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Gerontology Careers and You
We have looked at age irrelevance,( judging people by their ability rather than their age). The divisions of life activities by age no longer fits.
We have discussed the notion of retirement at 65 and, although it made sense in the past, with longevity, it may not serve society today. Some retire at 65, but more and more people are retiring before age 65.
Others retire and start second careers in a new field.
Age 65 serves as a poor predictor of a person’s health and well-being
Older people are returning to school and master athletes and senior Olympians give new meaning to the concept of leisure and what "natural" aging really is.
Old people differ as much among themselves as they differ from other age groups.
Different physical abilities, gender, ethnicity, race, geographic region and age.
Differences between these groups lead to difference in family relations, socioeconomic status, wants and needs.
A Gerontologist cautions against treating older people as a homogenous group. A policy or service that suits one group of older people will not suit another.
This diversity adds an extra challenge to working with older people and the need for sensitivity to diversity applies to researchers as well as practitioners.
Interest groups led to new programs and better funded programs for older adults. Social Security and Medicare are examples.
Gerontologists worry if this trend will collide with the needs of younger people.
Perhaps we need to recognize the mutual needs of young and old and balance our resources to serve all age groups.
Gerontologists will play an even more important role in guiding public policy as the U. S. ages into the 21 century.
The first generation to live to the 8th, 9th and 10th decades of life in vast numbers is now alive.
Age structure is changing in society because elders are living longer and healthier lives. They are becoming more visible, not only in numbers, but also in our communities and in political activism. The Boomers grew up in a politically active world and continuity theory predicts this will continue into old age.
As a result, dollars are being put into health, education, nutrition, and socialization for elders ,and the quality of life for the average older person has dramatically improved over that of several decades ago.
Today’s elders have few role models to judge what aging should look like. They did not plan to live to be 80,90 and 100 years old.
The question we are faced with is how much value will we place on elders now and in the future.
What services should be provided? Who should be targeted to receive those services and at what cost if any should participants pay for those services?
The present responsibility is to understand the ways in which aging will shape that future-- economics, politics and our cultural environment.
Services to older people are carried out by practitioners in a variety of professions. Many do not consider themselves to be part of a profession that serves the elderly .
Gerontology does not exist in a vacuum. Virtually every academic discipline has made a significant commitment to a better understanding of the Graying of America. These Professionals include:
 | business |
| engineering |
| law |
| administration |
| public policy |
| urban planning |
| recreation |
Many professions are relevant, but do not involve direct contact with older people
| hospital administrators |
| librarians |
| legislators |
| corporation leaders |
| foundation management |
| 10,000 more occupational therapists |
| 20-30,000 more social work personnel |
| double the current number of |
medical support, activity and travel personnel, hospitality, home construction, consumer products, transportation, insurance, mass media, legal, financial services, entertainment and education to service the needs of older people
Look at this site for more on careers in aging http://www.careersinaging.com/careersinaging/
and this one is really cool http://businessandaging.blogs.com/ecg/101_careers_in_gerontology/index.html
Currently there is a 5 - 25 % shortage (depending on the field) of teaching faculty and other leaders with adequate preparation in the aging field. Education and knowledge in the field of aging
| results in improved quality of care for older people |
| improved utilization of resources |
| challenging stereotypes about aging and old age thus decreasing costs to government |
| help older people spend their later years in growth, productivity and enjoyment |
Some schools allow one to get a degree in a related field with a focus on aging. Engineers, banking, travel personnel, sales will need to orient their marketing and services to an older clientele.
Jobs may appear in the newspaper or journal but most get filled before they even open up. Jobs are located in the field through the Hidden Job Market.
Personal contacts—get to know people who work in the field of aging. This is one of the best ways to find out about jobs in the field. .
People who work in the field of aging tend to know one another. This informal group is where one learns about the jobs opening.
How can you break into the field?
- Internships, volunteer work – Your knowledge about the profession will make you a valuable person. Often internships lead to jobs—mine did.
- Interview for information- choose someone to interview who is working in a job you would like. If you think you would like to work as a tour director then interview two or three tour directors. If you would like to teach, interview a teacher. You interview people who have the information you need about the career you think you would like. Questions to ask might include:
How did you get into this work? What do you like the most about it?
What do you like the least about it? Where else could I fond people who do this kind of work? What does the future look like for this type of work? The goals are two fold
- You want to find out whether a career in aging will allow you to use your skills and talents and
- you want to know what it is like to work with older people.
You are trying on jobs to see if they fit you. Informational interviewing will put you in contact with people who know their field, from the inside. They can tell you what it takes to get into the field and they can tell you about the future prospects of their professions.
Don’t use this as a method of asking for a job. You will poison an employer against you and get tagged as an untrustworthy person. You only want information.
- Keep learning. – Subscribe to newsletters and journals in the field. Or at least go to the library and browse through the latest issues of journals that interest you.
- Start a student gerontology club. Arrange for guest speakers and invite students. You’ll get noticed and meet a lot of people in the field.
- Know yourself- write a personal mission statement.
Write out your vision of an ideal career. Write out specific career goals. Ask instructors for help in creating the kind of career you want in the field of aging.
If all or this sound exhausting, you can pick the suggestions that seem easiest to do and that appeals to you.
The study of aging has done more than teach me facts and theories of aging.
It has given me useful knowledge about my own aging, life and relationships.
This knowledge gave me the courage to heal my relationship with my grandmother and to see her for a last time.
The study of aging has shaped my personal and professional life.
It has increased my understanding of current events and the people I know. I hope it will do the same fop you.
I hope you enjoyed this semester as much as I did. The gerontology program has other courses on line. Be sure to check the Home Page (below )of the program for details. Lastly, if I can help you with any of your career goals, set up an appointment, lets chat. Until we meet again. Sue
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