Great Jobs for Everyone 50 +, Updated Edition: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy...and Pays the Bills

by Kerry Hannon (Contributor)

You can find profitable, fulfilling work after 50!

Kerry Hannon's national bestseller, Great Jobs for Everyone 50+, has become the job-hunting bible for people in their forties, fifties, and beyond. With her no-nonsense style, Hannon shows where the opportunities are and how to get them.

In this completely revised edition, Hannon offers twice as many jobs and brand-new material to market your skills in today's job market, with expert tips on revamping a rEsumE, networking, interviewing like a pro, building a social media platform to stand out in the crowd, and much more. Whether you took early retirement, were laid off, are seeking a job that you will love, need supplemental income, or want to stay engaged and make a difference by giving back with your talents, Hannon's book is an essential tool.

The truth is that many companies are looking for candidates with your experience, expertise, and maturity. The trick is finding those employers--and going into your search with a positive attitude and realistic expectations. This completely updated Great Jobs shows you how to avoid common job-seeking mistakes and helps you find your ideal employment in today's landscape.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Reference

416 pages, ebook

First published August 30, 2012

About the author

Kerry Hannon is a leading authority and strategist on retirement, jobs, career transitions, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal finance. She is a frequent TV, radio, and podcast commentator and is a sought-after keynote speaker at major conferences.
Kerry’s books and appearances focus on how the shifting demographics are transforming the way we work and create wealth, purpose, and happiness. Millions of viewers, readers, and listeners have been motivated by Kerry’s can-do, down-to-earth message.
Kerry’s new book is Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future (Hachette Book Group, 2025)
She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including In Control at 50+: How to Succeed In The New World of Work (McGraw-Hill), Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy . . . And Pays the Bills (John Wiley & Sons), Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working From Home (John Wiley & Sons), and Never Too Old to Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life (John Wiley & Sons)
Other books include: Money Confidence: Really Smart Financial Moves for Newly Single Women (Post Hill Press), Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness (John Wiley & Sons), Getting the Job You Want after 50( John Wiley & Sons), What’s Next?: Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond (John Wiley & Sons), and the updated What’s Next?: Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job (Chronicle Books).
She has covered all aspects of careers, business, and personal finance as an expert columnist, editor, and writer for the nation’s leading media companies, including The New York Times, Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today. Kerry’s work has also appeared in BusinessWeek, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, and The Wall Street Journal, among other national publications. Her advice as a work and jobs expert has been a regular feature in AARP publications, and she is currently the featured expert in an AARP webinar series.
Kerry is also currently a senior columnist and on-air expert at Yahoo Finance. Kerry has appeared as a career and financial expert on TV on The Dr. Phil Show, ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, NBC Nightly News, NPR, Yahoo Finance and PBS.
In addition to offering practical advice for mid-life workers seeking jobs, financial, and personal rewards and riding the age wave of longevity with grace, a key passion for Kerry is helping and advising people on how to take charge of their own financial planning, at all stages of their lives, to prepare themselves for a financially secure future.
Kerry was a National Press Foundation Fellow, a Fellow of the Columbia Journalism School, a Fellow and currently a featured moderator in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center’s Age Boom Academy, as well as a MetLife Foundation and New America Media Fellow on Aging.
She has testified before Congress about the importance of older workers in the workforce and retirement readiness. Kerry was awarded the 2023 Retirement Pioneer Award issued by the Retirement Coaches Association for her efforts to expand and enhance the lives of retired people seeking encore careers, tools, and resources.
Follow Kerry on Bluesky, X @KerryHannon, visit her website at KerryHannon.com, and check out her LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/kerryhannon. For Instagram users: https://www.instagram.com/kerryhannon/. Read her columns on yahoo.com/author/kerry-hannon/.

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book, written by the author of many jobs articles on the AARP website, documents a large number of jobs that could be appropriate for older workers and for those looking for temporary or part-time work. Each job is described with details, examples, job requirements, typical employers, and possible salaries. I found this to be an interesting list, going into such esoteric jobs as bridge tutor, alumni event planner, and eco-landscaper. (Unfortunately, no circus jobs were mentioned!) According to the author, it’s not just retail work out there. Many of these jobs require advanced training, but the author points out those jobs that require, say a master’s degree compared to those that might require a 100 hour course for a certification. This extensive list opened my eyes to work that I may not have been thinking about for my “golden” years, or for my pre-“golden” years (depending on layoffs and health scares).

The second half of this book is a generic job hunting guide aimed at older workers. This included the typical advice on resumes, LinkedIn, entrepreneurship, and more, and included sections on job hunting for former military and for the disabled. The author aimed broadly here, also including some basic financial, social, and health advice. I found this part of the book to be very similar to many other books I’ve read over the years, so unless you have never read a book about careers, I wouldn’t recommend the second half of this book. Also, while the author lets her pleasant and occasionally humorous personality show in her writing, I found some of the tips in the second half to come across as condescending. Many people she is writing to are up-to-date on topics like email etiquette and the use of LinkedIn. Her advice is not for those people.

[Kathleen Rainwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

60% of workers take on another job after their main career ends. The is a great book for someone who has retired and looking for an interesting and fun part time job. Part 1 includes 10 chapters of jobs, from part-time to seasonaljobs. The information on each job includes the salary range, the "nitty-gritty" of what isn't so great about the job and more. Part 2 includes information on the job search itself. How it is different from twenty or more years ago; the reality of age-discrimination and what to do about it; contract work; working for non-profits; starting your own business; and saving for retirement.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m over 50, and have been freelancing for the past eighteen months and when I read about this book in USA Today, I thought I’d take a crack at it. Although, the author give some sound advice in the last few chapters, but the chapters of possible jobs were not great.

The book is designed for people who have retired, have their nest egg and want to keep busy and make a few extra bucks; not necessarily to change careers (like who would want to change careers for a low paying job?

Overall, although most of this information is readily available online or at your local library and common sense for those in the job market; this is a very good reference guide packed in a few hundred pages.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I only skimmed most of this book. The author delivers on the promise of the title by giving lots of ideas to help seniors find jobs that could be a good fit for them. A lot of the ideas are kind of obvious, but some aren't. A few chapters are only tangentially related, such as "How to Write Off a Job Hunt" and "The Best Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed".

My bottom line: If you're wanting a book on this topic, this one covers the bases reasonably well. My rating: 2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for anyone over 50 looking for full or part time work. Whether you find yourself out of work because of the economy or find you would like to work in retirement, this book has lots of ideas for jobs and suggestions on how to get those jobs.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think that this book has any mind-bending ideas or insights that job seekers can’t find elsewhere necessarily. But I give the second half of it four stars for two reasons. First it presents an opinion which I agree with wholeheartedly that there is not so much a problem of “age discrimination“as there is a discrimination against people who don’t have energy, or are not engaged, or are not active, or are a bit apathetic toward life. I’m not saying that there are not people who will only hire young people, but those are not the people you want to work for anyway. You can’t do anything about your age but you can do something about your energy level your engagement level and your interest level.

The second reason is that the book is very succinct. It is divided up into relevant topics with a few pages on each topic. So you can go to that topic, find a resource that you can look into and then immediately start on productive work. There is not a lot of fluff in here which is great when you’re looking for a job. The organization of the book is such that you don’t have to set aside an afternoon to sit down and read yet another book on searching for a job. It’s a great resource. Go right to what you need. There will be just a handful of good resources, not a laundry list of every resource out there.

The first half of the book is the same as you’ll get with a Google search. The disappointing issue here is that the author seems to expect that $$ isn’t an issue for people over 50 looking for work. WHAT?? Most of the jobs she recommends are $10-15 / hour jobs. She also recommends working as an independent contractor with no mention that you have to have either a lawyer or be savvy with contracts if you want that to end well.

[The Suburban Eclectic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great Jobs for Everyone 50+ is not just for the AARP set even though it is marketed that way. However, you are not going to get rich in pursuit of the positions depicted. At best this is a decent, but brief, background research that anyone looking for a side hustle can use. It is a little dated so there are no big revelations to be found, but it is a decent place to start.

[Audry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of info. Good ideas, advice, and websites. It's a little dry, but good.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it harder to keep reading a non-fiction selection than a book with a plot - I did finish it, however, and it did contain some very useful information. There is a section of the book in the back with websites to reference...the non-profit link was very interesting. When I return to work, it would be wonderful to obtain something meaningful.

I was also interested in the section regarding health care advocacy. I don't know if this interest stems from my early retirement as a Benefits/Retirement Officer or if it is a result of the current changes in health insurance mandates. I feel there is a need and a market for people who will work on coverage and claims on your behalf.

I am also very interested in the state of Florida's Attorney General's program, Seniors vs Crime Project (http://www.seniorsvscrime.com/.) These volunteers work to aid seniors who are often the targets of scam artists ~ a much needed advocacy system in all states! I would be interested in pursuing this as a second career in the Washington DC area.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good primer for those of us who will keep working at something after we leave our current jobs. Hannon covers seasonal, part time, self-employment and volunteer jobs, as well as providing many websites which offer a variety of info about health care, time and money management, networking, and more. Not all parts of the book will appeal to all readers, but there's something for everyone who is interested in this topic.

[Mark Styles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great advice and opportunities to think about. But what I thought was really good was how the author gave specifics about the actual job duties and responsibilities, what she calls the "nitty gritty." Job titles don't tell you what you'll actually be doing!

[Clivemichael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically lists of possible employment in a chatty familiar tone. Not alphabetically organized. Aimed for the US market. The bios make it interesting. Focused on straight jobs, some encouragement to explore volunteerism. A number of websites listed for more info.

[Ruth Hultman Desmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! Just was laid off from work (bought the book last year) and found it very handy, useful, and a must read even if you're working.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a pretty useful book. It gave me some ideas to research and was organized well so that I could skip areas that were not applicable to me.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I'm not yet 50, I thought this book would help with some unique job ideas. However, it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of money. Lots of low-income jobs discussed...wasn't helpful for me.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd has some good advice, but a good bit is probably outdated. It is geared more for those who are coming from working in 6 figure incomes and already mostly set for retirement.

[Nimira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had some good ideas about types of jobs available to keep the retired busy.