Starting to think it's time to retire...

15 Comments

1. Jeannine LacyJune 17,2025 at 6:30PM UTC

   Thank you so very much. Your comment means a lot. Here is my LinkedIn profile. Please take a look. Let's connect. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannine-rutledge/

2. AnonymousJune 17,2025 at 6:56PM UTC

   I hear you. The world and especially the world of work has changed so drastically its hard to even recognize it.

   I have found consulting has drastically extended my career at almost 69. I work in legal ops and found a niche to exploit that has enabled me to continue working on my terms.

   Perhaps this is something to consider.

3. Jeannine LacyJune 17,2025 at 7:05PM UTC

   I think that's a good idea. I just have to find my niche. Thanks

4. AnonymousJune 18,2025 at 9:29PM UTC

   Yes, I don't seem to have the right skills to even navigate a job search. I tried for a long time but I was so shocked at the lack of knowledge and professionalism in the hiring managers I just gave up. I too decided to go the consulting route. It turns out I can control more of my time and my clients are remote.

5. Chelsea LaskoJune 17,2025 at 8:21PM UTC

   Oh my goodness... i soooo feel your pain. I am in the same boat and I recently went back to school in order to expand my opportunities but even still businesses don't want someone without experience either. It is extremely disheartening. Especially after soooo many hours or training and then tailoring my resume and cover letter for each position just to get zero responses.

6. Jeannine LacyJune 17,2025 at 9:25PM UTC

   I am struggling to justify the additional training. I have Salesforce, AWS, and more training. None of it has helped. I don't think it matters. I have talked to recruiters, and they all sound great, but they have nothing to offer. Everyone wants you to add something to your resume because it is never good enough. I think either these jobs aren't really out here that we are applying to, there is a true bias going on based on experience level, or all of the above. I'd really like to sit down with a few of us and a few companies to see what we are doing wrong or right, if that is the case. It's been two years for me. Something has to be wrong.

7. AnonymousJune 18,2025 at 2:11AM UTC

   First of all, I’m so sorry for what you are going through. It sucks. Instead of retiring, a couple of hard choices. You can either step backward or downward in your career, take less pay for the same role from a start-up, a sketch company or non-profit, or pivot. Seriously assess why you work. If it’s healthy insurance, look for anything with health insurance. Case manager jobs pull from all walks of life, pay poorly but often have health insurance. Also job coaches. If it’s boredom look at substitute teaching. You could also string together seasonal jobs: retail in the fall, taxes in the winter, garden stores in the spring. Good luck with your search, wherever it lands you!

8. Sarah Johnson, Ph.D.June 18,2025 at 1:27PM UTC

   I am sorry you have experienced this, and I support your decision to make choices that support your mental health, not the constant rejection of the job search process after a certain age. Sending you love and mojo!

9. AnonymousJune 18,2025 at 1:55PM UTC

   I'm a little concerned you are not answering your phone and asking for emails. No one gets hired based on emails. As a previous recruiter, and a very successful one, do this, connect with a staffing firm (Google those in your area that are rated the top), then find a recruiter to work directly with and also, before that, ask previous managers for written references. Then contact recruiters, send your resume, and 1-2 written references. I do not think this is race-related at all. I think it's the manner in which you are exposing yourself, or pulling back. Don't pull back, get yourself out there and show the world YOU are the right choice. Get referrals from colleagues as well to put on your LinkedIn profile. And DO NOT pay someone to get you a job, that's a waste of your time and money. If you were an exec level person who was a purple squirrel, and you're seeking work, you are found, not paying someone to connect to you. You ARE connected. Does that make sense? I'm going to be quite frank with you. Decide how much of a pay break you can afford, then seek jobs that are close to the range, then negotiate if made an offer. Ageism is real, and can tell you I am very well connected to tons of companies (I'm in higher ed and work with employers daily) and they seek early talent. But I do know from tons of years that state jobs and higher ed jobs embrace multi-generational folks. Raise your glass, give yourself a toast, and get back out there. Show them you are the BEST candidate but have some written references as a preview.

10. Jeannine LacyJune 19,2025 at 1:33PM UTC

    It worries me not to answer my phone as well. I miss the days of recruiters calling, walking through your resume, getting to know you, and working to find you the right job. I loved the recruiters of the old. Now I just get emails for job openings, I send over my resume, and never hear back. If I do get a phone call, it is just to confirm I am a US citizen, my rate, and to reply to the mail for the right to represent. I don't have an issue with AI, but the issue is AI scans resumes for keywords. So, recruiters want you to add the things to your resume specific to the job description. When you have over 30 years of experience across various industries and tools, it can be very hard to keep doing. If you don't hit at least 85 to 90% of those keywords, you are overlooked. If you use AI to create your resume, it is so generic and truly doesn't define the work you've done; it misses the mark there as well. Either way, you aren't winning. It almost boils down to either having a referral of someone who works at a company, a great recruiter, or just keep rolling the dice until something hits, and maybe you get close to what you need. It surprises me more and more when I am offered roles for three times less than what I've made over the last five years, as if my experience means nothing. I don't want to believe it is race-related. It is just hard to understand, and I think your point about ageism is correct. I am definitely going to keep trying, and I have expanded my search. Hopefully, I will get there soon. Thanks so much for the message. It means a lot.

11. AnonymousJune 19,2025 at 9:12PM UTC

    You're very welcome! And I hear you, I get emails and phone calls for roles and I'm not even looking. They catch an acronym on my resume and think it's an IT one without reading my resume. However, I did get an interesting email months ago from a recruiter who actually read my resume. She was spot on but the rate was too low for me to jump from a state job with tons of leave to one that didn't pay too much more. However, those are the best recruiters. I was one. And I read between the lines. AI really is nothing more than the old F1 search keys. But their software seems to replace good old fashioned reviewing. Yes, don't give up. Contact staffing firms, then once you find one of interest, LinkIn with them, find their email addresses and send your resume, a couple of written references and a cover letter outlining why you selected them to help you. Once you find this firm, then LinkIn with others who work for them. Read Glassdoor too. Looking for a job is equivalent to working on a dissertation. It's exhausting work. Gone are the days it was easy to find a job. It's about knowing others, networking and getting "in" to the right recruiter. Have you looked at companies like PWC, BCBS, these are national firms. Or CPG companies like PepsiCo and Mondelez? Whatever you do, please do not pay someone to get you connected. You can do that and keep your money. I visited one years ago to get interviewed when I was seeking and it was a bait and switch where they wanted me to pay them to help me. I said no thank you. My network helped me. Hang in!

12. Michaele JordanJune 18,2025 at 2:53PM UTC

    Sounds to me, like maybe you should give up & retire Don't know how much you have in savings or how much you need to get by, but I gave up after 2 years looking, & discovered that I could get by if I budgeted carefully. Best decision I ever made. Since you have valuable skills you enjoy, you could still seek out some charity & donate some time to a good cause. Not to mention all the things you never had time for, like gardening & baking, or splurge on a trip to the zoo

13. AnonymousJune 18,2025 at 4:52PM UTC

    First things first. Change your attitude and be confident that you will get a new role. Show companies why you are the one by doing something out of your comfort zone to get that role. Be creative! Show why the "love what I do" makes you the one. You got this!!!!

14. Jeannine LacyJune 19,2025 at 1:12PM UTC

    I appreciate that support of confidence. I have started to wonder, though, if my confidence is the reason I am not getting the jobs. Not arrogance but more like, I've got this and if you hire me, you've made the right choice confidence. Then, nothing or no. I never give up. I don't have it in me to do that but I am starting to think the advice I'm reading about moving toward retirement and maybe starting my own business may be the only opens. I didn't want to deal with the complexity of getting clients, etc. Maybe that is the next step for me. Thanks again.

15. AnonymousJune 19,2025 at 12:58PM UTC

    Some sound advice here. I retired after reaching my SSA full retirement age, and haven't looked back. I was, however, in a financial position to do it. I have now started my own business and am using a beloved hobby as a source of additional/supplemental income, which is necessary to keep me occupied and affords me the freedom I need, as I am also a caregiver for a chronically ill husband.

    The bottom line is that this depends on your financial position, and only you can answer that question. I appreciate the person who suggested that you make sure to exude your passion for customer support roles, as many people consider them stepping stones to other positions (usually management or more technical roles). You could probably even move into management, considering your experience, so looking at some CE-type courses in management skills would be helpful. I could see you leading, mentoring, or managing a customer service team.