Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what your plan is to defeat ageism + hold on to your earning power in your 40s + 50s

29 replies

ThePassageOfTime · 06/05/2024 10:01

I have a role leading a specialist team in tech. although I'm not a coder. I'm 43 and acutely aware of the trend to make older, more expensive workers redundant and the struggles in securing a new role. I'm expensive and assume I will eventually be laid off. This trend disproportionately affects women.

I'm working on the assumption that unless I go into civil service or similar I will be facing redundancy at some point for my late forties onwards, regardless of how current I keep my skills.

So I assume I'll have to either free lance or start a business.

How do other women in corporate roles feel about this threat/trend?

My pension is a shit show so need to work til I drop. Haven't got far to go on mortgage though and am saving for kids university etc to minimize overheads in my 50s

And yes am aware I'm privileged to be in this position in the first place.

OP posts:
DelurkingAJ · 06/05/2024 10:38

I’m an accountant and don't recognise this (know it happens in other industries though). What I’ve done is made sure that I’m indispensable (as far as one can) and that I’ve got a roster of former bosses who would find me a job tomorrow scattered around the industry. But that would apply if I were a bloke too.

ILikeItWhatIsIt · 06/05/2024 10:37

CoatRack · 06/05/2024 10:34

I know loads of women and men in 40s-50s working in tech fields without any issues at all. I'd recommend being competent enough to be worth being "expensive" to a business, or accept less money.

The supply/demand graphs apply to people as well as goods.

The issue is that now a lot of companies are prioritising cost over value so sometimes it doesn't matter how good you are. In their eyes you're too expensive.

CoatRack · 06/05/2024 10:34

I know loads of women and men in 40s-50s working in tech fields without any issues at all. I'd recommend being competent enough to be worth being "expensive" to a business, or accept less money.

The supply/demand graphs apply to people as well as goods.

ILikeItWhatIsIt · 06/05/2024 10:33

I'm probably similar to you in that I work in tech, although I don't lead a team. I'm also a contractor and have been for around 15 years (I'm 50). I started contracting when I got made redundant, so following redundancy is the perfect way to start. There's virtually no risk. Age is much less of a barrier when you're a contractor too, since clients are looking for experience. They don't care how old you are. My concern for the next 10-15 years isn't financial, but rather whether I can imagine still doing my job when I'm 60!