On The Job Market Over Age 50

Flying high over the obstacles

I remember when I was younger, watching the older, more experienced people in my company work. There seemed to be two kinds of people. One type of person was totally engaged, always accepted new assignments, and freely mentored any younger employees who wanted to get better at their jobs. I spent a lot of time with them.

Then there was another group — those who seemed to coast through their days. They did the minimum. They moved through the days slowly, rarely sharing their knowledge with younger employees. Their work-life seemed dull. I remember saying to myself, “I never want to be like them.”

I’m not like them.

I am now 59-and-a-breath-away-from-60, and in January of 2019, I lost my job due to office closure. I wasn’t worried. I had a good, broad knowledge base, an excellent track record, and am a hard worker.

Plus, I was working too many hours in the old position. The largest client load in three states. I was burning out. My personal life was suffering. Friends told me I needed to find a new job. Obviously it was God’s recommendation, too.

This week I accepted a new job. When I begin, it will have been 542 calendar days since I last worked. I have a few folks who have been horrified on my behalf since that time. They didn’t understand why I didn’t get a job.

I wondered why getting a job was so difficult. Often I would ask those interviewing me, “What kind of person are you looking for?” Usually, I met every one of their criteria — still, I did not get the job and received no reason as to why.

Sometimes I kept an eye on their websites to see the person they would hire. It was always someone younger. And very attractive.

I’d never thought of myself as old, but it finally became apparent that my age was a factor, even though I am energetic, vital, and knowledgeable.

One recruiter got very blunt. She told me that at my age, I couldn’t expect to make the same level of salary as I did before I lost my job. I asked her what sort of salary she thought was realistic for me to expect. The amount she told me was less than 2/3 of what I had made previously.

I told the recruiter I wouldn’t accept a salary that low. I knew my salary wasn’t too high for my experience level. If I accepted a figure significantly lower, it said I agreed that as we age we lose value. I don’t believe it. I won’t accept it. I am at my most valuable now.

I was incredibly fortunate. I received about six months of severance from my former employer. I then received unemployment. I had savings, and my only debt was my house. I could afford to hang onto my principles for a while.

Other than not finding a job, my life was wonderful during this time. I could be there for friends and family who needed me. I was able to travel, cheaply. I volunteered in my community, was active in causes I believe in, and donated platelets as much as I could. I began to write regularly. I got back into balance. I found my center again.

This new job is something that is in my field, but yet with a new dimension. They didn’t look at my age as they considered me; they looked at my experience. They are paying me what I asked, and I did not have to take the pay cut the “wise” recruiter told me was a necessity. I am incredibly fortunate. I hope they feel the same.

Here’s what I have learned through this time.

• Believe in yourself, wherever you are in life. Do not settle for less than you deserve.
• Age does not define us. There are young fools and old fools. There are young sages and old sages. Still, there is something to be said about the wealth of years of life experience used to produce wisdom. That kind of wisdom is a gift to both the labor force and the community.
• Salary usually conveys value in the workplace. I don’t need a lot of money to live a great life, but if I don’t command it in the workplace, some people believe it means I am not at a level where I can handle the more interesting projects. I have often settled for “just enough” of a salary when I should have put more value in myself.
• Experts don’t know it all. Listen to them, consider their advice, but don’t let them make your decisions.
• Live your principles, as long as you can. There would have come a time when I would have had to accept less salary, but I am grateful I got to hold out. I am determined to bring great value to this employer, who appreciates my experience. Those who felt I was “too old” will never know what they missed. It’s OK. I know what they missed. Employers with their eyes open will see the value an older employee brings.
• Enjoy life. All the time. Even when circumstances dictate you “should” be down and distraught. I could have spent the last year and a half looking at the dark clouds through the window. Instead, I chose to dance in the rain. I recommend it.

I never thought I would lose my job with my company. My client scores were at the top of the charts. Yet of the people who lost their jobs with me, at 13 years at that company, I had the least tenure. We were all strong employees and thought our positions were secure. When companies cut the workforce these days, though, it is often the longer-tenured employees they choose to sever.

Who would have expected something like the coronavirus to come along to quickly change the world as we knew it? Thirty-three million Americans have lost their jobs in the pandemic. Some of these people will not be hired back. Many, like me, will be employees over the age of 50.

If that is you, be confident in who you are. You can do this. I did it. I am about to embark on a new career adventure, at a job I got during a pandemic. It’s exciting. But this whole time of uncertainty was also an adventure. I pivoted and turned and pirouetted until I was dizzy, but I kept standing. I’m proud of that.

In life, sometimes we soar, and sometimes we crash. Soaring almost always happens because we believe we can do it, crashing because we lost confidence in ourselves. I will continue to focus on soaring.

“In order to fly, all one must do is simply miss the ground.” -Douglas Adams

Thanks, Marilyn Flower, for the writing prompt.