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She hides within your circle of friends, dressed beautifully in a designer wardrobe she bought when times were good and she could afford it.
But if you look closely, you’ll notice that when she joins you at restaurants, she orders club soda with a twist instead of a $14 glass of wine. She’s equally careful in her menu choices, counting every cent in her head. She begs off dividing the check evenly to cover desserts, cappuccinos and the second glass of chardonnay she didn’t drink.
She discovered how to do her own hair and nails, and prays that her aging luxury car doesn’t require repairs. In addition, she may be helping to support her adult child who fell on hard times.
She’s still as talented as ever, yet all of the online job applications she fills out seem to disappear into a black hole. Her work is sporadic now – mostly occasional consulting jobs.
She is over 55 and entered the uncertain world of formerly and used to be and isn’t sure anymore what her future holds.
“I feel terribly inadequate. I’ve held very responsible jobs over the years, yet I can’t seem to get hired today. Older workers like myself have ‘people’ skills that that the younger, computer generation lack.”
Looking for work is hard and filled with mounting frustrations and multiple rejections. She worries about staying upbeat and positive, and struggles to pull herself out of the slumps and setbacks so inherent to the process.
Finding a job is challenging for anyone in tough economic times, but it’s harder if you’re over age 50. It’s illegal for employers to discriminate based on age, but any older job-seeker will tell you it happens every day. That reality is colliding with the intent of baby boomers, most of whom hope—and need—to keep working past traditional retirement age.
Please tell her: What are the best strategies for landing a job when you’re “a woman of a certain age?”
Renee Writes Now! 
Wow! You hit the nail on the head!
Sent from my iPhone
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Unfortunately, I have a lot of friends in this boat.
I know many women in this position. Some have chosen a company that they want to work for, have noted some issues that need fixing and have created a job for themselves. Sometimes the job is temporary, but often it turns into a full time job. Sadly, we may have to be willing to take a step back, except a lower level job, and prove ourselves and our talent. I have seen a huge market in social media marketing, blogging, and computer related needs for small and mid-sized companies. there is a learning curve, but there are need is there.It is always a good idea to return to the old book, What Color is your Parachute, and evaluate who we are. We are not the person we were when we first read it and sometimes there are surprises in self evaluation that we can use to sell ourselves.
I’ve never read “What Color Is Your Parachute,” but I shall look for a copy, now!
Wow Renee. This is powerful and so true.
I wish it wasn’t quite so true. I see too many talented women who are overlooked because of their age.