.png)
Barrier Busting
The Barrier Busting podcast offers insights, strategies, and inspiring stories that explore practical tips and powerful tools for unlocking our full potential.
Barrier Busting
Overcoming Ageism and Navigating Career Pivots In Your 50s
Facing the grim prospect of being laid off after 50 can feel like a career death sentence. But it doesn't have to be that way? Join me, Matt Brooks, for this eye-opening episode of the Barrier Busting Podcast as we peel back the layers of ageism in the workplace. From my personal journey through the emotional and psychological impacts of job loss to hard-hitting statistics that reveal the widespread nature of age discrimination, this episode is a call to act against ageist stereotypes. Despite the Age Discrimination and Employment Act of 1967, ageism remains an insidious problem that's often hidden in plain sight. We'll expose how it shows up in jokes, microaggressions, and biased hiring and promotion practices, while also celebrating the invaluable contributions of older workers to entrepreneurship and innovation.
But the story doesn’t end there. We'll also navigate the rocky terrain of career pivots post-ageism, shedding light on the societal costs of sidelining experienced older adults. Discover how I found clarity by identifying what I no longer wanted in a career and re-imagining my ideal workday, and how I ultimately found a great pivot.
Are you feeling stuck? Is something holding you back? Are there obstacles in your way? Well, let's smash through those obstacles so that you can live your best life. Hi, I'm Matt Brooks, founder of Matt Brooks Coaching, and I'm fascinated with how people overcome barriers and achieve success. Join me for insights, strategies and inspiring stories as we explore practical tips and powerful tools to unlock your full potential.
Speaker 1:This is the Barrier Busting Podcast. Well, hi everybody, I'm Matt Brooks and welcome back to another show of the Barrier Busting Podcast. We're going to talk about something not so comfortable today, something that I think is quite serious, in fact, something not so comfortable today, something that I think is quite serious, in fact. So what happens when you find yourself out of work in your 50s? Here you are, you've worked your entire adult life and you've got all the necessary training and education prior to that, but you're out of work. You worked hard and you were probably very good at what you did, yet, for some reason, you find yourself out of work at a time in life that makes it really, really hard to find new employment. You're demolished and you're left with the question what the fuck now? As one of my friends who found himself in this position told me.
Speaker 1:Being over 50 and trying to get a job today is fighting against such headwinds. It can be overwhelming, exhausting and demoralizing. I mean, what's it like to be at the top of your game only to discover that you've been discarded or are considered no longer viable just because of this arbitrary number 50. And who, by the way, decided on this in the first place? Who came up with that number? What was their reasoning to determine that over 50 makes one less valuable, even dispensable? I'd really like to meet this person. I have some questions I do. It's gut-wrenching to go through this. It shocks you to your core. It leaves you with tremendous self-doubt and a total lack of confidence, not to mention massive confusion. It's no fun to live through and I know I've lived it, and that's why this episode is particularly important to me. I'm going to come clean right from the get-go folks. For me, this is personal.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about ageism, that odd ism that is still socially acceptable, what Bill Maher aptly described as the last acceptable prejudice. It's rampant in this country and if you don't believe me, the numbers don't lie. A recent survey showed that 78% of older workers say they have witnessed or experienced ageism. It comes in many forms, sometimes jokes, microaggressions, exclusion, harassment and being denied opportunities, like being held back from receiving promotions. And sometimes ageism rears its ugly head with things that are much more serious, like hiring practices, layoffs and forced retirements.
Speaker 1:The numbers are startling. According to ProPublica and the Urban Institute, more than half of the workers in this country who are over 50 are pushed out of employment, and of those, only one in 10 will recover 28%. 28% of stable, long-time employees sustain at least one layoff between the age of 50 and retirement. 56% of this job loss is employer-driven. Here's how that breaks down 28% from layoffs, 15% due to deteriorating conditions whatever the hell that means and 13% due to something classified as quote unexpected retirement, which sounds to me like a crafty way of saying they were forced out of their jobs. Information from the US Census Bureau states that there are over 40 million workers over the age of 50 in the United States. Of those, it is predicted that 22 million will likely suffer layoffs, forced retirement or involuntary separations from their jobs. And here's the really frightening fact Of those 22 million who will lose their jobs, only 2 million will recover.
Speaker 1:Now you may ask aren't there laws to protect against ageism? Why, yes, there are. They fall under what's called the Age Discrimination and Employment Act of 1967, which made it illegal for employers to discriminate against workers over the age of 40 in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training or any other term condition or privilege of employment. The problem here is that the statistics show that annually, only about two and a half percent of charges filed under the ADEA are found to have reasonable cause. Average is 2.5% of these cases brought forth are found to have reasonable cause. What that means Ageism is incredibly hard to prove. Of course, it's even harder to fight when business leaders tout it. Venture capitalist. Vinod Khosla was quoted as saying people over 45 basically die in terms of new ideas, and Mark Zuckerberg has been quoted saying young people are just smarter. Really Well, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the highest rate of entrepreneurship worldwide is in the 55 to 64 age group, and entrepreneurial activity among those over 50 increased by more than 50% since 2008. Furthermore, research from MIT in conjunction with the US Census Bureau found that for most people who started companies, a 50-year-old is twice as likely than a 30-year-old to have a successful business, and a 60-year-old is three times more likely to succeed than a 30-year-old.
Speaker 1:And here's a few other things to consider. In today's world, people are living longer, healthier and more productive lives, and our older population is growing rapidly. It's predicted to account for a whopping 20% of the general population by the year 2050. Who's going to pay for them if they're not working? And, more to the point, that's a lot of talent and expertise to let go to waste.
Speaker 1:And please know this ageism is different from other isms because it's directed at a group that was once the other group. Put differently, ageists insult their own future. Think about it we're all growing old. How do you want to be treated Now? I guess every younger generation pokes fun at older generations. I know we did. Every younger generation rolls their eyes at older people. However, in most cultures and how it used to be in ours young people revered elders because young people knew that older people had so many answers, that they had the experience, and we all respected that, that they had the experience and we all respected that.
Speaker 1:Regardless, people over 50 who face unemployment for whatever reason also face a daunting uphill climb. Studies show that older workers who become unemployed are particularly prone to long-term unemployment and there are obvious bad side effects from that. People's skills atrophy, they can become outdated or degrade. There's fewer interactions with other people, so that just spurs loneliness and isolation. There's a loss of identity. Think about it, you know. Think about how much your career or your job is part of your identity, or your job is part of your identity. When you lose the career or job, you can risk losing your sense of identity, and that's awful. There's emotions of unfairness, frustration, anger, exasperation and, worst of all, shame. Bottom line it sucks and it's unfair. I know because I've lived it and I'm going to tell you my story and what I did to pivot after a quick break.
Speaker 2:Feeling overwhelmed, Struggling to find balance in your daily life? At Matt Brooks Coaching, we get it and we can help. With over 25 years of nonprofit executive experience and an MSW with a clinical focus, Matt Brooks offers personalized coaching designed to help you rise above your challenges and live your best life. Whether you aim to advance your career, enhance your skills or simply find more clarity and peace, Matt is here to be your partner and ally. Visit mattbrookscoachingcom to book your free discovery session today. Take the first step towards a brighter tomorrow.
Speaker 1:I'm here to tell you that ageism is real. I know it from firsthand experience. I found myself retiring in my early 50s from a career that I loved, but a career that had taken a toll. I naively thought that, you know, after a bit of time to rest and recharge, I would just do something else. After all, I'd accrued and honed a broad range of skills in my career and certainly they would transfer easily into something else. Right, that should have been the case, but unfortunately I drastically underestimated ageism, or should I say I didn't realize that 50 was this magic number. Again, who was it that decided that? I really like to talk to that person. My plan was to take one year to rest and recharge and then I'd start a new career of some kind.
Speaker 1:Well, my plans were first derailed by COVID. I had a young son at home and my wife had a full-time job, so I needed to fill in as a full-time stay-at-home dad for a while, a role I cherished. No one dragged me kicking and screaming into that one. I loved every second of it, but it did derail my plans for a brief time. All the while I was in my stay-at-home dad role, I was investigating possible future careers at home dad role. I was investigating possible future careers and what I discovered, in addition to the fact that my resume was way outdated, was that I had drastically underestimated ageism. I suddenly realized that I was screwed, and it sent me into a pretty bad funk. I kept trying to figure out what to do, a way forward, but nothing was coming. Nothing. It was like I was sitting in an extremely dense fog. I couldn't see a thing, and it was colossally disoriented. How was I ever going to figure out what to do? The frustration was mounting and, frankly, so was my depression. Then I remembered something In my former career whenever anyone had an idea for a new project or a program, I would always insist on starting the process with criteria what was the purpose, who or what would it serve, what are the costs, what are the long-term ramifications, what was unacceptable, etc. Why should this dilemma that I'm in now be any different? What if I apply the same approach to my current situation? So I started making lists, all kinds of lists.
Speaker 1:Since I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do, I decided to start with what I didn't want to do, what I absolutely could no longer tolerate, what I would no longer put up with and I made a really long list. I thought through the years of my career and what I didn't enjoy, and I also thought through potential requirements for other professions that I would not want to do, things like having a long commute, for instance. I wrote them all down. Incidentally, by the way, this proved to be an extremely therapeutic exercise. I ain't going to do that, no, I ain't doing that and, oh hell, no, I'm not doing. That was kind of how I went about this and it was kind of fun and therapeutic, but it also helped me clearly see at least part of this equation, what I didn't want to do anymore.
Speaker 1:Next, I started sketching out what a typical day would look like in an ideal job, what my daily experience would be like in an ideal world, what I wanted it to be like Now. In my past roles, I was always allowed to control my own schedule, my own time. I mean, I decided how to spend it. I worked 60 hours a week. It was crazy, but I would decide what to do when, and the only time I really needed to be at anything that wasn't my own work was any kind of meeting or event that was scheduled and, frankly, I was the guy who typically scheduled those. So I had a wonderful thing going on for me where I could just kind of manage my own time, work around my own body, clock, you know all that sort of stuff and I loved it. I never took it for granted. So I realized that since I had done that since my mid-20s, basically realized that since I had done that since my mid-20s, basically that type of lifestyle was really important to me. So that's an example of how I wanted my typical days to go. I didn't really think I would flourish in a nine-to-five office setting behind a cubicle. That's just not me. I really valued being in charge of my own time and, like I said, I never took it for granted. So I put that down. I hoped that that would be what I could achieve in my new pivot.
Speaker 1:After that I started listing all of my skills and I tried to frame them more broadly than just how they related to my job. So, for instance, I was in management. So I listed understanding of human behavior as a skill, because I worked with all kinds of people, I saw all kinds of behaviors, so maybe I have at least some understanding of human behavior. There's a skill, a broad skill. I used to raise money, which we would call friend raising instead of fundraising. So I realized I had some people skills and some sales skills. So I realized I had some people skills and some sales skills. I did this with all the skills I could think of, painted them not so specifically to the tasks of my old job, but with a broader brush. Then I started studying all these lists. I looked at them often until I started seeing patterns emerge.
Speaker 1:For instance, no office, no nine to five kind of office experience, no wasting time on long commutes. I needed something creative, et cetera, et cetera, no-transcript. I decided that what I wanted most was to be in business for myself. That's what came out of this. I suddenly realized I wanted to be in business for myself. I always liked the idea of being a small business owner, thought that would be cool. So that's what I decided to do, and I got really excited by this, by the way. Suddenly I felt like I had a real direction in front of me. What kind of business, however? I had no idea. That was the way. Suddenly, I felt like I had a real direction in front of me. What kind of business, however? I had no idea. That was the question.
Speaker 1:So, to keep myself busy, back in those days I was doing a different podcast show than this one in which I was just interviewing a lot of people about their lives and their experiences. I found a lot of really cool people, a lot of interesting people, and I would just interview them. Well, my listeners started commenting to me that I should maybe think about becoming a therapist. I thought that's okay, that's interesting. I had had wonderful experiences in therapy in my life and I thought, you know, pardon the pun, but there's something I could really wrap my head around helping other people. I could be in business for myself and I could do something that would feel really good, that would feel like it really mattered, and also something that was creative. You have to be creative if you're a therapist. Then I got really excited. Now I was really starting to see where I was headed. I got really excited Now I was really starting to see where I was headed. So, ultimately, after a lot of research and remember I keep talking about doing research when you're going to pivot After a lot of research I decided to go back to school and get an MSW, a master's in social work, and the plan was to become a licensed clinical social worker and ultimately open my own private practice.
Speaker 1:Going back to school after all these years, I got to admit, was a bit intimidating at first, but I quickly found that I really enjoyed it. I mean, I really did. It was difficult but it was fun at the same time. I guess I just had a different perspective going back to school after all these years. All I know is it was great for my brain, for my self-esteem, and it was great for my future.
Speaker 1:My field work and my degree was clinical. I actually treated patients and I really enjoyed it. However, as good of it as it seemed, there was something missing. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something missing. It didn't feel 100% right. And that's when a friend of mine mentioned to me the idea of life coaching. So I did a little research into that and I knew immediately that was the way that I wanted to go. That was the route for me. There's something about the broad range of issues a life coach deals with that is very intriguing. But mostly it seemed to me that my particular life experiences would better suit coaching. So here I am, a certified professional life coach with a master's in social work. I have my own practice and I love it.
Speaker 1:I made my pivot. It hasn't been easy, though it's been a shit ton of work. Going back to grad school in one's 50s well, that was hard, but it really was a trip. I loved it. It was great intellectual stimuli and it successfully got my motor running again.
Speaker 1:On that note, please, everybody, don't be afraid to go back to school. Don't be afraid to keep growing. It's a great time. You may think that you've been out of school too long, as I did, but you want to know the truth. I absolutely crushed it Straight 4.0 in every class. I was 10 times the student that I was in grad school when I was in my 20s. Yes, it was hard and even exhausting at times, but my life experiences and the skills developed throughout my career made me all the more ready to be a student and nail it. I can't recommend it enough. It was great.
Speaker 1:Above all, though, as far as my pivot is concerned, I have to be fully committed each day to my practice and to my own personal growth. I've had to develop new rituals, new habits, and I've had to summon the discipline to stick with them day after day. I have to be all in. If I'm ever going to succeed and mostly I have to believe which I do the same will go for you. If you want to pivot, you have to believe.
Speaker 1:Pivoting in your 50s can be daunting, but it is feasible. It's a way to unleash untapped potential and find true fulfillment. Don't give in to believing that you're done. You have so much to offer. Find a way to contribute rather than stagnate. Reinvention requires flexibility, the ability to adapt, but you will find you already possess the skills needed to adapt. Just think about how many times you've already had to adapt in your life. It's not so scary, I assure you. You just need an open mind and a strong work ethic. It's never too late to discover and pursue your dreams. It can be done.
Speaker 1:If you're in your 50s, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and that can be a specific advantage. Leverage that experience. Identify the transferable skills that you have honed over the years and harness them. Be humble enough, however, to seek mentorship. You've learned a lot for sure, but you don't know everything. You've learned a lot for sure, but you don't know everything. Be prepared to do things you've never done before. Like me trying to figure out Instagram. Dive in, go for it. Keep an open mind. If you need to upskill or reskill to achieve your dream, do it. Turn this phase of your life into a phase of opportunity, accomplishment and enrichment, not a phase of decline.
Speaker 1:Prove the ageists wrong. That's my plan, anyway. My attitude towards ageists. Hold my beer. That's all for this week, folks. Another short one, but over the next few weeks you're not going to have to listen to me, because I'm going to have a series of guests on the show to share their stories of their successful pivots. I know that will offer much more depth to this conversation, so I really hope you'll tune in, as always. If you've enjoyed this, please hit the follow or subscribe button so you'll know every time I drop a new show. For now, thanks for listening. Be well, and I'll catch you next time on the barrier busting podcast. Thank you.
