#84: The Brutal Truth About Ageism in the Job Market
🚩 “Overqualified” or just overlooked?
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The Brutal Truth About Ageism in the Job Market
Hey LOLers.I got a message this week from a subscriber that hit me square in the gut. With their permission, I’m sharing it with you, because it shines a light on something I failed to address last week in my response to The Gen X Career Meltdown and something The New York Times danced around in their article: ageism.
It’s the unspoken menace lingering in the job market, especially for anyone who’s been around long enough to accumulate not just skills but—God forbid—some actual wisdom.
The truth is, there’s a whole generation of talented, experienced people who are fighting not just the same bleak job market we all are, but the added weight of being labeled “too old.” Or as the industry likes to call it: “overqualified.” Because we can’t just call it what it really is.
T’s story hit me hard because it’s a glaring reminder of how quickly you can go from being valued to being discarded. Here’s T’s story:
I have been following your blog this past year. I wanted to pass along my story. Thanks for listening.
I was “furloughed” from my job of 21 years last April. I worked at a post-production facility, the last stop for color, sound, and VFX before a movie, TV show, or other media goes on the air. My job as a project manager was to be the client-facing contact for different productions as they made their way through the facility.
Like most jobs, it was all-consuming and highly stressful. Layoffs have always been a part of the post-production world, as the entertainment industry constantly expands and contracts at will. I had always managed to avoid being cut by immersing myself in all aspects of the facility rather than just focusing on my specific job. That way, I could step into any role if needed. I made it through two strikes, COVID, and too many downturns to count. My industry is not one for the old.
As the years went on, I found myself increasingly sidelined. In the last six months with the company, whenever I put myself out there to help in different ways, I was shut down at every turn. I could see the writing on the wall, so the layoff was not unexpected. Once it happened, it still hit me really hard. No more constant emails, calls, or punishing deadlines. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I worked to stay in the moment and avoid letting my brain spiral into a fear loop of doom, but it takes a lot of effort.
Anyone looking at the pit of despair otherwise known as LinkedIn can see that things are tough out there. Being 56 years old put me at even more of a disadvantage. Ageism is a huge issue in all industries but especially in entertainment—even behind the camera. Everyone wants the young, shiny person working on their project, regardless of experience. It’s a constant popularity contest, like most jobs. While my experience is in a very specific, niche industry (especially in NYC, where I’m located), the skills required are universal: organization, communication, reliability, problem-solving, and more. I hoped these skills could be a gateway into other roles such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, clerical work, or billing. Plug me into a system, and I can make it sing. What I found, however, was that whether the job was in my industry or not, no one paid any attention. I got crickets.
I didn’t just apply for corporate positions—I sent my résumé everywhere. Costco, BJ’s, Petco, Kohl’s, Verizon, FedEx, CVS. Again, little to no response. I even reached out to multiple places to volunteer and didn’t get a single call back. Even to work for free! My friends and colleagues say I’m “overqualified” and that no one wants to hire someone who might leave. But what does that even mean? All I want is to be helpful and productive, no matter how small the role.
I have a lot left to give but have been sidelined by my age—something I can’t control. It seems like such a waste of skills and resources to ignore an entire group of people simply because they’re older. I don’t get it. Thank God I live in NYC, where there are state and local programs for older adults that will hopefully help. They give job leads and assign you a volunteer position. That’s my next stop.
I’m not a perfect employee—but is anyone? I don’t want to fall back on ageism as an excuse, but it feels so real. I understand that hiring managers may think I’m too set in my ways or too expensive to hire. But the truth is, I’m willing to push boundaries and give my all for the right position (or any position, really), and my salary requirements are highly negotiable. I just want a chance. I know my story is not unique but I just wanted to get this off my chest. -T
I’m in my 40s, and that feeling of being “past your prime,” disregarded, or tossed aside is real. The instinct to blame yourself—to believe you have to be the perfect employee to deserve a job—is real, even when you know there are plenty of incompetent people still cashing checks (and trust me, I’ve worked alongside more than a few).
It’s infuriating. And it's not just the media industry. It’s everywhere. The system’s broken, and everyone is feeling it—whether it’s the fresh-out-of-college crowd getting lowballed with “exposure” gigs or seasoned professionals getting ghosted by employers because they have the audacity to expect fair pay.
This is the bigger problem with the job market right now—and yeah, I’ll say it, with our country. Has institutional knowledge, skill, and experience completely lost their value? What makes a worker “worth” hiring these days? How well they can sum up their resume in 2 minutes or less? How much they’re willing to compromise their boundaries, burn themselves out, or accept less than what their experience is worth?
Connections used to help. Skill, hard work, experience—those things used to mean something. But it feels like they don’t anymore. And that’s what’s so utterly terrifying.
The only comfort I can take is in the idea of reinvention. My dad, a small business owner his whole life, had to shut down his business in his 50s and start from scratch. It was brutal, but he made it through. Now, in his 70s, he’s having the most success of his career, running another business he built from the ground up.
Is that still possible to do in the current climate? I’d like to think so. But I have little proof and no map.
I saw a meme recently that summed up current my POV perfectly. It said, “Job market so bad that I started following my dreams instead.” Maybe this perfect storm of uncertainty is the blessing I need to spur me to action on my dreams. And that’s how I’m working through this—by investing in myself, my business, and my creative projects and hoping to find myself, somehow, on the other side of the storm.
But let’s be real. The economy, a brutal job market, mass layoffs, and ageism? That’s a fucking dragon to slay. And no motivational quote or life hack is going to magically make it better. Sometimes, the only comfort is knowing you’re not the only one fighting through it.
Hang in there, T. And thanks for sharing your story.
Worthy Time Wasters
Here are my recs to combat doom scrolling.
📺 I've been drowning my “state of the world” dread in TV—because, really, what else is there? And damn, I've binged some gems.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (Netflix) is hands-down the most powerful, victim-centric docuseries on the case I’ve seen. And trust me, I've seen them all.
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) Season 3? Pure joy. Heartwarming, uplifting, and just the humanity boost I needed.
Dying for Sex (Hulu) wrecked me. Still processing. Michelle Williams is a genius.
Still reeling from The White Lotus (MAX) finale—seriously, what did you think?
The Studio (Apple TV+) is killing me (in the best way).
For LOLs, I hit up Mid-Century Modern (Hulu)—think gayer Golden Girls—and The Z-Suite (Tubi) for a light-hearted take on the workplace generation gap.
📚 Here’s the books that have been keeping me company when I’m not in a TV-induced coma:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez is as swoon-worthy as it is gut-wrenching. This one has all Jimenez’s signature charm and wit, but with even higher emotional stakes. Think second chances, deep heartbreak, and all the feels. Grab tissues.
The Tell by Amy Griffin is a compulsively readable, sharp-edged memoir that goes deep on all the things we don’t talk about enough—trauma, survival, and the messiness of healing. And yes, it’s also an Oprah Book Club pick.
Saltwater by Katy Hays is perfect if you’re craving something moody and atmospheric. Set against the dreamy yet unsettling backdrop of Capri, this novel has all intensity with a coastal twist—secrets, obsession, and huge serving of mystery.
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