I have recently changed careers at age 52, and I am finding it next to impossible to land a job using job boards.

12 Comments

1. Diane Frances Lesley-NeumanJanuary 14,2024 at 6:44PM UTC

   Join AWAI. They find work for you.

2. Rochelle GortsJanuary 14,2024 at 6:50PM UTC

   I will look into that!

3. AnonymousJanuary 14,2024 at 7:08PM UTC

   What's your social media following like? That can be key in getting noticed and being able to connect. I don't mean LinkedIn - I mean X, IG, etc.

4. Rochelle GortsJanuary 14,2024 at 7:55PM UTC

   I'm very new to this so I need to start to gain followers. I have a website at justgrowwiththeflow.co but I need to figure out how to promote it better, and how to use SEO to my advantage.

   My BA in english, creative writing non-fiction didn't help me much with SEO or marketing, but it did make me a better writer. I feel like I need to get a different degree and I am looking into specialized content writing and SEO cources.

5. AnonymousJanuary 15,2024 at 1:30PM UTC

   Freelancing relies heavily on referral and people finding you and seeing things like they like. It’s less about just pure SEO than about maximizing hashtags and frequency on socials to gain followers - this gets you in the algorithm to get referred to others. Interacting with other accounts also helps immensely. It is likely the first thing potential jobs will look at when recruiting content writers.

6. Julie McGovern, EdDJanuary 14,2024 at 8:14PM UTC

   Congrats on getting your BA! That's a great accomplishment and something you should definitely be proud of. What kind of writing do you want to do? Do you have an experience as a writer? Any samples?

   I ask because I'm in a similar boat, although I am 61 and retired from teaching with a small pension last June. I need and want to continue working, but teaching just wasn't sustainable for me any more. I have revised my resumes and cover letters so many times, and while I have many good credentials and 15 years of professional writing experience in addition to teaching, I haven't gotten a single call for any level job I've applied for. I've always had imposter syndrome, and it keeps me from networking, which I know is crucial.

   A thought for you: In the fall, I started independent research for a scholarly article/lit review, really, on ageism. It's timely, personal, and gets me back in the habit of writing again. I feel good about the process and what I'm accomplishing despite it not being a paid job while I figure out what I really want to be when I grow up. It also helps me hone my skills and build up a more current portfolio than what I did 20 years ago.

   Good luck! Here's to all of us finding our niche!

7. Rochelle GortsJanuary 14,2024 at 11:36PM UTC

   Julie,

   I admire you for changing your career after teaching. I was an infant/toddler teacher and had to stop due to getting deathly sick every time one of my kids caught something. I really loved it, but my immune system didn't! Cue my career change. I can do writing well into retirement; it's a good choice.

   I started writing a blog on WordPress about midlife women's issues. Learning such a complicated program was challenging, but I knew it would help me tremendously in the long run. So that is where I have some samples. https://justgrowwiththeflow.co/ if you want to check it out.

   I also have some work on Medium. It's a free site for writers. That's a great place to post your writing without worrying about imposter syndrome, which I struggle with! I am working on an article about that nasty issue. https://medium.com/@rochellethewriter

   I started wanting to write a memoir, which will happen at some point, but for now, I want to concentrate on blogs, articles, newsletters, and such. I need to learn the whole SEO thing, which my English degree only briefly covered. That is a huge part of writing these days. I also use Grammarly like it's going out of style; it's been an editing dream come true!

   I'd love to read some of your writing. I will connect with you on Linkedin. Here's to making all our writing dreams come true!

8. AnonymousJanuary 15,2024 at 7:38AM UTC

   Make sure you put your resume through a resume scanner. If your resume doesn’t contain exact keywords the screening software may pass over your application.

9. AnonymousJanuary 15,2024 at 3:25PM UTC

   This is not a thing. All the ATS does is to scan your resume into a digital file cabinet. Real people still look at resumes.

10. AnonymousJanuary 15,2024 at 8:27PM UTC

    If you are in a position to do it, I'd find a small agency and convince them to let you do some ghost writing at a cut rate, even $0 so you can build a portfolio of real-world work... Then get signed up with all the freelance job sources you can find e.g. We Are Rosie. After that be sure to work on your personal branding plan. You could even hire someone to help you get started.

11. JJJanuary 16,2024 at 12:29AM UTC

    Network and get to know people (marketing executives and business owners) who need your services to build up a portfolio.

12. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 3:42AM UTC

    You mentioned you're a recent grad. Congratulations! Have you checked with your school's career center to see what assistance they may offer to recent grads? Many offer assistance with resume crafting, networking with other alums in similar fields, etc.