Article by Jodie Rasch, Director of Employment Programs, Jewish Council for the Aging
(Posted 2025 January)
The Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA) has two exciting programs designed for people 50 and better who are looking for employment. The Virtual 50+ Employment Expos and The Career Gateway help the 50+ community retool, recharge, and reinvent themselves for today's amazing job market. Both programs offer the 50+ jobseeker opportunities to learn and develop critical job-seeking skills to find meaningful employment.
JCA's Career Gateway program is an intensive, online, interactive, job-search skills training program designed to help adults over age 50 prepare resumes, develop critical job-seeking skills, and link them with opportunities to find meaningful employment. The Career Gateway program assists jobseekers in their resume writing (and rewriting), in their use of LinkedIn and other social media sites in their job search, in the navigation of their online job search and application process, and provides personality quizzes, interview techniques, elevator pitches, and even a mentor – all for the fee of $75! Each session consists of five days of online, interactive, training in small groups conducted by a skilled facilitator from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
We have four remaining Career Gateway sessions before Summer 2025. The January session dates are January 13, 15, 17, 22, and 23 and will be held virtually as an interactive, online, Zoom program. Find session dates and additional information at accessjca.org/career-gateway. Registration for all four sessions is open. Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, please call 301-255-4215 or email Career.Gateway@AccessJCA.org to secure your spot in your desired session. We also offer optional employment-related tech classes (CareerTech) in Excel, PowerPoint, Windows/Word, and additional LinkedIn training. And new to our tech offerings – a course on "Becoming a Cyber Savvy 50+ Jobseeker."
The JCA's free Virtual 50+ Employment Expos are for Montgomery County (MoCo), MD, and Northern Virginia (NOVA) residents and employers. The Expos successfully link employers with job seekers age 50+ in a fun, informative, and mutually beneficial way. If you are an age 50 or better job seeker, you won't want to miss these Expos! On the day of the Expo, join us from 10 to 11:45 a.m. for two morning workshops to learn about current hiring trends and practices to improve your job search. Then, from noon to 2 p.m., network and virtually meet eight to 12 employers hiring 50+ jobseekers like yourself. Registration is free and required for each Expo. See our website for upcoming MoCo and NOVA Expo dates.
The next NOVA Expo is Thursday, February 13, 2025. Be there for the first morning workshop, AARP’s Jump Start Your Job Search. The second workshop will discuss Fairfax County employment services for county residents. At noon, hear from area employers who hire age 50+ jobseekers! All jobseekers age 50+ are welcome to attend all the Expos. Register today at virtualexpos.accessjca.org.
Fairfax County employers with at least three different professional job openings; if you are looking for smart, accomplished professionals, register today to be an Employer Presenter and find your next standout employee. Registration is required and complimentary for all at virtualexpos.accessjca.org. Send your Expo questions to EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).