Many professionals in the field of aging services have a career pathway story that begins with an influential grandparent or older neighbor. These veterans in our field often describe their careers as something they “fell into and never left.” Rare are the stories of those who independently developed a strong interest in aging or a specific desire to serve the older population.

My own aging services origin story began when I was 16 years old. Every other week I helped my Grammy, blind from macular degeneration, to sort her mail, write her memoirs, and run errands. I loved hearing stories about Grammy’s childhood and learning about life during the Great Depression and World War II. Some things were less fun—like when Grammy tried to set me up on a date with the “cute young man” who worked behind the reception desk at her assisted living community. (Talk about embarrassing!)

Eventually, after I graduated from college, I had the opportunity to work as a marketing specialist at an assisted living community. I recalled the joy I felt helping Grammy each week. I took a chance on our field, and I’m still here 15 years later.

Family structures are less intergenerational today, and young people are less likely to interact regularly with an “influential grandparent,” as I did. Without that experience, they don’t often consider aging services as a career option. That leaves those of us working in this field with the task of telling the next generation about opportunities in aging services, our fulfilling mission-driven work, and the fun we have working day-to-day with older adults.

The field of aging is the best-kept secret in health care. It’s common knowledge that clinical roles, such as nurses and professional caregivers, are needed in our field. But few people know about the many other special skills required to run our settings. For example, we need specialists in the culinary arts, environmental services, finance, human resources, technology, fundraising, life enrichment, social work, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. And the list goes on.

My career pathway allowed me to become an assisted living leader by my mid-20s, a faster route to a leadership role than I would have attained in acute care. My career in aging also provided an opportunity to build strong bonds with assisted living residents because of their long-term residency. That’s often why aging services professionals stay in the field: they love the residents and clients they meet. I wouldn’t have known this without the life experiences that led me to this role.

How can we introduce more job seekers to the opportunities and rewards they can gain from a career in aging? How can we give others a chance to experience the joy of working in this sector?

It’s simple. We can share our stories—and do it loudly.

I encourage you to join me and share your story during Careers in Aging Month in March. Turn to social media. Write an Op-Ed piece for your local newspaper. Publish a blog. Post your story on LinkedIn. Visit a class of middle or high school students to talk about careers in aging.

Help elementary students “adopt a grandparent,” practice reading, or become pen pals with older adults in aging services organizations. 

Inspire high school students to volunteer, complete service-learning projects, or join a local chapter of HOSA. This student-led organization inspires young people to become leaders in the health community. Inspire young adults to work in culinary or caregiving roles. Join with partners to sponsor clinical rotations, career fairs, career outlook presentations, and hands-on activities for young people interested in our field.

Recruiting for careers in aging has always presented a unique challenge because our society does not value aging or understand the caregiving profession. As a result, it’s not always easy to communicate effectively how wonderful and rewarding our work can be. But we must try.

I hope you’ll take a moment this month to share your Careers in Aging story and consider how you can bring the next generation into this great field. Also, don’t forget to use the Careers in Aging Month Resource Toolkit from the Gerontological Society of America.