Gabe Menvielle: Building the Skills to Move Forward

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Gabe Menvielle can’t prove it, but he’s fairly certain his age, 55, factored into his struggle to find a job. “It was an unusually low response rate. I’d send 50 resumés out, and I wouldn’t

hear back from 45 of them. That would never have happened before, with my background. I have experience with software companies and nonprofits, good companies. I worked for the symphony, the

Florida Philharmonic. I thought, ‘Am I invisible? What’s going on?’”

He attended his first BTW50+ workshop at Perrine Workforce Center. “It was far away, a long drive, but when I’m looking for work, I don’t look at the miles.” He went to three of the

workshop’s 7 Smart Strategies for 50+ Jobseekers sessions, where he learned about the Individual Training Account (ITA) grants offered by the Workforce Center under the Workforce Innovation

and Opportunity Act. His BTW50+ Coach helped him fill out the application to get free IT training. That’s when things began to turn around.

Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop. 

His advice to other jobseekers age 50 and over is to contact AARP Foundation as soon as possible. “Go to CareerSource and get in contact. They have great programs; it’s an opportunity no one

should pass on. Professions have been redefined. The good ol’ skills that would land you the job before don’t work anymore. AARP Foundation does a great job helping you find the skills you

need to move forward.”  

Call 1-855-850-2525 or Register for BACK TO WORK 50+ Workshop for a free workshop with virtual interview tips, supportive coaching and a jobseeker guide hosted by AARP Foundation or by a

community partner in your area.  

Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop.