‘I just wanted to work again’: Finding a new job in your 50s comes with extra hurdles

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. 

Job search hurdles

Berger said it takes longer for older workers to find jobs and they spend more weeks unemployed than younger workers. 

Her research included discussions with employers who were sometimes candid in their explanations.

"They would mention things like, if people leave the year they receive their degree off their resume or any dates left off resumes, they thought that would be a red flag," she said. Another bias discovered in her research was an employer who said, "If someone's looking creaky and shaky, I won't hire them."

Ageism often becomes a roadblock for workers as early as age 45, Berger said. It gets worse when gender, disability and race are added to the mix, she added. 

She said many employers in her research said they wouldn't consider anyone at or after the age of 55.

"They said, like, 'At 55, they'd have to be pretty exceptional in all of these areas for me even to consider them,'" Berger said. "Then (for) 65, 'No, I wouldn't even consider it.'"

While ageism is a barrier, other aspects such as health concerns, need for flexibility in hours and economic factors can also be hurdles for job seekers in their 50s. 

A 2015 Statistics Canada report found that non-voluntary retirement -- older people who wanted to keep working, but weren't able to find a job -- constitutes about 25 per cent of all retirements in a year. The older laid-off workers are, the more likely they are to retire. 

Dented retirement savings

Francine Gutwilik moved back home to Manitoba from the U.S. in 2009. A professional recruiter, Gutwilik was in her late 40s and had left New York at the height of the financial crisis.

"I just wanted to work again, and I was sending out applications for everything from sales to HR positions to recruiting positions," she said. Most of the time, there was no response.

Gutwilik, now 62 and working as a lunch supervisor at a nearby school, suffered a long stretch of unemployment. The lack of income significantly stunted both her savings and Canada Pension Plan contributions.

Although she wasn't working, Gutwilik started a business she hopes will turn into a nest egg. She has developed recruitment software called Wizard Hire, which attempts to remove bias from the resumé review process.

"My main focus is on selling the platform and that's going really well for me," she said. "All the waiting and bad experiences finally turned around for me."

Losing a job during your 50s or 60s can have significant financial impacts because that's when many people have higher incomes and fewer expenses such as a mortgage or raising children, said Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, director of financial security research at the National Institute on Ageing at Toronto Metropolitan University.

"People have more capacity to save more," MacDonald said. "If you cut those years off, that can make a huge dent in this kind of really critical preparatory period."

And because government retirement benefits kick in later in life, retiring for good is difficult.

"Somebody who's out of work in their 50s would be very vulnerable because what ends up happening is they can't even start their OAS (old-age security) till they're 65," she said. 

"Losing your employment earlier on, you're not only unable to save more for retirement, you're probably going to end up having to start drawing on your savings, which is taking you in the opposite direction," she added.

You can still land a job in your 50s

Laura Hambley, founder of Canada Career Counselling, said she has been noticing more career pivots among people in their 50s. Upskilling can help job-seekers land a job faster.

"The challenge can be that a previously long career in only one area may unintentionally communicate they lack learnability and adaptability," Hambley said. "It is critical that those skills be demonstrated.

"Showcasing experience and wisdom that you bring and how much you've seen and dealt with in your career is a real advantage," she said. "Also emphasizing if you'd like to mentor people."

Hambley suggested people try to address internalized ageism which could affect their confidence and energy.

Self-talk such as "I'm not going to bother applying for that because they're a younger company," or "They're not going to perceive me as having the right technical skills" can project a lack of confidence in people, she added.

Many people in their 50s pivot to contract, entrepreneurial or consultancy jobs, Hambley said.

Davidson, who was laid off from her marketing job, chose to open her own business since she still needed income. Now 55, she runs her marketing consultancy, mentoring young talent. 

"I'm going to fight and I'm going to do what energizes me, because that was always my plan, and I'm sticking to it," she said.

Her advice to people in their 50s is not to let anyone define them as "old" or overqualified. 

"Tap it, tap us. ... Take our experience. Learn from us."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2024.