Q: I have friends out of work who are in the 50-plus age group, and they are having significant problems regaining employment. What pointers can you give them?

A: The truth is that many employers generally like older hires because they tend to be more reliable, conscientious, and loyal. However, candidates over 50 to have to overcome hiring managers' fears that they have one foot out the door. Your friends should de-emphasize their age by removing dates from their resumes and making subtle changes to their appearance to look younger. Most importantly, though, they should showcase their enthusiasm for the job and how motivated they are to achieve, which will make employers more likely to believe they're in it for the long-term.

Q: My son has a master's degree in international development. He entered the Peace Corps with the hopes of getting a good job when he returned. But four years later, this hasn't happened. He does not know where to turn. Do you have any advice?

A: While your son can't assume that a stint in the Peace Corps will offer continuous employment opportunities, the Peace Corps does have an Office of Returned Volunteer Services, which provides career, educational, and transitional assistance to volunteers. He can access the office's resources at www.peacecorps.gov. It strikes me that this office could be helpful for networking purposes. Once your son has identified the field he wants to work in, he should identify Peace Corps alumni who currently hold jobs in those fields and contact them for informational interviews. Being a member of such a close-knit community — if he taps into it--it's less likely your son would be turned down.

Q: I made a good impression with a group of recruiters from a Fortune 500 company that visited my school. Unfortunately, I had to submit my resume online, and when I did this, I was automatically disqualified because of a low grade point average (2.275). How can I keep this from happening again?

A: Many employers use a 3.0 GPA as a cut-off point for candidates, and if this is your first job out of school, eventually you will have to share your GPA. Perhaps, though, you can present it in a more favorable light. For example, on your resume, if the GPA in your major is higher, or if the GPA in your last semester was higher, list those instead and then use a comments section or the interview to explain. Another way you can potentially overcome a low GPA is to demonstrate superior communication skills and maturity. These are qualities that are sometimes hard to come by in new college graduates and will help boost your chances.