Magnificent News: This 100-year-old woman is still working

Thursday, July 13, 2023

This 100-year-old woman is still working—her best career advice

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CLOSING THE GAP

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Morgan Smith is a Work reporter at CNBC Make It. You can follow her on Twitter @thewordsmithm.

When Jayne Burns turned 100 last summer, she told her friends that she had one wish: "to keep working."

The centenarian was only half-kidding — she wished for a small birthday party and the health of her seven great-grandchildren, too.

Burns has had the same part-time job as a fabric cutter at the Joann Fabric and Crafts store in Mason, Ohio for 26 years, and it's still one of her favorite ways to spend time.

"I enjoy what I do, so I want to keep doing it," she says. "I'll work for as long as I can or as long as they'll have me."

Burns — who turns 101 on July 26 — didn't plan on working past 100. She tried retiring several times throughout her 70s and 80s, then would "unretire" just a few months later, taking bookkeeping jobs at veterinarian offices and accounting firms. Before joining Joann, Burns was a bookkeeper for most of her career.

"I like the routine, I like to keep moving," she says.

Burns began working at the craft store in 1997, a few months after her husband, Dick, died. She heard about the job from her daughter, Donna Burns, who was working at the store part time and thought the job might be a welcome distraction from the grief.

Donna was right: Burns, who has sewn for most of her life, enjoyed learning about new fabrics and recommending different patterns to customers.

The best part of her job, she says, is "the people." "I enjoy talking to everybody I work with, and meeting the customers who are very nice," she says, "even if some of them are surprised to see me at the cutting table."

Throughout her decadeslong career, Burns has learned that there's one trait all of the "best jobs" have in common: nice co-workers.

"It's important to find people who are friendly and kind," she says.

At Joann's, Burns has struck up close friendships with some of her co-workers, including Maggie HusVar, a rising senior at Thomas More University, who introduced her to TikTok during a coffee break.

The pair have made several TikToks together, dancing in the store's break room and chatting about some of Burns' favorite memories (like how she met her husband) at the checkout counter.

And last summer, her co-workers surprised her with a birthday party to celebrate turning 100.

Having good working relationships doesn't just make your job more enjoyable — it can also make time go by faster, which according to Burns, might help you live longer.

"Staying busy keeps you from focusing on your aches and pains," she says. "It makes it easier to keep going."

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