Work After 50 Isn’t Easy—But Guess What? It’s Still Possible

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Recently, I started feeling my age in ways I couldn’t ignore. I was spending too much time at my desk—blogging, scrolling, watching YouTube—and it left me restless. I decided to re-enter the job market at 59, knowing I’ll only work for two years until Steven and I retire. The process was tougher than I expected—ghosting, fake listings, endless applications, and the fear that I was just too old. After months of rejection, three failed interviews, and more than a hundred applications, I finally got hired. Now it’s time to prove all those who made me a runner-up wrong.

Table of Contents

1. The Silence of Applications
2. Is Ageism Real?
3. Feeling Stuck
4. Living Too Much Online
5. A Country That Feels Divided
6. Why I Said Yes to Work After 50
7. Looking Toward Retirement
8. What I’ve Learned So Far
9. Why This Matters Now
10. Like it. Pin it.

The Silence of Applications

I sent out application after application, and most of the time, nothing happened. Applications aren’t easy—they take a lot of time and energy. I also hadn’t worked outside the home in almost three years, and everyone knows it’s always easier to get a job when you have one. I also struggled to list enough recent business contacts. They wanted five.

I had two interviews where I came close but finished as Mrs. Runner-up both times. Both interviews were on Teams, not in person. I knew the first interview was going to be behavioral, but I figured I could just wing it. I was wrong. It went fine, but I wasn’t polished or confident. Afterward, it hit me that I wasn’t as prepared as I should’ve been. So before the next one, I sat down and worked through the STAR method — situation, task, action, and result.

I built my answers around the things they always seem to ask about: problem solving, teamwork, conflict resolution, initiative, and adaptability. Then I tied each one to real examples from my past jobs so I could explain what I’d done without stumbling.

Is Ageism Real?

After months of silence, I started asking myself hard questions. Returning to work after 50 often feels like you’re invisible in a world that prizes youth and speed. I was ghosted more times than I can count, even for roles I was clearly overqualified for. Was I already invisible in a world that prizes youth and speed? Each rejection made returning to work after 50 feel like an impossible task.

That’s why getting this job caught me off guard. After so many letdowns, I had trained myself not to expect much. Hearing “we’d like to hire you” stopped me in my tracks. The greatest relief was that returning to work after 50 was still possible. Relief that someone finally saw me as capable and worth investing in.

Still, ageism doesn’t vanish because one person gave me a chance. It shows up in job ads that hint they want someone younger and in interviews where older workers are overlooked before they even start. But this experience proved I’m not done, and that reminder gives me the confidence to keep going.

Feeling Stuck

The truth is, I had been sitting in a self-diagnosed depression for almost two years. I missed my life in Asia—the rhythm of the mornings, the cafes I could walk to, the excitement of being somewhere that always felt alive. This new life in the Midwest doesn’t really suit me. The wide highways, the long winters, and the quiet made me feel cut off, even when I wasn’t alone.

Not having anywhere to go only made it worse. The weight gain I’ve been battling, tied to shifting hormones, became harder to ignore. The depression was a jailer, locking me into a routine I couldn’t break and wasn’t productive. I wanted to move, to feel like myself again, but I couldn’t find the door.

When the offer finally came, I felt relief more than joy. Relief that someone still saw value in me. Relief that I hadn’t been written off completely. And I know how rare that is right now. The job market is brutal—only 22,000 jobs were added in August in a country of 340 million people. More than 300,000 Black women were unemployed, many of them in federal jobs. The official unemployment rate sits at 4.3% without the promised revisions. Under those circumstances, I feel blessed to have found a job I enjoy and that pays well.

Living Too Much Online

For the past few years, my daily life has centered around YouTube, social media, and my blog. It connected me to people across the world, but it also trapped me inside an endless cycle of likes, views, and comments. Some days it lifted me, but other days it felt toxic. Arguments in the comments, pressure to create, and the constant chase for relevance—it wore me down.

I started to wonder if the world outside those screens was just as harsh. Were people still kind face-to-face? Did patience, small talk, or human warmth still exist outside of curated feeds? I needed to find out for myself.

A Country That Feels Divided

The truth is, I was also scared of what I might find. The country feels fractured. Politics creeps into every corner of daily life. Conversations that once felt casual now risk turning sharp. Online, the divide looks endless. Would the workplace feel the same? Would I walk into hostility instead of community?

Part of taking this job was testing that fear. I needed to know if people could still work together, laugh together, and treat each other with respect despite our differences. So far, the answer has been yes more often than no—and that gives me hope.

Why I Said Yes to Work After 50

At home, my conversations were limited to Steven and my grandson. I love them both, but the house seemed too quiet. My own thoughts looped endlessly, and social media only amplified them. Sitting in that silence reminded me of all the life I had left behind in Asia. It made me restless and lonely in ways I didn’t want to admit out loud.

I needed to get out of my head, out of the house, and into an environment that wasn’t built on algorithms or memories of where I used to live. This part-time job provides me with that opportunity. Through it, I meet people and listen to their stories. The work lets me test my own skills in real time and discover that the world, while imperfect and divided, still holds space for connection. That reminder is something I need more than I realized. But it only tells part of the story.

Looking Toward Retirement

Steven has filed his retirement paperwork from the military. In 21 months, we will both step into that stage together. It’s a new chapter that excites me and scares me at the same time. I was born on a military base, served myself, and then married Steven. Military life is the only lifestyle I’ve ever known. The structure, the moves, the deployments—they shaped every stage of my adulthood.

Now I wonder, what happens when all of that ends? What if retirement feels like too much freedom after a lifetime of orders, schedules, and structure? What if, without that rhythm, I slip back into isolation? Retirement isn’t just about money. It’s about building a new way of living—one rooted in finally being able to do exactly what I want to do.

What I’ve Learned So Far

The hardest part of returning to work after 50 was realizing how much the job market had changed while I was away. If you’re reading this and you’re close to my age, here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Ageism is real, but persistence can break through it.
• Social media can connect, but it can also poison. Don’t let it be your only world.
• Division is everywhere, but face-to-face interactions often remind us that kindness still exists.
• Work doesn’t have to be full-time or forever—it can be part-time and still fill important gaps.
• Retirement planning isn’t just about savings. It’s about asking who you’ll talk to, what you’ll do, and how you’ll keep growing.
• Rebranding yourself at this age matters. You don’t have to stay stuck in an old version of yourself—you can learn new skills, create new opportunities, and build new habits that keep you active and engaged.
• Staying healthy is as important as staying busy. Movement, good food, and regular checkups are not extras—they are the foundation of enjoying whatever years come next.

Why This Matters Now

I needed to know if people were still decent face-to-face. So far, the answer is yes, they can be. And that truth feels more grounding than any number of views or likes on a screen. Even in a divided country, even after two years of depression, weight gain, and longing for a life I left behind. It’s only been a week, so no big epiphanies yet. Next week I’ll get a paycheck. And for now, that’s enough.

Like it. Pin it.

 

 

 

I love sharing my travel stories, lessons from life abroad, and tips for curious travelers. If my work has inspired you or made you smile, please buy me a coffee.

My articles are available as mobile apps for offline reading and GPS-assisted directions. Download my articles on GPSMyCity. This post contains sponsored and/or affiliate links. If you click these links, I may earn a small commission. Your support helps me keep the blog running—at no cost to you.