Q: I was laid off from my job in 2014 when the bottom dropped out of the mining industry, which my company mainly worked for. I previously worked for a different branch of the company in a different city, and most of that work was oil and gas related. The oil and gas market hasn't yet recovered, and many former coworkers are also out of work.

I've lived off my savings since then and have picked up occasional temporary jobs. I paid off my mortgage and I've always been frugal.

I'm thinking of taking a 10-month administrative assistant course, but I'm wondering if I'd be wasting the $7,000 course fee. The college offering it has a good reputation, but would I stand a chance of being hired at age 58? Would I be better off getting a part-time retail job until I'm old enough to access my retirement funds?

Do companies hire people near 60? I've never had a problem learning new software packages, but the last bit of retraining I did in 2014 didn't land me a single interview.

A: Don't spend $7,000 to take administrative courses. There's no reason to pay a school for skills you have developed on your own and used successfully throughout life. You paid off your mortgage and own your own home, and have enough money to live on since you've always been frugal. You've already taken a couple of courses in new software programs, which did not increase your chance for getting a job, or even an interview. Your personal achievements show you are financially responsible, efficient, and organized, all the requirements needed for an administrative assistant. Just as stay-at-home moms must show how motherhood and house management responsibilities transfer to job requirements, your accomplishments and willingness to update your technological skills show you'd likely be a successful hiring choice.

Unfortunately, here's the ugly truth about job-hunting in your late 50s. Although no one should ever list birth dates or school graduation dates on a resume, companies know how to obtain that information. Some online job applicant programs require applicants to include college graduation dates to be considered for a job. Some companies have gone as far as requiring high school graduation dates in an online application. This circumvents the purpose of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to protect individuals from employer discrimination in hiring and in everyday workplace practices.

You may be able to get a part-time job, but you will have to create strategies to avoid these online traps. First, your resume should show approximately the last 10 years of your work experience. Don't think that an extra 10 will be better. List every skill you used in your jobs, even if your job title was not that of an administrative assistant. If your jobs did not require such skills — organizational and time management, computer software usage, internal or external communication, and interpersonal skills, list those abilities in your cover letter, bulleting the business goals you achieved. Also include volunteer activities on the resume, since those contributions can be as meaningful as the ones for which you are paid.

Once you have an error-free resume, visit small local companies where you can personally hand in a copy. Dropping in is now an unusual and unlikely method to use in your job search, but it gets you and your resume in front of an office manager or small business owner who may be impressed by your initiative and work ethic. It also allows you to make an impression to all you meet.

Finally, don't let friends or relatives discourage you, because the probably will. It's important to stay positive to achieve your goals, so rid yourself, even if only temporarily, of any negative types. Once you become employed again, part-time or full-time, you can resume your old relationships, or not.

Email your questions to workplace expert [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @TheLindseyNovak and Facebook at Lindsey.Novak.12. To find out more on Lindsey Novak, visit Creators Syndicate Website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2016 CREATORS.COM

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