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What I’ve Learned Through 10 Months of Job Hunting After 45
When the A word becomes a factor in job hunting
Ten months ago, I embarked on what I assumed would be a relatively smooth job search. In the past, job hunting was straightforward — put my resume out there, and soon enough, the calls would start coming. I used to apply for a handful of jobs and expect at least one interview for every five or six applications. No problem.
With extensive experience in strategic program management, creating roadmaps, building highly executable plans, and designing operational models that improve project success and team satisfaction — specifically in IT and tech related industries, I felt confident. My skill set had only expanded — more tools, more industries, more teams under my belt. Finding a new role wouldn’t be a problem, right?
Reality check!
We’re in the age of AI, and somehow, I find myself on the other side of the “desirable” threshold. There’s a pervasive assumption that people over 45 aren’t comfortable with AI. Ironically, I use AI every day. I earned an AI for Business Certification, learned Python, and even dabbled with PyTorch while searching for a new job. And yet, it’s been an uphill battle.
