Here we are in 2022!

13 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 2,2022 at 11:23PM UTC

   Childcare! And I’m reading a book called about time management called Four Thousand Weeks about how accepting our limited time and diving into acceptance of our choices is the key to getting off the proverbial hamster wheel in terms of feeling like we can never get everything done that we want to. Acceptance of our limited time means making choices and living with the consequences - so for some that means more career oriented choices and for others, it means choosing more leisure and family. I think that is key to feeling fulfilled - even if that means not advancing as quickly as one might like.

2. AnonymousJanuary 3,2022 at 12:54AM UTC

   I am starting a job search which has its own stresses. I feel the pressures of looking out for my Dad (he is 78 and had a couple spills in the last 2 years) and my daughter who is 30 and has her own problems. I am still learning how to maintain the right balance of caring and keeping appropriate distance while getting the support I need.

3. AnonymousJanuary 3,2022 at 1:35PM UTC

   For employers/hiring managers to truly recognize and value transferable skills and soft skills. There are so many articles on this site about how important those things are and how “This CEO would never hire without them!” But the real screen is still “Do you have X years experience doing this thing?” and not “Can and will this person make a great contribution to my team?”

4. AnonymousJanuary 3,2022 at 1:51PM UTC

   Agreed

5. Heather KenvinJanuary 3,2022 at 1:54PM UTC

   100% agree with this, Elizabeth! Discriminating based on age is so rampant and still considered okay in many places. And we do it to ourselves when we joke about being "too old" to do something or we allow others to define what we can or can't learn. I'm 60 and became a first-time entrepreneur this year. Like you, with kids grown my focus is fully on my work. And I'm still learning, which is what I love to do. We need multi-generational workplaces to produce the best work and to have the most creative solutions to the pressing issues that we face. And we need HR Directors, Chief People Officers, CEOs to put ageism awareness front and center in their hiring practices.

6. AnonymousJanuary 3,2022 at 2:05PM UTC

   I agree , Age discrimination is the biggest problem, and it can be easily hidden , the same excuses are used over and over again .

7. Katie MaloneJanuary 3,2022 at 2:32PM UTC

   True balance. I need employers to understand that equal doesn't mean equitable and that people don't care if a company offers "office perks" and parties. They want true flexibility, to be treated like adults and wfh options.

8. Shanita Taylor BSIS, BSc (Psyc), M.A.E.LJanuary 3,2022 at 3:45PM UTC

   I agree, especially with Covid. Ways to prevent burnout, time off, and other incentives that have to do with money or gift cards.

9. AnonymousJanuary 3,2022 at 9:08PM UTC

   REAL flexibility. Not “you can work from home on Fridays” but the ability to shift schedules to what works for you. Start early, start late, take your lunch at 2:30 to pick up a kid, etc.

   Also, real paths toward advancement—paths for individual contributors in addition to a way for people to move into management if they want to do so.

10. AnonymousJanuary 4,2022 at 3:52PM UTC

    I really feel your comment on "REAL" flexibility. I opened my own business to have that. Maybe that's a good path for you?

11. AnonymousJanuary 4,2022 at 8:12PM UTC

    Thanks! I owned my own business for 15 years, but stepped back into the corporate world because of an opportunity too good to pass up. So I know I traded flexibility for the chance to work with the top people in my field and also make a good income. Fortunately my kids are older now and it’s not a huge deal. But I roll my eyes when a company says they’re flexible and it’s only every other Wednesday, LOL. Or they advertise perks that are cool, but don’t match up with what my segment of the workforce would actually want. :)

12. AnonymousJanuary 4,2022 at 10:15PM UTC

    So true!

13. Amy FortneyJanuary 4,2022 at 3:52PM UTC