I Was Laid Off at 55 and Took 6 Months to Discover a Job

I had roles engaged on IBM’s sponsorship of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in its software program group, expertise, and internet content material. My last job was because the media relations supervisor for the worldwide expertise companies division.

I hoped I would have the ability to preserve working at IBM till I completed my profession until one other nice alternative introduced itself.

I used to be laid off in September 2015 once I was 55. I used to be shocked when my boss advised me, however I wasn’t shocked. I would been laid off earlier in my profession and all the time knew it was a risk.

I had been laid off earlier than — in my 30s

I used to be laid off at 31, solely three months after becoming a member of the group the place I used to be working. I had two children and a mortgage — I wasn’t ready.

The expertise modified my perspective. After that, I considered each position as a bridge job.

Through the years, I saved my community present, up to date my résumé no less than twice a 12 months, saved my LinkedIn profile present, and all the time regarded for different alternatives.

So, once I was advised I used to be going to be laid off from IBM in August, I used to be prepared for it. My résumé was already up to date, and I began making use of for jobs on my approach dwelling.

I knew that it will be more durable the 2nd time round

Time wasn’t on my facet. I believed it will take me a number of months if not longer, to search out my subsequent alternative. I knew being older, there have been fewer alternatives as a result of I am dearer, and there are fewer roles the place the hiring supervisor is searching for somebody with that degree of expertise.

After I was laid off at 31, I used to be given two months’ discover in October, and by February, I had landed one other place. I used to be youthful, cheaper and the job market was in all probability a bit totally different.

I had a child at dwelling and a mortgage

After my 2015 layoff, I regarded for freelance consulting work as a result of I wanted an earnings to bridge the hole till I landed a brand new job. My third youngster was nonetheless dwelling at dwelling, and I needed to pay the payments and mortgage.

We needed to make some monetary changes as a household. I believed getting a brand new job may take so long as a 12 months. We paused our investments in our funds for our child’s school and our retirement.

My spouse elevated her work hours from part-time to full-time, and due to that, we have been each in a position to enroll in her firm’s medical health insurance.

I reached out to a enterprise affiliate who ran a small advertising and marketing agency. He was rising and wanted individuals to work. The following week, I began doing freelance content material writing for him. Some weeks, I labored 30 hours on freelance initiatives; some weeks, it was 12 hours.

It wasn’t as a lot as I had been making, however it was vital. Doing one thing saved me from worrying about my funds.

I networked to search out job alternatives

I handled discovering a job like having a job. I utilized for 60 jobs, spoke to round 20 recruiters, and bought between eight and 12 interviews. I solely utilized to jobs I knew I had an opportunity of getting.

Every time I noticed a job I needed, I discovered somebody on the firm who labored in that perform on LinkedIn and reached out. That would assist slip my résumé to the highest of the stack. The human ingredient was necessary.

My biggest asset was the community I would constructed over time. After I reached out to individuals, they advised me about job alternatives of their networks.

I used to be very organized. I saved information of each job I utilized for, each interplay I had, and each contact I made in my community so I knew when to observe up.

I skilled ageism in my search

There may be some bias in opposition to older staff. In some interviews, I may see the sunshine exit of their eyes once they realized my age.

There was one job I did not get the place I noticed the particular person they ended up hiring was a lot youthful and had considerably much less expertise than I did and even than the job had required.

Employers are by no means going to let you know it is due to your age, however it was at the back of my thoughts.

I landed a job after 6 months

I heard a few job by means of a contact in my community. I would utilized for a job at her firm and hadn’t gotten it. Throughout a chat along with her afterward, she stated a recruiter had reached out to her the earlier week with a job. She did not need it as a result of she wasn’t seeking to transfer however thought I would be a superb match.

She gave the recruiter my title, and I landed the provide three weeks later, in March 2016. It was such a reduction to have a wage and to begin saving once more for my son’s school fund and my 401(ok), which I had paused for six months.

The job I landed was robust however fascinating. I labored within the firm’s consulting group on organizational change and administration practices. I am nonetheless there. I do all of the communications for the corporate’s gross sales.

I believed I would retire in 2021, however I have not but. Possibly at some point, I am going to begin up my freelance and consultancy work once more. I am going to all the time do that work simply because I get pleasure from it and I am fairly good at it.

If in case you have been laid off in your 50s or 60s and want to share your story, e mail ehopkins@businessinsider.com.