This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mary Jane Surette, a 65-year-old former senior marketing manager based in Boston, about reentering the job market as an older woman and retirement plans. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve never cried over a layoff because I save tears for human beings, not for corporate America. I never love a job. I like a job, I love people.
I’ve been really fortunate to have had 40 years in the same marketing career. It’s just a fabulous career, and I’ve enjoyed every experience. During my time in retail marketing, I’ve worked at many well-known national companies for over 25 years, including Bose, Gap, and Kohl’s.
When I was laid off this past winter from my job at Kohl’s, I wasn’t prepared to consider retirement. I never even thought of it until I saw how bad the market was.
I’m 65, and I’m having trouble believing my age doesn’t play a factor in why I’m not getting work. I’ve set August as the date I’ll make a decision on retirement. I don’t know how much more of this job market I can handle.
During other unemployment periods, it really felt like just a blip
I was working at Bose when the housing market crashed the economy, and sales of high-end consumer electronics basically stopped. There was a massive layoff that I was affected by.
Many people were out of work at that time. I was out of work for over a year. But my financial life was barely affected because the government leaders at that time extended unemployment benefits and required companies to pay COBRA benefits.
After I bounced back from the Bose layoff, my career continued to accelerate. The following 10 years were amazing for me professionally because I worked on some great teams. We were all learning, making mistakes, and having successes.
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I went to Kohl’s in 2022, where I stayed for three years, until I got laid off in February.
When I was laid off at Bose, we were given the heads-up at a big companywide meeting. At Kohl’s, we didn’t have that type of meeting. I was not surprised, but I was taken aback.
Sometimes I feel my age is negatively affecting my current job search
LinkedIn has always been a social networking site for working people and professionals; it was never meant to be a job board, but it has morphed into that. I found several potential jobs by cold applying on LinkedIn and had a few bad interview experiences in which I felt questions bordered on ageism.
After these experiences, I was kicking myself because I felt very defensive. I learned how to just say thank you and leave. If it’s a rejection email, go eat a piece of cake or get a cup of tea. When it happens now, I don’t dwell on it.
If it is my age affecting my search, I don’t need to know anymore. At the beginning, I needed to know. I don’t anymore because I know my value and my worth.
My age actually makes me a good job candidate
My list of strategies has to grow as I confront situations where I have to convince someone that I’m still a good candidate.
I agreed to take a salary cut. I’m not looking to take my manager’s or anybody else’s job on the team, and I can bring more to employers at a better price. I’m not young, and I’m not having kids. I don’t need maternity leave. I’m stable. I actually bring more to the table than a younger worker would because of all of that.
I’m still hunting, I also have a career coach, and she said that eventually, if I keep doing this, I’ll find something.
I am of retirement age, but I’m not ready to retire
As I look on LinkedIn, I don’t see many women my age posting or looking for jobs. I think we’re invisible, and we’ve chosen to remain invisible.
I want to keep working because I really like my job. When I’m actively managing, I think of the people I’m mentoring and managing as the future of this business, this company, or some other company.
But right now, I think about how I could actually do something to help people, rather than selling pencils, toothpaste, and underpants. I could actually go up and do something with all this talent and knowledge I have.
That’s when I think, “I have to keep working because I can’t be invisible. I have to speak to these young women in the workplace.” That keeps me going, but the answer isn’t clear yet. By August, either it’s going to happen or it’s not going to happen.
My possible retirement feels forced
One well-meaning friend said, “Maybe you should color your hair. It could get you a job.” And I said, “But I wouldn’t want to work for a company that’s going to hire me based on the color of my hair.”
I wear this as a crown. This is my pride and joy. I earned every one of these gray hairs. I love it. Nope, it’s staying with me. It’s who I am.
My retirement wouldn’t be voluntary. I had no plans to retire, never even considered it. My goal was to hit 70 when I’d max out my Social Security.
If you have a retirement or layoff story that you would like to share, please email the reporter, Agnes Applegate, at aapplegate@insider.com.
