an issue if there is passion and energy.

[mom-from-missouri]

I don't think it is ever too late to learn, but may I suggest being a school bus driver? Around there, they get $12 plus benefits. He may qualify for enough time to get a decent pension to supplement whatever you have saved in your other retirement accounts.

He can not hold a cdl license in our state due to having vision in only 1 eye...and bus drivers here are $8.50 an hour and you work 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening....

[mom-from-missouri]

Is it possible to move to a location with more jobs in his field? He's in his 50's...may only have to work a couple years before retirement.

Not really. He made a specialized chemical product (top secret) which is now no longer legal to make....did that for 29
years--same product..training is almost too specialized...

[mom-from-missouri]

My thinking is that it is never too late or never too old to pursue something especially if it is a passion. And he may need to take a $9 an hour job. Especially if he is getting nothing currently. In my opinion anything is better than nothing. In addition, he may need to learn to start typing his own documents. Don't do it for him, you are enabling him.


I was a late bloomer myself. I'm currently 49. I was 42 when I got my MSW degree (social work). I would really like to pursue an MBA but like your husband, I'm having my doubts. I'm not sure I can muster the energy to overcome what seems to me to be an insurmountable task.

Quarter--he is working a $9 an hour job-has been since he was laid off. But, it doesn't feed our family. I am also working. With the both of us working, we earn $106 a month too much to qualify for any help as far as food or health.

Obamacare wants 2100 a month to insure our family. We don't even earn 2100 a month between the 2 of us. Several have told us that is wrong information, but we have done the paperwork online, on teh website and went to 2 different insurance companies and that is the same total they all come up with--its because of our family size.. So, the only one with insurance is the one in college who can get it thru college. She also found a part time job and is going 100% on scholarships. Her job pays for her books and meals and insurance.

[Green43]

Radiologic technologist (xray tech -I am one and a clinical instructor at my hospital) Is a 2 year degree AFTER you have your gen-eds (ie math,science,english,speech,ect) you have to pass 2 years of classes + 2500 hours of clinical experience (you would be assigned to a hospital the college is affiliated with.) It is easily do-able with dedication, just wanted you to be informed with what is involved.

[starfishy]

an old college friend of mine recently went back to school at 49 and completed a one-year medical assistant program and is now employed in a whole new field (she used to teach and was a SAH mom for a long time). She likes it and apparently medical assistants is a growing field. i also used to work with a woman who started back to school in her mid-50s to get an RN, finished at 60 and is now very happily employed at a rehab center. she did it slowly so that she could pay as she went and not accrue massive student loans. she's thinking about starting to work towards her masters degree now! i have another friend who started a two-year combined RN/master's program, but didn't make it through (failed out) and is now saddled with a lot of student debt. thankfully he did get the RN portion completed, so he's working as a nurse. i definitely think it's possible to return to school in your mid-50s and could even be exciting (i'm grappling with same decision myself!), but would have to be done wisely so as not to finish with lots of debt. good luck to your husband as he figures out this next stage of life...it's not easy!

[ua_guy]

I would think that at this juncture in your husband's career, that industry experience and skillset would be more important than having completed a college degree 30 years prior.

Has he tried applying for jobs that say they require a college degree, or where experience would waive the necessity for a degree?