How to land a corporate job after 50!

Conventional wisdom has it that people over 50 never land jobs with corporations. Yet, while it is immensely difficult, I do know many people who have. In fact, I was recently talking to a friend, who at 67, has just landed a senior position with a very well known corporation. With no college degree, he has landed about 4 times since he was 50 at major corporations. How does he, and all the others, do it? Quite simple - he has built a strong network of people who know and trust him so much that they reach out to him. This does not mean that he is passive - far from it. He has spent a lifetime building that network, and works hard to maintain it. As your friends and colleagues retire, or even die, the network must be kept fresh. Do favors for them, even unasked, and keep your skills fresh. No one finds a job after 50 by simply going through the routine application process (even at younger ages, this is rare), but through the networks you build.