3 job seekers over 50 share how they navigated ageism, AI, and not giving up hope after rejection

Finding a job in this market has rotate into a battle for many professionals, no matter their age or years of experience. But for job seekers in their 50s, the challenges can be unique.

For the Still in the Game series, Business Insider has been speaking alongside 50-something job-hunters concerning the distinctive encounters they've had during pivoting careers and looking for new work. Some have mentioned emotion that ageism, AI, and their seniority have worked against them. Others have established ways to successfully move into new roles or discover new paths by using their age and cognition to their advantage.

The 50-and-older workers who are successfully navigating rejection and moving onward portion three things in common: they used their network, sold their experience, and didn't delay to be hired. Here's what they shared.

Use your individual and expert network

Nicole Cicero, 54, is among the job seekers we said alongside who managed to depart her old job and district a new one. Most impressively, she did this without submitting a sole job use online.

Cicero told Business Insider she applied to small than 10 companies during motionless in her old revenue job, and exclusively used her network and a expert recruiter she's known for decades. "Ultimately, I went alongside a business anywhere I really knew person from the past," Cicero said. "It felt akin a comfortable choice, as although I could go in there and fair breathe."

Similarly, 56-year-old Michael Shmarak built relationships through his retailing job, teaching, and sharing his ideas on Substack. While those connections haven't gotten him to a full-time role, they've led to interviews and new consulting opportunities.

Consider your age and cognition as an advantage, not a hindrance

Shmarak additionally shared how he shifted his mindset to clasp his age and reframe his cognition following being ghosted countless times.

"When you're 50, you have to appearance at all the things that you have that are advantages onward of younger people," he said. "What can I do to instruct them? What can I do to bring that cognition to the table? That's additional forward-thinking, alternatively of saying, 'I have 25 years of cognition in an industry.'"

Cicero stated she came into her interviews alongside that identical confidence. She focused on her years of cognition and what she brought to the role, alternatively of worrying concerning her age.

Even whenever switching industries, as 56-year-old Jennifer Mannix did, leaning on former cognition has been an asset. Mannix is transitioning from the earth of hazard administration to women's expert sports. Although she sought entry-level positions, she stated that her 30 years of activity cognition have stated her many transferable skills that put her at an advantage.

Take authority of your occupation and don't delay to be hired

While networking and using age as a sign of cognition can be helpful, they don't continually guide to a secured full-time role. In Shmarak and Mannix's case, they were motionless job searching whenever Business Insider final said alongside them. However, they the two established ways to continue working.

Shmarak developed a bob-and-weave scheme to keep himself encouraged in his search. "The idea of bobbing and weaving is that, as distinct challenges arrive at you, you don't let them halt you," he said. "Like in dodgeball, you're not letting that be the item that tags you out. You continue to dodge and keep going."

While he'd favor one full-time role, he has multiple partial jobs, plant in retailing part-time, and teaches formerly a year.

Mannix, on the another hand, is construction her own business. "This year, I started construction a endeavor that curates events surrounding women's sports. I figured, if I can't get hired, why don't I create item for myself?"

Are you navigating a occupation alter in your 50s? Contact this editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected] to portion your story.