What Happens to People In Their 50s Who Never Become the Supervisor?

[Anonymous]

I guess that will be me in ten years. I imagine in ten years I will care even less about it than I do now. My supervisor doesn't really supervise my work anyways, they mostly just do my time sheets, time off requests, performance reviews and make policy decisions (sort of because they have to coordinate with multiple layers on that). I think by 50 I will be eyeing the home stretch towards retirement and just slog it out until I'm ready to retire.

[Anonymous]

They are grateful they don't have to babysit other people and can just do their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been outcompeted for jobs by young men for 25 years. It's always the 30-year old young dads with finance or engineering backgrounds. They are really good at posturing. I won't say networking, because they aren't really that social. I'm wondering whether to give up. I'm considered good at what I do, but not leadership material. I have a Hillary-Clinton-like "something about her" factor which means I'm too smart but nobody is sure what they want to have me work on because I'm not the kind of person they want to hang out with.

The technical part of my company has a 70/30 ratio M/F in most meetings. Lately, in my particular area, which is more business than technical, it's been 90/10. How is that even possible that it's been getting worse, not better, in a less STEM-my area? It's psychologically draining. I make enough money. But I'm sure I'll be faulted if I stop showing any ambition. Even though I mostly get the mommy jobs of teaching and cleaning up after the youngsters. Which has to get done. Ugh.

You have to stop doing those types of jobs well. Sometimes, as women, we have to learn to not do everything perfectly and to stop caring about everything.

PP. I hear you. However, I can't stand weaponized incompetence and I have to earn my keep. I've reached the "age discrimination zone" and would prefer a salary plateau to a salary drop. I have specialized corporate knowledge so would be likely to take a big pay cut in the crueler outside world. Younger women, definitely be aware of cleaning up after your competition! But also that complaining makes it worse...I tried to navigate out of one of these cleanup assignments before and it was bad for my performance eval. And this year I got reassigned to it by the only female leader in my org. Ugh. I am apparently the only responsible person in the vicinity.

Ironically, I feel like it's the retiring of the Boomers that made my work more sexist. They didn't develop female leaders in the younger generation and the hard-fought Boomer women leaders retired. So what we mostly have now are Gen X and Millennial men with tight friendship networks. They like to promote young up and comer dudes who are comfy office buddies for them. Most of our office get-togethers have a college or pro sports angle now. It's ridiculous. This year I actually got #3 in March Madness brackets without knowing anything about basketball. I copied Obama's brackets from a fundraising e-mail. Lol.

[Anonymous]

I’m 52, SES at an agency, and my boss is a 36 year old political. Everyone has to deal with young supervisors sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you destined to be the old guy in the office being supervised by someone younger? Should you grab the ring when it is reasonably in sight (go for and likely get the promotion) or plod away as a worker bee doing the same thing day in and day out, knowing you will likely retire in that same position? There was a time in my life where all of my supervisors were smarter, more experienced and had much to offer in the way of mentorship. Now, I am seeing the supervisors at my job get younger and younger and I feel like the old person in the office. I am 51.

Actually you are destined to be laid off in your 50s.

See all the ageism threads recently. DCUM skews GenX and it’s hitting us hard right now, ESPECIALLY because so few advanced to leadership because of toadstool boomers who never retired in time.

If you have the chance to advance, and need to have a job past 55, take the promotion.

[Anonymous]

I’m 52 and an SME and really like the technical work I do. My current boss is older than I am, but I suspect anyone who replaces him will be younger. I don’t want that role because it will take me further away from the work I enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hah. I’m mid 30s and everyone I supervise is 45-65. At first it was awkward but I’ve treated everyone respectfully.

The thing I’ve found is that none of them want my job. Being a supervisor is hell and I barely make more than them. They enjoy the work and don’t want to deal with the headaches I encounter outside of my office. To be fair, I do have more job knowledge and am still better at my job. There are still things that even those who have been here longer than me can learn since I’m constantly told things from my supervisors and coordinates with my colleagues at my level.

My friend turned 50 and just told me something similar. He has maxed out his career path in a non-supervisory role and wants to stay there and retire at this position. He will try to dodge any attempt at promotion henceforward

[Anonymous]

This is me and idc. I hate working and I wouldn’t dream of supervising anyone other than myself cause I don’t wake up wanting to be great at my job. I wake up only wanting to be great at doing things that I actually enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The smartest people at my work don’t supervise because they like engineering.

+1

My extremely smart SIL would turn down supervisor positions because

- she was friends with her coworkers and did not want to supervise them.
- she liked her work-life balance and did not want to take on more work.
- the extra money would put her in a higher tax bracket.
- she did not want to be responsible for other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you destined to be the old guy in the office being supervised by someone younger? Should you grab the ring when it is reasonably in sight (go for and likely get the promotion) or plod away as a worker bee doing the same thing day in and day out, knowing you will likely retire in that same position? There was a time in my life where all of my supervisors were smarter, more experienced and had much to offer in the way of mentorship. Now, I am seeing the supervisors at my job get younger and younger and I feel like the old person in the office. I am 51.

Actually you are destined to be laid off in your 50s.

See all the ageism threads recently. DCUM skews GenX and it’s hitting us hard right now, ESPECIALLY because so few advanced to leadership because of toadstool boomers who never retired in time.

If you have the chance to advance, and need to have a job past 55, take the promotion.

Actually you're going to be pushed out before your retirement age no matter what, PP. So might as well stay where it makes you happiest.

[Anonymous]

I would hate to be a supervisor! I don't want to be dealing with people and discipline and motivation. I am really good at my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hah. I’m mid 30s and everyone I supervise is 45-65. At first it was awkward but I’ve treated everyone respectfully.

The thing I’ve found is that none of them want my job. Being a supervisor is hell and I barely make more than them. They enjoy the work and don’t want to deal with the headaches I encounter outside of my office. To be fair, I do have more job knowledge and am still better at my job. There are still things that even those who have been here longer than me can learn since I’m constantly told things from my supervisors and coordinates with my colleagues at my level.

Absolutely agree with this. I became a fed supervisor (atty) in my mid-30s. Everyone seemed glad that I'd applied for and gotten the job! They definitely did not want it. They are longtime experts with a lot of autonomy and I was dealing with all the unpleasant bureaucracy, meetings, politics, etc. They got to be straight-up lawyers.

Now I am in the private sector and my manager is older than me but younger than many of his direct reports. I don't get the sense they want his job. I don't really want it either.

So I think it depends a lot on your workplace and culture.

[Anonymous]

Curious how is this even possible. I graduated college and was given staff fresh out of school. Granted most were on the clock people but I was exempt and as lower rung of management possible I supervised the "clerks" and on the clock people.

I had 40 of these people at one point at 23. Was good learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you destined to be the old guy in the office being supervised by someone younger? Should you grab the ring when it is reasonably in sight (go for and likely get the promotion) or plod away as a worker bee doing the same thing day in and day out, knowing you will likely retire in that same position? There was a time in my life where all of my supervisors were smarter, more experienced and had much to offer in the way of mentorship. Now, I am seeing the supervisors at my job get younger and younger and I feel like the old person in the office. I am 51.

Actually you are destined to be laid off in your 50s.

See all the ageism threads recently. DCUM skews GenX and it’s hitting us hard right now, ESPECIALLY because so few advanced to leadership because of toadstool boomers who never retired in time.

If you have the chance to advance, and need to have a job past 55, take the promotion.

Boomers are still around as retirement age is now 67 per SS. Full Medicare does not start to 65. For Baby Boomers: Born 1946–1964 the last of them do not reach 67 until 2031.

However, Gen X born 1965 to 1980 is the first Dual Income FIRE generations. Many want to retire younger at around 55. They are too close in age Boomers to retire ten years younger and except to get their the jobs.

Companies are promoting younger and younger leaders over time. My prior company had plenty senior employees around 25-29. This means the last of Boomers are giving their jobs to Generation Z: Born 2001–2020.


Many Millennials at work in particular the younger ones are already talking about retirement. Millennials are Born 1981–2000, the older ones are turing 44 next year.

A Boomer with a stay at home wife and four kids and a mortgage needed to work to 67. A millennial or Gen X with dual income and two kids often can afford to retire at 55. A full 12 years earlier. The math does not work.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to supervise people. I briefly did it and stepped down from that. I have massive anxiety and do best managing my own self only. I don't want to take on others, even for more pay. Not worth it to me.