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

[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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Executives have a much longer shelf life, usually can get to 62.

[Anonymous]

In my 30s I was a supervisor and many of my reports were older than I was. Then I realized supervising sucks and I made a lateral move to be an IC. Now I'm 45, my boss is 40, and many of my same-level peers are older. DH is in a similar boat: in his supervisor role he had to fire a lot of people (client's direction, not optional) and it was awful, he's much happier now as a worker-bee.

There certainly are ageist bosses, but most bosses are happy to have somebody experienced on the team. Just be responsive and don't start any problems.

[Anonymous]

I'm pushing 48 and will never be a supervisor. Maybe I could become an office manager? But that'd be at a much smaller firm. THe reality is I'll probably be a legal secretary until I die. I've been doing this almost 28 years. Same job, different people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Almost all that “dual income” bonus went into housing costs except for GenX who could buy before 2000. The only Millenials retiring early are the ones who didn’t have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It works because the Gen X cohort will have a windfall of inheritance money coming their way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take or keep the job that satisfies you

This - why would I ever want to supervise someone? The headaches of HR, performance reviews, and I don't get to do the work that I really like to do. I don't mind being supervised by someone who is younger than me as long as they know what they are doing, which, in most cases, they do. And in other cases, age is not the limiting factor.

That's perfectly reasonable in certain fields. If you're in engineering, software, etc. where IC's can make plenty of money, the hassle of management very well may not be worth it. But if you're in a nonprofit, trade association, or much of government, you're going to cap out at a pretty low salary if you're not making it to management. Smaller nonprofits and associations are the worst for this, anyone making more than $70 or $80k has at least one direct report. In government unless you're a lawyer or IT person nonsupervisory positions over GS 13 are extremely rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

McDonald’s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

McDonald’s?

No. Even in 2024 large parts of a company had no college degree. Look at JP Morgan the branches, member services, mortgage processing staff are clerical. I was a management trainee to learn management skills I supervised this type of staff first 2-3 years.

[Anonymous]

I’m a SME fed, almost 50. Frankly I’m not sure why anyone would go for mid-level management here. I seriously doubt the additional salary is worth the additional work. If something opens up that makes sense I may go for it but otherwise nah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a SME fed, almost 50. Frankly I’m not sure why anyone would go for mid-level management here. I seriously doubt the additional salary is worth the additional work. If something opens up that makes sense I may go for it but otherwise nah.

Because Feds don’t get laid off at 55. Private sector does. .