Positive stories after 45

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal gov lawyer, 48 years old, who left in March due to all the chaos and got a higher paying in-house job. I was worries about my age being an issue but I landed a job within a month of sending out about five or six initial applications.

Ditto

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people I know who make under $200k have eventually found another job post 45. Sure it may have taken them awhile. It think people most affected by ageism are those earning very high salaries post 45.

I sincerely hope they are outliers. If for example a 50 years old statistician is laid off their next option is teacher, retail or business driver then that's an absolute disaster. I am only 32 and this is discouraging to read. I started my career as a math teacher at 22. I quite 4 years later and I am not going back. Teaching sucks. It's not for everyone. Bus driver forget it. Retail come on..

The applications of stats in corporate are perceived to be junior role, if you are 50 years old and want a job in corporate, you need institutional experience outside of stats.

A lot of people made the mistake of valuing “technical work” and never evolved their brand.

Not sure how things work in academia or government.

No it’s just because people advance for things not related to skill, but more that they have affinity to a candidate (hello fellow white dude) or maybe find them attractive (olds need not apply).

Evolve their brand? How cringe. Not about actual ability or skill, just who management takes a shine to.

[Anonymous]

Never had a career and the one attempt I made at 45, failed. I retired soon after the failed attempt to become a teacher.
I had worked for minimum wage my whole life, because of legal issues and life circumstances. No benefits, no 401k, no contract to protect me, years of wage theft, abusive drunk boss was all I knew. I could never rely on my job to provide for my future or even present at times like in 2001/2008 when it fell below minimum. Since it was low pay, it was always there though. I just had to work extra 10 hours to get the same money and I had the youth, health, and strength to do so at that time.
Long story short, I became master of every penny I was able to take home. Invested some of into real estate since age 30, and into stocks and crypto age 42. I sold the real estate that hadn't appreciate and bought stocks/crypto in around 2020.
After sending financial advisers packing after putting me into yet another fund, I learned to invest on my own. Investing my new career. I got a degree also at some point going to school after work.
I'm passing down the knowledge to my kids now. They know money comes from money and then maybe from a job. Mom worked for 25+ years and didn't get rich until the market she got into the stock market. So, it can't be from work in our house. Because the kids have investment accounts now, I can take it easier when it comes to their future jobs.
Had I ever been paid well, I would have got stuck relying on my job for money. It took so little money to grow so big. It was not only luck. It is being in the market, staying in the market through 2022, and learning as much as possible.
This investing on your own is not available in so many countries. US make is very easy, but people still don't do it. They seemed to prefer their work place to do it. I will never know why. Will your work 401k tell your kids how they did it? Ofcourse not. They are busy collecting the fees and keeping you safe from learning on your own. Investing is not a rocket science.
I did yet another 10%+ (25% this time) the other day. At some point, it's not luck anymore, it's experience.
If most of the money comes from the market, there are so many careers one can consider age 45+. Time to slow down, not climb the ladder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never had a career and the one attempt I made at 45, failed. I retired soon after the failed attempt to become a teacher.
I had worked for minimum wage my whole life, because of legal issues and life circumstances. No benefits, no 401k, no contract to protect me, years of wage theft, abusive drunk boss was all I knew. I could never rely on my job to provide for my future or even present at times like in 2001/2008 when it fell below minimum. Since it was low pay, it was always there though. I just had to work extra 10 hours to get the same money and I had the youth, health, and strength to do so at that time.
Long story short, I became master of every penny I was able to take home. Invested some of into real estate since age 30, and into stocks and crypto age 42. I sold the real estate that hadn't appreciate and bought stocks/crypto in around 2020.
After sending financial advisers packing after putting me into yet another fund, I learned to invest on my own. Investing my new career. I got a degree also at some point going to school after work.
I'm passing down the knowledge to my kids now. They know money comes from money and then maybe from a job. Mom worked for 25+ years and didn't get rich until the market she got into the stock market. So, it can't be from work in our house. Because the kids have investment accounts now, I can take it easier when it comes to their future jobs.
Had I ever been paid well, I would have got stuck relying on my job for money. It took so little money to grow so big. It was not only luck. It is being in the market, staying in the market through 2022, and learning as much as possible.
This investing on your own is not available in so many countries. US make is very easy, but people still don't do it. They seemed to prefer their work place to do it. I will never know why. Will your work 401k tell your kids how they did it? Ofcourse not. They are busy collecting the fees and keeping you safe from learning on your own. Investing is not a rocket science.
I did yet another 10%+ (25% this time) the other day. At some point, it's not luck anymore, it's experience.
If most of the money comes from the market, there are so many careers one can consider age 45+. Time to slow down, not climb the ladder.

I love how you come on here and post about your marketing acumen, you are so reliable and repeatable.

[Anonymous]

Can people share more about how they evolve their brand to climb corporate? I feel I am very much trusted for my technical skills but not for management.

[Anonymous]

The positive part of my story is that I am still employed at 60 and find my work meaningful.

I was a program analyst for a federal contractor and got laid off at 50. It took most of a year to get another job and have never gotten back to my old income level.

[Anonymous]

I am 57 and just got a huge promotion (to me) with a 20% raise. I also got accepted into a very prestigious (in my field) national program, which has really increased by perceived value (I still think I'm the same person, but others don't).

I have marketed myself. I have built relationships far outside my small organization. I have acquired new, relevant skills. I have always tried to keep up with the skillsets that 20 somethings and 30 somethings take for granted, rather than give up and hand things off to assistants.

I've watched others kind of sit back and rest on their accomplishments when they hit 40s and 50s (more so in their 50s). And I'm not blaming them at all. A work/life balance is critical, and everyone makes the choices that are right for them. And honestly, it would have been me, too. My kids are grown. I want to travel more. But a few years ago, something happened at work that positioned me to have more influence and deliver a better product. So I was motivated by that and just haven't stopped.

Having said that, I don't think there is anywhere more "up" to go, for me, but I do think I've got some good insulation from losing a job, or at least from losing a comparable income, until I retire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 57 and just got a huge promotion (to me) with a 20% raise. I also got accepted into a very prestigious (in my field) national program, which has really increased by perceived value (I still think I'm the same person, but others don't).

I have marketed myself. I have built relationships far outside my small organization. I have acquired new, relevant skills. I have always tried to keep up with the skillsets that 20 somethings and 30 somethings take for granted, rather than give up and hand things off to assistants.

I've watched others kind of sit back and rest on their accomplishments when they hit 40s and 50s (more so in their 50s). And I'm not blaming them at all. A work/life balance is critical, and everyone makes the choices that are right for them. And honestly, it would have been me, too. My kids are grown. I want to travel more. But a few years ago, something happened at work that positioned me to have more influence and deliver a better product. So I was motivated by that and just haven't stopped.

Having said that, I don't think there is anywhere more "up" to go, for me, but I do think I've got some good insulation from losing a job, or at least from losing a comparable income, until I retire.

The problem is people fail to realize outside Fed and State work the retirement age is now 67. I was doing Goal Setting with a 37 years old woman last week. She took me off guard wen she went off how hard she worked up to this point to get where she is. Usual MBA/CPA worked a few good companies, two kids around 4 and 8. She was like she is looking forward to retiring one day and she is doing the bare minimum at work right now. Mainly remote and off to bus stop, day care pick up. IDK to be honest. But she literally has 30 years to retirement. She will soon be 50 with kids in college and empty nestor and large tuition bills and her resume will be empty and she will be competing with 30 year olds for work. She litterally feels she did enough by 35 to coast.

Next up I have to do it a 36 year old guy, he too is already talking about about retiring early at 60. Like his Dad. I am laughing. Dude you have have the foot off the gas at 36 you aint going to make it to 52 before you are canned and never work again if you dont start adding value.

This is real reason 52-62 year old people find themselves unemployed and never work again. They were coasting, over paid and have no employable skills. They started coasting at work. My last job the new CEO fired the entire senior mgt team in his first 12 months. Myself and a a few others still have big jobs. The rest were coasting and when got perp walk at 50-55 they were toast. And we were labeled URA - UnRegretted Attrition. And we signed NDAs. Anywork we did there is useless. Some spent 16-18 years there and our internally built systems exist nowwhere else. THey are toast

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 57 and just got a huge promotion (to me) with a 20% raise. I also got accepted into a very prestigious (in my field) national program, which has really increased by perceived value (I still think I'm the same person, but others don't).

I have marketed myself. I have built relationships far outside my small organization. I have acquired new, relevant skills. I have always tried to keep up with the skillsets that 20 somethings and 30 somethings take for granted, rather than give up and hand things off to assistants.

I've watched others kind of sit back and rest on their accomplishments when they hit 40s and 50s (more so in their 50s). And I'm not blaming them at all. A work/life balance is critical, and everyone makes the choices that are right for them. And honestly, it would have been me, too. My kids are grown. I want to travel more. But a few years ago, something happened at work that positioned me to have more influence and deliver a better product. So I was motivated by that and just haven't stopped.

Having said that, I don't think there is anywhere more "up" to go, for me, but I do think I've got some good insulation from losing a job, or at least from losing a comparable income, until I retire.

You seem so happy about it too.

The problem is people fail to realize outside Fed and State work the retirement age is now 67. I was doing Goal Setting with a 37 years old woman last week. She took me off guard wen she went off how hard she worked up to this point to get where she is. Usual MBA/CPA worked a few good companies, two kids around 4 and 8. She was like she is looking forward to retiring one day and she is doing the bare minimum at work right now. Mainly remote and off to bus stop, day care pick up. IDK to be honest. But she literally has 30 years to retirement. She will soon be 50 with kids in college and empty nestor and large tuition bills and her resume will be empty and she will be competing with 30 year olds for work. She litterally feels she did enough by 35 to coast.

Next up I have to do it a 36 year old guy, he too is already talking about about retiring early at 60. Like his Dad. I am laughing. Dude you have have the foot off the gas at 36 you aint going to make it to 52 before you are canned and never work again if you dont start adding value.

This is real reason 52-62 year old people find themselves unemployed and never work again. They were coasting, over paid and have no employable skills. They started coasting at work. My last job the new CEO fired the entire senior mgt team in his first 12 months. Myself and a a few others still have big jobs. The rest were coasting and when got perp walk at 50-55 they were toast. And we were labeled URA - UnRegretted Attrition. And we signed NDAs. Anywork we did there is useless. Some spent 16-18 years there and our internally built systems exist nowwhere else. THey are toast

[Anonymous]

Agree that “brand” is gross.

I’ve been in too many places in life where my brand (that I feel is genuine) is so similar to others who have already established that brand (have been there longer). It feels like high school to reduce people to that.

Many people have overlapping skills, interests, patterns. Welcome everyone and see everyone for their talent and work ethic.

[Anonymous]

A legit “brand” change is moving from technical expert to leader. Not every technical expert makes a good leader, and you have to start showing leadership skills (strategic thinking, coalition building, change management, etc.). Some posters may scoff at this, but it’s real and must be done to climb the ladder. I’m not denying the workplace still has unfair dynamics and that some people are promoted based on connections, but some of the posts seem overly dismissive of the need to evolve into a leader as you advance. If I need someone to lead a team or office, I will pick someone with established leadership skills even if they have ZERO subject matter expertise over an established expert who’s ill equipped to lead.

Often, the higher up you go, the less your technical skills matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people I know who make under $200k have eventually found another job post 45. Sure it may have taken them awhile. It think people most affected by ageism are those earning very high salaries post 45.

I sincerely hope they are outliers. If for example a 50 years old statistician is laid off their next option is teacher, retail or business driver then that's an absolute disaster. I am only 32 and this is discouraging to read. I started my career as a math teacher at 22. I quite 4 years later and I am not going back. Teaching sucks. It's not for everyone. Bus driver forget it. Retail come on..

The applications of stats in corporate are perceived to be junior role, if you are 50 years old and want a job in corporate, you need institutional experience outside of stats.

A lot of people made the mistake of valuing “technical work” and never evolved their brand.

Not sure how things work in academia or government.

No it’s just because people advance for things not related to skill, but more that they have affinity to a candidate (hello fellow white dude) or maybe find them attractive (olds need not apply).

Evolve their brand? How cringe. Not about actual ability or skill, just who management takes a shine to.

Often they are advancing for skills, but it’s a different set of skills from those of a technical expert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The positive part of my story is that I am still employed at 60 and find my work meaningful.

I was a program analyst for a federal contractor and got laid off at 50. It took most of a year to get another job and have never gotten back to my old income level.

Male or female?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A legit “brand” change is moving from technical expert to leader. Not every technical expert makes a good leader, and you have to start showing leadership skills (strategic thinking, coalition building, change management, etc.). Some posters may scoff at this, but it’s real and must be done to climb the ladder. I’m not denying the workplace still has unfair dynamics and that some people are promoted based on connections, but some of the posts seem overly dismissive of the need to evolve into a leader as you advance. If I need someone to lead a team or office, I will pick someone with established leadership skills even if they have ZERO subject matter expertise over an established expert who’s ill equipped to lead.

Often, the higher up you go, the less your technical skills matter.

Which is why leadership typically has completely unrealistic expectations and nothing meaningful ever gets done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A legit “brand” change is moving from technical expert to leader. Not every technical expert makes a good leader, and you have to start showing leadership skills (strategic thinking, coalition building, change management, etc.). Some posters may scoff at this, but it’s real and must be done to climb the ladder. I’m not denying the workplace still has unfair dynamics and that some people are promoted based on connections, but some of the posts seem overly dismissive of the need to evolve into a leader as you advance. If I need someone to lead a team or office, I will pick someone with established leadership skills even if they have ZERO subject matter expertise over an established expert who’s ill equipped to lead.

Often, the higher up you go, the less your technical skills matter.

Which is why leadership typically has completely unrealistic expectations and nothing meaningful ever gets done.

Having seen some poor leaders doesn’t mean you can write it all off.