TORONTO — Shannon Davidson was let go from her government position at a advertising and marketing agency final yr after a merger led to cuts. She knew she wasn’t finished along with her profession but, however discovering her subsequent office in her mid-50s was a frightening prospect.
“When the reality of considering my age came in, I felt like many people do when they’re let go at this age,” she mentioned.
“I’m at the top of my game and just got benched.”
Looking for work is usually a problem for anybody, however switching jobs or discovering a brand new one after 50 could be particularly difficult as potential employers could also be reluctant to rent somebody they might see as an costly or overqualified candidate.
Often firms see the positives in preserving older staff employed. But once they got down to rent somebody, youthful candidates are sometimes most popular, mentioned Ellie Berger, an affiliate professor at Nipissing University who has studied ageism for twenty years.
“The biggest struggle is when you’re on the outside, trying to get back in,” Berger mentioned of seasoned staff.
Job search hurdles
Berger mentioned it takes longer for older staff to search out jobs and so they spend extra weeks unemployed than youthful staff.
Her analysis included discussions with employers who have been generally candid of their explanations.
“They would mention things like, if people leave the year they receive their degree off their resume or any dates left off resumes, they thought that would be a red flag,” she mentioned. Another bias found in her analysis was an employer who mentioned, “If someone’s looking creaky and shaky, I won’t hire them.”
Ageism usually turns into a roadblock for staff as early as age 45, Berger mentioned. It will get worse when gender, incapacity and race are added to the combo, she added.
She mentioned many employers in her analysis mentioned they would not contemplate anybody at or after the age of 55.
“They said, like, ‘At 55, they’d have to be pretty exceptional in all of these areas for me even to consider them,'” Berger mentioned. “Then (for) 65, ‘No, I wouldn’t even consider it.'”
While ageism is a barrier, different points reminiscent of well being considerations, want for flexibility in hours and financial elements may also be hurdles for job seekers of their 50s.
A 2015 Statistics Canada report discovered that non-voluntary retirement — older individuals who needed to maintain working, however weren’t capable of finding a job — constitutes about 25 per cent of all retirements in a yr. The older laid-off staff are, the extra probably they’re to retire.
Dented retirement financial savings
Francine Gutwilik moved again dwelling to Manitoba from the U.S. in 2009. Knowledgeable recruiter, Gutwilik was in her late 40s and had left New York on the peak of the monetary disaster.
“I just wanted to work again, and I was sending out applications for everything from sales to HR positions to recruiting positions,” she mentioned. Most of the time, there was no response.
Gutwilik, now 62 and dealing as a lunch supervisor at a close-by college, suffered an extended stretch of unemployment. The lack of earnings considerably stunted each her financial savings and Canada Pension Plan contributions.
Although she wasn’t working, Gutwilik began a enterprise she hopes will flip right into a nest egg. She has developed recruitment software program known as Wizard Hire, which makes an attempt to take away bias from the resumé evaluate course of.
“My main focus is on selling the platform and that’s going really well for me,” she mentioned. “All the waiting and bad experiences finally turned around for me.”
Losing a job throughout your 50s or 60s can have vital monetary impacts as a result of that is when many individuals have greater incomes and fewer bills reminiscent of a mortgage or elevating kids, mentioned Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, director of monetary safety analysis on the National Institute on Ageing at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“People have more capacity to save more,” MacDonald mentioned. “If you cut those years off, that can make a huge dent in this kind of really critical preparatory period.”
And as a result of authorities retirement advantages kick in later in life, retiring for good is tough.
“Somebody who’s out of work in their 50s would be very vulnerable because what ends up happening is they can’t even start their OAS (old-age security) till they’re 65,” she mentioned.
“Losing your employment earlier on, you’re not only unable to save more for retirement, you’re probably going to end up having to start drawing on your savings, which is taking you in the opposite direction,” she added.
You can nonetheless land a job in your 50s
Laura Hambley, founding father of Canada Career Counselling, mentioned she has been noticing extra profession pivots amongst individuals of their 50s. Upskilling can assist job-seekers land a job quicker.
“The challenge can be that a previously long career in only one area may unintentionally communicate they lack learnability and adaptability,” Hambley mentioned. “It is critical that those skills be demonstrated.
“Showcasing expertise and knowledge that you just convey and the way a lot you’ve got seen and handled in your profession is an actual benefit,” she said. “Also emphasizing if you would like to mentor individuals.”
Hambley suggested people try to address internalized ageism which could affect their confidence and energy.
Self-talk such as “I’m not going to hassle making use of for that as a result of they are a youthful firm,” or “They’re not going to understand me as having the precise technical abilities” can project a lack of confidence in people, she added.
Many people in their 50s pivot to contract, entrepreneurial or consultancy jobs, Hambley said.
Davidson, who was laid off from her marketing job, chose to open her own business since she still needed income. Now 55, she runs her marketing consultancy, mentoring young talent.
“I’m going to battle and I’m going to do what energizes me, as a result of that was all the time my plan, and I’m sticking to it,” she said.
Her advice to people in their 50s is not to let anyone define them as “outdated” or overqualified.
“Tap it, faucet us. … Take our expertise. Learn from us.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2024.
