Wondering if there are other women out there age 60+ having a very tough time getting a decent paying position in their field?

24 Comments

1. KathrynMay 2,2022 at 4:09PM UTC

   Not quite there but later 50s I have been looking for years for someone to pay me accordingly. Men have zero issues why for we?

2. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 7:04PM UTC

   I agree - I think it’s different with men. I remember my father was able to get work at age 64 with very little effort in the legal field. However, my mother wasn’t able to get a paralegal job in her 50s. Nobody would hire her!

3. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 4:29PM UTC

   I am 65 and have found that positioning myself as an expert is very effective. I leave off all basic admin, project management experience off my resume because it's a given that at an expert level you would have those skills.

   I focus on a narrow but specific role and am not interested in more general broad roles because they do not pay near as well.

   My background is in compliance and legal support and not many have my skill set but many old my title to a much less expert degree.

   I am highly recruited and make a nice 6 figure salary, great benefits and perks. I am not special or better at my job than my peers but I have highly specific skills that most companies require and pay special care to market those so that I stand out. I have enjoy steady employment and lucrative offers and have jumped around in many different industries, never staying more than 3 years. I left my last job after 2 years after being offered a nice bump at the end of last year at age 65.

   Age has so far nit been an issue for me because I market myself at an expert. Companies have been willing to pay top dollar for "expert" quality.

4. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterMay 2,2022 at 4:43PM UTC

   Love the self-confidence and focus - way to go!

5. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 6:19PM UTC

   I agree - if you are highly specialized, it puts you into a different category. But, I think it also depends on your industry. As someone in the media biz with 25+ years of experience, age does seem to matter when it comes to hiring. Look at the employee profiles at most magazines and you get the idea.

6. AnonymousMay 3,2022 at 8:59AM UTC

   I agree about listing mid level skills. I never list things like "managing a team of x". I mean duh, that goes without saying. At a higher level fir big bucks, employers are looking for higher benchmarks to even consider talking to you.

7. Sabrina CortesMay 2,2022 at 6:45PM UTC

   Sadly, ageism is a thing, but as a Resume Writer, there are ways around it.

   Here are a few ways to minimize it on your resume --

   ~~ I don't list more than 20 years of experience in the Summary section on the resume.

   ~~ Only show the last ten years of employment. You can list earlier experience as long as it's relevant to the position you're applying for, but don't include the dates.

   ~~ Don't put the dates in your Education/Certification section unless you just graduated within the last year.

   Some other tips are to write solutions-oriented bullet points and showcase your career achievements (with numbers) as much as possible.

   I hope this helps, and best of luck to you!

   Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

8. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 7:00PM UTC

   I appreciate the resume tips, but I’ve already tweaked my resume and Linkedin profile. I paid two different organizations to help with that. I was getting interviews but those done via Zoom never progressed. (Yes, I took a course on that too!). I took specialized courses to up my skills. Again, I think it comes down to what industry you’re in. That’s why I’m moving into freelancing and also looking to move into a different part of media.

9. Sabrina CortesMay 2,2022 at 11:23PM UTC

   I'm so glad that you've already been using those resume tips!

   Best wishes to you. :)

10. jenrignani@gmail.comMay 3,2022 at 12:56PM UTC

    Unfortunately everyone checks LinkedIn which requires employment dates.

11. Sabrina CortesMay 4,2022 at 1:16AM UTC

    Yes, they do. One other way around this is to align your LI profile with your resume and only list employment within the last 10-15 years.

12. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 7:56PM UTC

    Sorry you are finding this. I’ve been a recruiter for years and am always eager to hire the best person for the job regardless of age. Seems age is only an issue when the candidate brings it up, such as saying- back in the day or, I just want a place I can finish off my career. Some even spell it out and tell me many companies won’t hire them because of the age. It’s not someone’s age that stands in the way. It’s the persons attitude. I’ve seen candidate have “old age attitudes at every age”. It’s very unattractive.

    Be confident, be relative, be someone others want to be around, dress up to date- be excited about new technology. Don’t be your own worse enemy.

13. JJMay 3,2022 at 7:05PM UTC

    Disagree. I have heard people in companies talk about it being easier to hire, boss and fire younger workers. I have been in those meetings, so while it may be occasional, it is definitely an issue in the workplace. Too many talented older women have faced discrimination for it to be all their own faults.

14. AnonymousMay 3,2022 at 2:23PM UTC

    Currently in the same boat. They're not supposed to discriminate, but they do. Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, and full Social Security benefits don't kick in until age 70, so supposedly we're supposed to be working and contributing to society...

15. AnonymousMay 3,2022 at 2:25PM UTC

    How many CEOs are over 50? Like... all of them! How can they believe they are in touch but older people applying for jobs in their company aren't?

16. AnonymousMay 3,2022 at 7:00PM UTC

    I am not but even at 50 there’s very few options. People think I’m 35 so I hear what they say and how they say it. Agism is alive and well.

17. Jo VraMay 4,2022 at 12:14PM UTC

    I'm 56, and I'm having problem finding a good paying job in my field. It's so hard finding a good paying job at our age, and it's not fair. Experience goes a long way, wish companies would realize that.

18. AnonymousMay 4,2022 at 3:58PM UTC

    Sorry you are experiencing difficulty as well. I tried to go for lower level jobs and was told I was ‘’over qualified.” The problem is compounded by the fact that people in higher-level jobs don’t leave because they are close to retirement, so there are very few openings. Going freelance was my option but the price of health insurance is unreal!

19. Holly JacobsMay 4,2022 at 12:45PM UTC

    The intersection of profession viable and age discrimination is over 40. It's a reality. Do you make as much money as a freelancer? What industry are you associated with? The reason I ask is maybe it's the way we work that's changing. Please share your success and thank you.

20. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 9:52AM UTC

    Sorry to hear this. Ageism is alive and well. I have seen many of my friends lose jobs over age 55, and basically forced into early retirement.

21. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 6:17PM UTC

    Yes, me too. This seems to happen less often to men. If you look at the C-suite level execs at companies you will see many more older men than women. Some industries may be exceptions, like legal, HR, academia, and R&D.

22. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 6:24PM UTC

    Agreed! Ageism is swept under the rug and is rarely addressed. I think it’s much more prevalent in the U.S. than, say, Japan or even Europe. It will take an organized effort to update the age discrimination laws, which were enacted in the 60s. There was a really great article in AARP magazine on this topic and I’ll look for the link and post it here.

23. Jo VraMay 5,2022 at 10:02PM UTC

    I agree with you Elizabeth, but it’s alive and sad. They’ll never say it’s because of our age, but we’re not stupid. I hardly ever take any time off unless it’s a vacation.

24. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 6:49PM UTC

    It’s the same at all levels of government-look at state senators and county supervisors!
    Old white men for the most part!