‘I just wanted to work again’: Finding a new job in your 50s comes with extra hurdles
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Shannon Davidson was let go from her executive role at a marketing firm last year after a merger led to cuts. She knew she wasn't done with her career yet, but finding her next workplace in her mid-50s was a daunting prospect.
Shannon Davidson was let go from her executive role at a marketing firm last year after a merger led to cuts. She knew she wasn't done with her career yet, but finding her next workplace in her mid-50s was a daunting 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 said.
"I'm at the top of my game and just got benched."
Looking for work can be a challenge for anyone, but switching jobs or finding a new one after 50 can be especially challenging as prospective employers may be reluctant to hire someone they may see as an expensive or overqualified candidate.
Often companies see the positives in keeping older workers employed. But when they set out to hire someone, younger candidates are often preferred, said Ellie Berger, an associate professor at Nipissing University who has studied ageism for two decades.
"The biggest struggle is when you're on the outside, trying to get back in," Berger said of seasoned workers.
Berger said it takes longer for older workers to find jobs and they spend more weeks unemployed than younger workers.
