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Articles
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| No longer ‘retired and restless,’ Darryl Dillingham goes back to work at 71 |
VOICE writes, "BY JOSHUA GRAY
Darryl Dillingham may be retired, but he’d rather be rocking out to Eric Clapton than rocking on the front porch. At 71, Dillingham may look the part of the dapper retiree, but he confounds expectations when he confesses his fondness for the ‘60s-era work of the English guitarist (who himself turned 63 recently).
Dillingham is among six national winners of AARP’s “My Dream Job” contest. He entered on a whim, after seeing a promotion in the AARP The Magazine. Entrants submitted essays in a number of categories, competing for a package that includes career coaching, a laptop computer and gift certificates. Dillingham won in the “Retired and Restless” category, which seems appropriate for the high-energy, Union Station-area resident as he seeks to renew his media career.
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Along with the contest’s other winners, Dillingham is chronicling his job-seeking experience in biweekly journal entries on the AARP Web site.
His career started in his native Los Angeles, where he found his calling in television production and media affairs. There he worked as director of community affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters and headed his own production company. But when the production company went bust, Dillingham faced setbacks in his attempts to jump-start his career. He didn’t retire entirely by choice; rather, he found himself marginalized by the realities of the employment market.
Like many industries, television is a playing field for the young. Dillingham’s years of experience running his own business turned out to be more of a liability than an asset. “It’s what you did today, not yesterday. It’s very youth-oriented,” he says. Unable to find work in his field, he took a part-time job working as a bartender.
For the past eight or 10 years, Dillingham worked various jobs in the hospitality industry, typically rising to a position of greater responsibility than he really wanted. “I don’t want to be in charge anymore,” he says with a laugh. Still, he’d like to take advantage of his years of media experience and his fluency with words.
“Doing the essay, and subsequently doing the journals, it’s really gotten me back into my writing,” he says. Ideally, he’d like to find an opportunity in communications or media that makes good use of his talents. He’s focusing on community affairs, public affairs and recruitment, all areas where he has demonstrated expertise. Working with a career counselor, Dillingham has already crafted four different résumés, each tailored to different fields. He’s investigating possibilities with D.C.’s many associations, as well as in radio and government.
Retirement has taken on a new meaning these days, and Darryl Dillingham is the restless face of that redefinition. He’s adamant that he does not want to work full time, but it doesn’t sound as though he plans on taking it easy, either. He speaks fondly of putting more time into playing flugelhorn and trumpet. Each year, he and his wife return to the waters of the West Coast. And, of course, there’s a new Clapton biography and album, and a tour coming up this spring.
Follow Darryl Dillingham’s job search at aarp.org/community/Jazzman/journals/
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Posted on Apr 20, 2008 14:27pm.
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