The Association for
Gerontology in
Higher Education
Brings You ...

Field placements, internships, and clinical affiliations, which are required by many college and university programs in aging, often lead to permanent employment. Some national organizations and federal agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs offer these opportunities with stipends.

Volunteering at community agencies provides work experience as well as a network of contacts that is extremely helpful for finding employment in the field. In some instances, a student's volunteer work has become a paid position upon graduation.

Become familiar with the state and local agencies and organizations that serve older persons. This information can be obtained from your state unit or area agency on aging. Also contact local hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, and retirement communities.

University centers, institutes on aging, and faculty members teaching in aging programs can be helpful because they often receive notices of job openings in the local area.

Become involved in one or more professional aging organizations and attend their annual meetings. Jobs may be listed and résumés distributed at job marts. Informal networking at these meetings is also a good way to learn about available positions. Newsletters of some organizations list job openings.

And don't forget the classified ads in local newspapers. You may not find anything under "G" for gerontology, so look under the type of work you want to do (e.g., program planner, social worker, nurse, speech therapist, recreation director, or housing administrator).