So many women after age 50 find themselves out of work. Often through no fault of their own. It’s just that employers can and do trim and cut. Because… if you’re the one in charge, you’re probably thinking, hmmm… “Who should I cut?”
Do you think it would be that fresh-faced college student? Or that expensive long-term employee who’s close to retirement anyway (or so the boss might rationalize)? And, yes, your company IS paying more for your health insurance, so there’s a double financial incentive to cut YOU.
And yet women after age 50 also need employment… we still have hefty bills to pay: College tuition, senior care (for aging parents perhaps), medical care, house payments. Before age 65, you’re too young for Medicare. And health insurance ain’t cheap!
Mika Brzezinski and her sister-in-law Ginny Brzezinski also noticed this trend affecting women after 50 and decided to do something about it. The result is their new book: Comeback Careers, Rethink, Refresh, Reinvent Your Success–at 40,50, and Beyond.
From Comeback Careers by Mika and Ginny Brzezinski: “There’s a whole midlife career crisis going on for scores of women in their forties and fifties … we heard the word “invisible” a few too many times… most women around age fifty operate under the convergence of gender bias and age bias. Their jobs are more insecure.”
Ageism is definitely a thing, especially for working women. So many women I know who are out of work said they felt invisible in the work force. They felt powerless to get their point and ideas across in meetings. They said their years of experience and knowledge were often ignored, sacrificed and minimized by younger, less experienced colleagues.
There is certainly a double standard between older men and women, when it comes to the world of work. Sure older men suffer from ageism in the workplace, too, but women often also have to deal with the minefield of being female in a generally male-dominated workforce as well.
The Brzezinski sisters-in-law offer some excellent tips to combat this attitude in the workforce in their new book. And, they also prove by citing study after study from trusted resources that it is harder for women in the workforce and it is harder after age 50. It’s not in your head!
She’s the Day is also attempting to offer tips and ideas you can use in the work force, along with stories by women after age 50 about their experiences now in the workforce. One especially notable article is by licensed professional coach and career counselor Sara Pelaez on “A New Way of Thinking”. Also, don’t miss Julia and Michelle dishing on work in this video, too.
Sorry we can’t offer more solutions to this terrible problem other than remove the dates from your resume and your digital footprint! At least then, you can get your foot into the interview door. Until attitudes about ageism and gender discrimination are a thing of the past, we’re not going to lie, most likely you are going to struggle to find a meaningful career.
What about you? We’d love to hear from you on the topic with your comments below!
I was having a great phone interview with a younger interior designer. Conversation was going great, even thought I would get the job, until a comment was made regarding my age (she was fishing). I told the truth and the conversation was over. She missed out….I didn’t.
I like your attitude! You’ll find the right place. Keep us posted on how it goes and don’t get discouraged. It’s actually illegal to ask about people’s age, personal situations and the like, during interviews, but people do it, and it’s hard to prove it’s ageism, but it probably is.