If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re probably over 50 years old and mortified to find yourself back in the treacherous job market after all these years. Or maybe you’re just wondering: “What would happen if I lost my job and had to start over?” In either case, I firmly believe in the wisdom of writing about what you know, so I’ll share my expertise as a former employment counselor and my firsthand experience from being cast back into the murky waters of job seeking at the ripe young age of 56.

Like many, I was blindsided. I had seniority in my position, years of excellent evaluations, and no reason to expect the axe to fall. You may relate to that nauseating feeling in the pit of your stomach when you’re suddenly sequestered in the HR office to hear the dreaded news. One minute you’re sailing along in the job you expect will carry you into retirement, and the next, you’re tearfully revising your resume.

I recall all the negative chatter in my head telling me I was too old to do this, humiliated by the thought of being the new kid among a pool of Millennials. Or worse yet, having a 20-something supervisor. (It happened. I survived.)

Long story short, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of my efforts. I made a cold call and sent a resume to a private company based on its name. It had the word “career” in its title, which seemed fitting since I had been an employment counselor. There had been no actual job posting; this was a complete and desperate shot in the dark.

But I had nothing to lose. And as it turns out, the company was about to lose a counselor; they just hadn’t posted the position yet. To my surprise, I was interviewed and hired immediately. I had been laid off in June and working again by August!

Timing was truly my friend in this situation. And another unexpected bonus; there happened to be many “mature” colleagues working there—one in her 80s and a few in their 60s. Suddenly I felt young again, imagine that! Yes, everything is relative. Once I recovered from the shock of the offer, I stood back and re-evaluated.

My confidence began to resurface as I realized that my new employer was actually the lucky one. Sounds self-important, I know, but the truth is I brought decades of valuable experience to the position. I had the edge and hadn’t realized my worth. Be sure to broadcast that in your interview, and keep in mind that you also possess three irrefutable qualities:

Maturity: You have decades of working with many personalities. You have likely dealt with difficult people and some challenging situations. You know how to communicate, cooperate and problem-solve.

Experience: You are far from green. Yes, there will be new information, technologies, and procedures to learn, but you’ve likely done similar tasks before. You’ve honed a wide range of transferrable skills that have poised you for successful leadership, critical thinking, organization, and time management.

Confidence: Yours is not the manufactured confidence some younger colleagues may portray, but the kind that only comes from years of learning, growing, succeeding, and failing. Despite the challenges, you are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and dig in.

Ten Job-Seeking Tips for the Older Woman

There’s no question you already have an edge. So, along with your maturity, experience, and confidence, consider these ten invaluable job-seeking tips as you find your sea legs and launch back into the workforce:

1. Omit graduation years from your resume.

2. Instead of stating “decades of experience” on your resume, use wording such as “accomplished professional” or “vast experience.”

3. Use your network. Reach out to friends and former colleagues for leads and references.

4. Open accounts with Indeed, Career Builder, and LinkedIn.

5. Apply to companies of interest, even if nothing has been posted.

6. Tailor resumes for targeted positions (you may need more than one) and emphasize transferrable, related skills. When applicable, align your resume with job postings by using keywords.

7. Seek out companies that tend to employ older workers.

8. Be willing to accept a lower salary (this may sting a little, but likely worth it).

9. Stay current. Get comfortable with social media and the latest technology.

10. Lastly, please take heart. When the negative self-talk comes knocking, just compare your current self to your 22-year-old self and celebrate all you have learned and accomplished. Hold your head high and get back in the race. Trust me, my friend; you have a huge head start!

Lisa Keeley is a freelance writer from Rochester, New York. She especially enjoys writing about women’s issues, personal growth, wellness, mental health and relationships. After a long career in human services, Lisa is still passionate about helping others and sees writing as a powerful way to connect and inspire.