By Denise Gabbard

With today’s economy and high unemployment rate, there is a group of workers finding it especially hard to secure employment. This group is an extremely large pool of educated, talented and experienced workers, so why is landing a new job so difficult?

When applying for employment, they are often told they are overqualified for the lower paying jobs which are currently available, and most of these jobs go to young people who they can hire more inexpensively. To be fair, businesses want to hire workers that will stay with the company as long as possible, and they see overqualified as “I’m outta here when something better opens up.”

How can we turn this around? The answer is not easy, but there are ways that it can be achieved. You need to know where to look for resources to help displaced workers. For instance, it isn’t too late to train for a career in the health field which is in demand in any economy. Nurses, radiologists and medical billers and coders are among the top jobs expected to grow in the future. There are also job services and adult learning programs at community colleges and trade schools, and through local government. There are a lot of options available, and you should make use of them.

When you do get an interview, you need to be positive and dynamic. Be prepared to sell yourself and let them know what you can bring to their organization that someone with little experience cannot. Show each potential employer that there are distinct advantages to hiring an over 40 worker. » Read more: Laid Off After 40: Finding Work