My cousins and I were out to dinner with my uncle, griping about unemployment, when my uncle said, "You guys have it good. The economy will pick up, you'll get a job, and you'll start saving again." He told us about his friend who, five years from retirement, just got laid off. My uncle said, "His retirement schedule is slipping, and he finds himself interviewing with 30-year-olds."

That was sobering. First I thought, "I absolutely have to start saving more for retirement." Then I thought, "I can't imagine what it would be like to be 50 and unemployed."

I asked recruiters about tactics for the over-50 crowd, many of whom haven't had to find a new job in years. They said they don't look at age -- of course, they have to say that -- but they did give pointers on how these job hunters can help make their age a nonissue.

Focus your resume.
A recruiter's job doesn't change when he or she is looking at an older person's résumé. One said, "I have a list of skills my client requires, and I cull through résumés to find those skills." Just because you have 30 years of work experience doesn't mean they're all relevant. So make sure your résumé focuses on the skills that are necessary for the job you're after. Don't use the same résumé for every job, but tailor each accordingly, drawing on past experience suited for the position. Think quality, not quantity.

Update your look.
Everyone makes judgments as soon as they meet someone. You can do a lot in this area to help yourself. Dump the 15-year-old suit, even if you love it. Get a haircut that reflects that you're living in 2002. Don't forget details like shoes and jewelry. When items like these fit in with your interviewer, he or she subconsciously assumes that you will fit in, but don't dress like someone you're not.

Know what you can get paid for.
Realize that being in the working world for 30 years doesn't automatically warrant a salary for 30 years of experience. If you spent six years in each of five different types of jobs, then you are a good match for a job that requires six years of experience. Set reasonable expectations, and you will be more likely to meet them.

Don't let on that you're anxious about your age.
There is no point in mentioning your age. First of all, it's not legally required. Second, if you act as though it's not an issue, then the interviewer is more likely to do so. One recruiter said he doesn't worry about age unless the 50-year-old is whiny or defensive. "I can't risk anyone making a scene in front of one of my clients during an interview."

Leverage your honed people skills.
You have had a lot of time to get to know yourself, so you can project a self-awareness and confidence that you might not have possessed at the beginning of your career. You also can read and assess people faster. Hiring managers want to pick someone they like. Let your people skills shine in the interview, because they make you likable.

Finally, take solace in the fact that many readers of this column who are over 50 have written to me about how they have landed jobs they are pleased with. In fact, one recruiter said that he considers younger people a higher risk than older people.

"What I worry about most," he said, "is not the 50-year-old interviewing with the 30-year-old, because a 50-year-old usually has accurate self-knowledge. I worry most about the 30-year-old who overestimates his skills and experience and looks like a fool when interviewing with a 50-year-old who really does have skills and experience."