Finding a job in this market has become a struggle for many professionals, no matter their age or years of experience. But for job seekers in their 50s, the challenges can be unique.
For the Still in the Game series, Business Insider has been speaking with 50-something job-hunters about the unique encounters they’ve had while pivoting careers and looking for new work. Some have mentioned feeling that ageism, AI, and their seniority have worked against them. Others have found ways to successfully move into new roles or find new paths by using their age and experience to their advantage.
The 50-and-older workers who are successfully navigating rejection and moving forward share three things in common: they used their network, sold their experience, and didn’t wait to be hired. Here’s what they shared.
In Still in the Game, Business Insider is chronicling the realities of job hunting in your 50s — from overcoming age bias and navigating career transitions to rebuilding confidence, updating skills, and finding new opportunities in a competitive job market. Read more stories here, and share your own experience here.
Use your personal and professional network
Nicole Cicero, 54, is one of the job seekers we spoke with who managed to leave her old job and land a new one. Most impressively, she did this without submitting a single job application online.
Cicero told Business Insider she applied to fewer than 10 companies while still in her old sales job, and exclusively used her network and a professional recruiter she’s known for decades. “Ultimately, I went with a company where I actually knew somebody from the past,” Cicero said. “It felt like a comfortable choice, as though I could go in there and just breathe.”
Similarly, 56-year-old Michael Shmarak built relationships through his retail job, teaching, and sharing his ideas on Substack. While those connections haven’t gotten him to a full-time role, they’ve led to interviews and new consulting opportunities.
Consider your age and experience as an advantage, not a hindrance
Shmarak also shared how he shifted his mindset to embrace his age and reframe his experience after being ghosted countless times.
“When you’re 50, you have to look at all the things that you have that are advantages ahead of younger people,” he said. “What can I do to teach them? What can I do to bring that experience to the table? That’s more forward-thinking, instead of saying, ‘I have 25 years of experience in an industry.'”
Cicero said she came into her interviews with that same confidence. She focused on her years of experience and what she brought to the role, instead of worrying about her age.
Even when switching industries, as 56-year-old Jennifer Mannix did, leaning on past experience has been an asset. Mannix is transitioning from the world of risk management to women’s professional sports. Although she sought entry-level positions, she said that her 30 years of work experience have given her many transferable skills that put her at an advantage.
Read more stories about job hunting, unemployment, and starting over after 50.
Take control of your career and don’t wait to be hired
While networking and using age as a sign of experience can be helpful, they don’t always lead to a secured full-time role. In Shmarak and Mannix’s case, they were still job searching when Business Insider last spoke with them. However, they both found ways to continue working.
Shmarak developed a bob-and-weave strategy to keep himself encouraged in his search. “The idea of bobbing and weaving is that, as different challenges come at you, you don’t let them stop you,” he said. “Like in dodgeball, you’re not letting that be the thing that tags you out. You continue to dodge and keep going.”
While he’d prefer one full-time role, he has several fractional jobs, works in retail part-time, and teaches once a year.
Mannix, on the other hand, is building her own business. “This year, I started building a business that curates events surrounding women’s sports. I figured, if I can’t get hired, why don’t I make something for myself?”
Are you navigating a career change in your 50s? Contact this editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected] to share your story.
