Over 50, and Zero Job Offers

By Anne Fisher, CNNMoney

Dear Annie: I'm a week away from my 54th birthday and, man, am I getting discouraged. After being laid off from a fairly senior job in May, I've spent the past few months networking nonstop, and managed to get three interviews. One interviewer never got back to me at all, and the other two both said I am overqualified for the jobs they have to offer.

I suspect that "overqualified" is corporate code for "old and expensive," so I tried to explain that I am more than willing to take a step or two down in position and salary (both my kids are out of college now, and our mortgage is almost paid off), but I still hit a brick wall. How does one get around being seen as "overqualified"? --Highly Experienced