landing an internship after 40

[Anonymous]

Has anyone taken this route? If so, did it work out well for you? I haven't been an intern for 20+ years. Are internships still mostly for college students? I was an intern at a media company in the late 90s and do remember a woman who was also in the same program and she was at least 10+ years older. I'm not sure if she was also attending college at the same time. I've seen news stories online about older interns but I wonder if they're not the norm.

There are a lot of job ads looking for entry-level employees but they often ask for at least a year of experience or portfolio. Are more companies open to hiring someone older as an intern for a few months? At 40 and with my kids headed to school full time in a few years, I need to find something full time again, but I don't want to return to my previous line of work (teaching). I can't imagine returning for another 20+ years. I need something new.

I know I have the skills to do other things-- maybe for a large association, for example?-- but would just like to be given a chance to build up some skills, even if it means being an intern. I expect to work full time to at least 65. Therefore, it would be nice to spend the second half of my work life doing something I actually have interest in.

And what about getting into the federal system? I know there are fellowships/internships for students, right? But you must be an actual college student, is that correct?

[Anonymous]

What field are you looking to get into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What field are you looking to get into?

OP here. Tech writing or doing PR for a tech company.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I was also thinking about trying for find a job with a large non-profit. Trying to keep options open.

[Anonymous]

OP - do some research on returnships - especially hot now in tech. My friend - who admittedly is Silicon Valley based - is leading a women in tech initiative (but work there.) She's an engineer, VP. If you have some previous experience you may be able to find a company here, even one without a process in place but open to creating one for right candidate

[Anonymous]

Rather than an internship, maybe try to get a lower level job in the field you're interested in. This may be difficult but if you can parlay your skills and make some contacts it's possible. Also look into part-time.

[Anonymous]

First, what skills do you have that are applicable to tech companies/PR/nonprofits?

Second, you need to cognizant of the fact that your supervisors will most likely be younger than you are and you can realistically be their parent.

Many college graduates' first job is actually an unpaid internship, especially in this area. You technically could apply for these internships, but you'll be fighting an uphill battle if you're already not tech savvy. Indeed, you have the life skills/experience over these college kids, but you very likely lack the technology skills. For example, at the tech company, if PR supervisor wants the intern to do a powerpoint presentation on an issue and resolution to the issue, would you be as efficient/proficient than a college-aged student? Employers are looking for mature interns, but not ones that are even older than the ones doing the supervising.

Unfortunately, you answer to this would be additional schooling to get a certificate and then proceed from there.

[Anonymous]

I'd think to get an internship at that age, you'd really need to get it via personal connections. Ask for introductions, do lots of informational interviews. Going through a regular intern hiring pool will likely get you nowhere. For one thing, when my company hires interns we have a requirement that they be a current student or have graduated less than 1 year ago.

[Anonymous]

Tech writing... we are hard pressed to find tech writers in IT.

I would contact govt contractors that do IT work. We have to document every single solitary thing and most engineers don't have the writing skills or time to dot i's and cross t's. I don't want to pay my engineer $150/hr to document.

I have had English majors intern and then when they go off to school we just email them documents and they rewrite them, maybe call into a meeting or 2 to ask questions.

[Anonymous]

My DD in college is interning at a tech company with at least 50 other interns and several are post 40. One I know specifically is a recent doctoral grad and is looking for full time work. There is another 30ish foreign hire hoping to get a permanent job but interning to see if he fits the company's needs before an offer is extended.

[Anonymous]

When I worked on Capitol Hill, we had a senior internship program for people over 65. My dad had been a lawyer all of his life and I got him one of those senior internships and he loved it.

[Anonymous]

I would call it a temp job or entry level position, before I called it an internship for anyone over 40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than an internship, maybe try to get a lower level job in the field you're interested in. This may be difficult but if you can parlay your skills and make some contacts it's possible. Also look into part-time.

Everyone tosses around "part-time" but isn't it harder to get a part-time job? They are rare.

[Anonymous]

When I was 30, a new assistant was assigned to me, and I was shocked when I met her and she was almost 50. Turns out she was changing fields and had gotten herself an internship the previous year in the field. It was hard to get because internships are generally reserved for kids receiving college credit, but eventually she found one. She was wonderful and I gave her more responsibility than I normally would so that she could learn the job. I liked that she was responsible and smart and hardworking and worldly, when the new college grads were hit or miss and sometimes clueless and deer-in-headlights.

If you find someone to give you a chance, it could work out really well.

[Anonymous]

At my biglaw firm we usually have at least one summer associate each year who is late 30s or 40s. No issues.