I’m 57 years old, and six months ago I lost the job I had for nearly 24 years. The company went through restructuring, and although they called it a business decision, it felt deeply personal. Since then I’ve been sending out resumes almost every day, but I’ve barely received any responses.
What has surprised me most is how much my identity was tied to my work. My wife has been supportive, but I can tell she worries about our future even when she tries not to show it. Our mortgage is mostly paid off, and we’re not in immediate financial trouble, but retirement suddenly feels a lot less secure than it did a year ago.
I’ve started questioning things I never used to think about. Am I too old for employers to take seriously? Should I accept a lower-paying job just to stay active, or keep waiting for something that matches my experience? Some days I feel motivated, and other days I struggle to get out of bed because I feel like I’ve lost the version of myself that I spent decades building.
Friends tell me that this could be a new chapter, but honestly it feels more like a door closing than another one opening. I know many people in their 50s and 60s have gone through career changes.
Has anyone here rebuilt their life after losing a long-term job, and what helped you regain your confidence?
and then
I’m 61 now, and I lost a job at 56 after almost 30 years with the same employer. I remember feeling exactly what you described. The paycheck mattered, but the bigger loss was the sense of purpose and routine that disappeared overnight.
What helped me was accepting that I wasn’t trying to recreate my old life. I was trying to build a different one. I eventually took a job that paid less than my previous position, and at first I felt embarrassed about it. Looking back, that job restored my confidence because it got me moving again and reminded me that my experience still had value.
One thing I learned is that employers often respond better when you present yourself as adaptable rather than experienced. I also found that networking through former colleagues and local professional groups opened more doors than online applications alone.
Don’t measure your worth by how quickly someone hires you. A career setback at our age can feel like a judgment on our entire life, but it isn’t. You still have decades of knowledge, resilience, and perspective that younger workers don’t have. Keep going, even if progress feels slow right now. This season won’t define the rest of your life.