A: Losing a job at any age can be difficult. Loss of employment at your age has unique challenges. Take heart, however! There are several resources available to help you.

Before you start a job search, it is essential that you evaluate your skills and think about how you may build on your prior work experience. Hiring a headhunter who specializes in your prior field to identify employment leads for you could present job opportunities. An employment agency also could be helpful in a job search. If you are a veteran, you could consult the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for assistance.

One of the best tools in searching for a job, however, is a one-stop career center and most of its services are free. Such centers are found throughout the country including several D.C. area locations. Each is supported by a network of public and non-profit service providers. The Jewish Council for the Aging™, for example, provides on-site support at Montgomery Works, the one-top center in Wheaton, Maryland. Such career centers, open to people of all ages, post job openings, have counselors available to offer advice, and provide computers for conducting employment searches.

If you have a qualifying low income and are age 55 or older, you also may be eligible to take part in a Senior Community Service Employment Program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor and run by various entities in each state. (JCA administers the program in Montgomery County, Maryland with support from Senior Service America, Inc., the County’s Health & Human Services Department, and charitable gifts.) The program provides older adults with hands-on job training, computer training, and assistance in locating employment. Participants are paid as they go through the program.