Ladies... I am not sure if I am venting, sharing or looking for advice, probably all of the above. I lost my job in March 2025 due to the layoffs. I was a Product Manager. It took me some time to work through my burnout, which also, as it turned out, was due to perimenopause. I am on HRT, and feeling significantly better. I am just starting to look for jobs. I am not looking for Product roles anymore and want something either in Marketing or Client Services (I have experience in both). I have a 1.5 year gap in my resume now for FT employment and I am worried. My age is a factor, the resume gap is a factor, and the gender is a factor. Has anyone gone through something similar? Has anyone stepped down from a high-achieving, high-stress role, and still managed to get a job?

12 Comments

1. Elizabeth Stiles WestJuly 28,2026 at 3:34PM UTC

   I haven't done the exact thing you describe, but I got back into the workforce after being an at-home Mom, then as an "older worker," I managed to shift careers from a for-profit college that closed to teaching at a high school. I actually listed "at-home parent" on my resume when I returned to the workforce after having children, and I also emphasized the volunteering I did during that time, as well as discussing what online certifications I earned while raising my kids to keep my skills current. When the college I used to teach at (ITT Tech) closed suddenly, I knew that being middle-aged would be a concern and might make it hard to get a high school teaching job; principals might think that I would be out sick more than younger employees or that I might retire soon. I directly addressed the issue in my cover letters, emphasizing that I average fewer than two sick days in a calendar year and that I have no intention of retiring in the foreseeable future. I think it was Randy Pausch who said "when there's an elephant in the room, introduce it." That strategy worked for me. If you go to an interview, a good question to ask at the end is "is there anything about my background that might make you concerned about hiring me?" That way, it's right in the open and you can reassure them that the issue that caused you to leave your previous job is no longer a problem. Good luck; if men who are 70+ years old can run an entire country, surely a woman who recently experienced and survived perimenopause can handle the challenges in almost any workplace.

2. AnonymousJuly 29,2026 at 5:12PM UTC

   I’ve been out of the work force for 2 years. I got laid off because I was struggling during pregnancy then when I was ready to go back to job searching, DOGE happened and it’s been awful ever since. Take heart to know that it’s been getting better — at least in my field. I have experienced more interest, callbacks and interviews in the past month compared to the past 6. It’s slowly getting better. If at all possible, try to do freelance work — anything quantifiable to show prospective employers that you’re doing something.

3. Martin JonJuly 30,2026 at 11:06AM UTC

   It sounds like you have had a very difficult time. Taking time to recover from burnout is important. Your experience in product management and client services is still valuable. Just as improving in Slope 2 (https://slope2.org/) takes patience and steady practice, rebuilding a career also happens one step at a time.

4. Brandi SkinnerJuly 30,2026 at 9:38PM UTC

   Yes, it can be done and you will thank yourself later. Less stress is best. This current job market is overrun with AI bots, that keep your resume from ever being seen, so don't take silence to heart. It is best to used your network of professionals to get where you need. Best wishes.

5. SCAugust 3,2026 at 12:16AM UTC

   Yes! I have

6. SCAugust 3,2026 at 12:20AM UTC

   Use AI to get through ATS scanners and Rewrite resume to match job. Go to Instagram and put in search bar: How to get past ATS Scanners. Also go to YouTube and follow this lady in interviewing: Farah Sharghi. She is gives excellent tips. This will help you

7. SCAugust 3,2026 at 12:21AM UTC

   I have heard just say I have a gap due to personal reasons. Leave it at that, you don’t have to explain.

8. AnonymousAugust 9,2026 at 5:18PM UTC

   I have also had a lot of career disruptions since 2020 and this is what you can do.

   If age is a concern, limit your resume and LinkedIn to the last 10 years and take your graduation date off your resume.

   Next, you only need 1 client to be a consultant. You can also look for volunteer roles. In my experience, they do not ask a lot of questions about this especially if you do it pro bono.

   There are so many tools now to make this extremely easy. For example, you can use an AI site generator like Lovable. Look for local businesses with terrible websites (there are usually A LOT). Family farms, in my experience, tend to have some of the worst ones (think places that do pumpkin patches and hay rides in the fall).

   You can take their current site, pop it into an AI site generator, and make something 10x better easily. Note - this only works for sites that are already terrible.

   Then you can either gift it to them for your portfolio or can sometimes even make a couple hundred dollars selling it back to them. And THEN on your resume you can explain that you were doing that as a side hustle while taking a step back for personal reasons.

   That is just one example but you can do all kinds of stuff like that pretty easily and cheaply. The whole point is to have SOMETHING relevant on your resume to fill in the gap. Or if you do any volunteer work you can put that as well.

   Do not feel bad about this. I have had freelancing on my resume for 8 years in a row and I only help like, 2 clients a year and one is my parents' family business. Employers have created this situation by laying people off and sacrificing everything on the altar of the SHAREHOLDERS. You shouldn't have to suffer just because they keep throwing away good, engaged workers like trash.

   Get out there, be confident, and own the fact that you have a lot to offer. Good luck!

9. AnonymousAugust 25,2026 at 9:03PM UTC

   Yea, Im only about two months since quitting my job due to poor management and burnout. It's definitely difficult and frustrating in this current job market. Im either too qualified or the job is not paying enough. If you can in the meantime, apply to some part time/seasonal work. Best of Luck!

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11. Kim W.September 17,2026 at 2:32PM UTC

    I know it is tough. I am out of work my due to my position being eliminated last year. I am there with you. Keep positive, yes it is hard, but keep pushing

12. Steven MockNovember 7,2026 at 7:50AM UTC

    Yes — and I'd frame this as a pivot, not a step down. Product management maps really directly onto Client Services and Product Marketing: you already own the customer voice, cross-functional launches, and the metrics that show whether something actually landed. Two things that helped people I've seen make this move: first, target Customer Success / Client Services and Product Marketing roles specifically, where that PM background is an asset, not a detour. Second, lead your resume with a short line about what you want to do now and 2-3 outcomes from your PM work — onboarding, retention, adoption — instead of leading with dates and the gap. If you can, one short project or advisory piece now gives you a recent story to tell in interviews and a natural way to say you chose this direction on purpose. It is absolutely doable.