Beyond The Keywords
Unseen Power of Experience
Frankfurt, Germany consistently reminds me of all the wonderful experiences I’ve had… as a Gen-Xer
The Unseen Power of Experience in an Ageist Job Market
We live in an age of rapid transformation, where headlines scream about AI’s relentless march and the dizzying pace of digital evolution. In the same breath, society often whispers (or outright declares) that once you hit a certain age, particularly as a woman, your capacity for change dwindles. The notion is that our ‘prime’ for growth, for learning, for adapting to something as disruptive as AI, has somehow passed. We’re expected to resist, to recoil from the new. Yet, while the world grapples with the fallout of AI-driven layoffs and the need for constant upskilling, I’ve been navigating a different, deeply personal revolution: menopause. For those who believe ‘older women don’t want to change,’ let me tell you, when your body is staging its own daily protest with unexpected hot flashes and you’re contemplating the very real decision of whether to start HRT, the idea of ‘not wanting to change’ feels wildly out of touch. In fact, it’s precisely these profound, often uncomfortable, internal shifts that are equipping me with a unique kind of resilience for the external ones.
The connection between these AI layoffs and my menopause fatigue (while job searching) might seem disparate at first, but there are actually some powerful, interwoven threads. Both speak to disruption, adaptation, and the hidden costs of modern life and progress. Exploring the intertwined nature of these challenges and the deeper, more profound strength required to not just survive, but to truly navigate and thrive in this dual landscape of disruption.
My Shift in Focus and Personal Experience
I have to admit that I get aggravated when job searching these days. Besides it not being fun, I have been frustrated with the whole process, not because I don’t like change but the changes do NOT make sense. The focus seems to be more online, with 200 million jobsites (facetious), it’s hard to tell which ones are legitimate or not. The last time I used jobsites there was only Monster.com, and now many companies (if not all of them) say they will not accept hard copy resumes or phone calls. Yes, networking is still the most important avenue to find a job. Now even networking has turned somewhat online.
In what seems like an effort to make the process easier for the recruiters and companies (and the various jobsites), they have turned to ATS (applicant tracking system) and AI. For me, it has made the whole process feel impersonal, mechanical, and almost robotics-like (maybe that is the point). This is not to say that I’m adverse to change in the recruiting process but the reliance on only keywords and not being able to call a recruiter to see if they received your resume is impersonal. Isn’t it the case that not only is the company interviewing you, but you are interviewing the company?
Starting from the Top
Let me start at the beginning. After graduating from high school, I wasn’t inclined to go to college, instead I wanted to do something in the film industry. Being excellent at Math, thankfully, I was persuaded to get my Bachelor and Masters degree in Mathematics. I went forward into the IT field, yet my desire to work in the film industry never left. I ended up taking a few breaks… like taking the exciting risk of moving out to Los Angeles without a job in advance and years later getting two Background Artist jobs in Wilmington, N.C. That was one of the items on my Bucket list and I got to do it twice. I worked as an extra for the TV shows, “Under the Dome” and “Revolution”. Thus I have a couple of breaks on my resume timeline, which recruiters have had a problem with. In focusing on keywords, for the ATS, this bit of information never gets conveyed.
Moving forward in time, to the year 2015, I decided to try one last time to get into the film industry. I quit my job, as a Graphic Developer, in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) and headed to Georgia – via North Carolina. Georgia is where the action was, with movies like “Ant-Man”, “Captain America: Civil War”, “Fast & Furious 7” and “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” being filmed there.
The plan was to stay at my folks beach house while looking for a Software Engineering job in Georgia. Once I found a job and had a place to stay, I would start focusing on finding a film job. Something using my computer skills or doing some background work, like I did in Wilmington, NC.
I gave myself two years to do this and if it wasn’t working out I would go back to the DMV. I had a clearance so I thought it would be easy to find another job up there. Two things happened to where I ended up being in North Carolina, where I am to this day, longer than I had planned. The first thing was Trump was elected and put a hiring freeze on government jobs, so going back to the DMV was not an option anymore. The second thing blindsided me (as I have to laugh to myself), I was about to turn fifty. I was just going about my business, trying to find something I loved to do… it never crossed my mind that ageism could be another obstacle I would have to deal with in my job search. Another area where one has to grow to navigate that change. Just like I’m sure people are feeling with the advances in AI today.
It wasn’t until recruiters kept insisting that I give them my salary requirements that it hit me, that it might be my age and not my title. I was previously a Principal (Software) Engineer. To me I was just doing things as usual, trying to get into the film industry and/or finding a new Software Engineering job (doing something new and interesting). When reality set in and I knew ageism would be a factor to my job search, I did my research (as I always do) because this was new for me. I’m not adverse to changing or learning new things, I’m a Gen-Xer, after all… it’s in our DNA. I’ve been doing the same with learning AI.
As I looked for advice on how to navigate this new journey, I was insulted when advised to take the dates off of my resume and only go back 8 years – as not to give away my age. Besides this being bad advice, recruiters are aware of what you were doing, I struggled to feel comfortable hiding my years of experience. I was envious of people like Ruben Blades and Queen Latifah who can list all their accomplishments and proudly talk about them all. Queen Latifah talking about the struggles she went through as one of the first female rap artists… paving the way for future female rappers. I want to be able to talk passionately about my struggles being the only African American and female in these software engineering rooms. But there I was turning 50, trying to hide all that I had accomplished because I wanted to be hired somewhere. Pushing down my frustration and following all this advice was my way of trying to make it clear that even though I was older I can change with the times. The interesting thing is, only going back eight years, these jobsites, using ATS, kept suggesting only Junior positions… and that was insulting as well.
GenX Working World
GenX Generation and Personal Computers
On top of the changes suggested to my resume, I was incensed by the notion that because I was 50+ I needed to learn computer skills. WTF! Not only is it insulting for a Software Engineer but it is definitely out-dated advice. Everyone entering into their 50s NOW has worked with the computer, in some capacity, on their job.
All of us currently in our 50s are GenXers, and we are generally considered the first generation to have grown up with personal computers, so advising us to learn computer skills is laughable. Personally, the first computer we had in our home was an Atari and during my graduate school I brought my IBM to my dorm room. In fact, The Kenbak-1, designed by John Blankenbaker and released in 1971, is widely considered the first personal computer, according to the Computer History Museum.
By the way, the computer field has always been a rapidly changing field, so advising us to only go back only 8 years is not wise. It deprives us of the ability to show that we have years of experience being able to keep pace in a rapidly changing environment and can pick up new technology readily. The belief that older people do not want to change nor learn new things, is what is old. As I mentioned above, change is in our Gen-X DNA.
We are the latch-key kids, the MTV generation. We are known for our independence, adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit, having grown up during a period of significant societal and technological change. We are known for their ability to adapt to change, both technologically and culturally, and our pragmatic approach to problem-solving. We are also known for our ability to navigate both traditional and modern values.
On top of all of that, we Gen-X Women today are making probably the most significant change of our lives, while continuing to keep up pace with the technology world. Learning what we need to do to adapt to these changes within, this menopausal fatigue, is just another process in my adaptability, as a GenXer. In fact, we are making it comfortable to talk about the changes going on during menopause. So again, the notion that 50+ do not like change is old and absolutely incorrect.
With the emergence and widespread adoption of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet during the Gen X era (roughly the 1980s to early 2000s, with a surge in the 1990s) can be seen as having a similar, transformative impact as AI is having today. This is another receipt that 50+ are adept at and continue to excel at change, learning and enjoying the ‘disruption’ of AI is part of that.
Postmenopausal Zest
The world, especially the working world, may be late in changing the advice given to 50+ people, specifically for job seekers, but Gen-Xers have always been at the forefront of change and so it looks like it’s up to us, once again, to create the change we seek. Yes, menopause is known for brain-fog and hot flash, but a keyword that is not widely known is “Postmenopausal Zest”. Although it’s not a medical term I believe it’s true, as lately I’ve been feeling this positive and renewed energy. There is this sense of freedom, newfound interests and a shift in priorities. Whether a medical term or not, it feels good!
With this feeling of liberation and excitement for the future, I have come to know and embrace that I do like Software Engineering, programming with its analytical and puzzle-solving attributes. I am looking to make a career change (or slight pivot) and I’m enjoying this time of personal reinvention, as I redefine my priorities and focus on my own needs and desires. To be blunt, it’s the dysfunctional corporate america and the people within that I do not want to deal with anymore.
This dysfunctional corporate america environment that seeks out-of-the-box creative thinkers, as long as they think and do it in the way the company wants.
This dysfunctional corporate america environment that is too concerned with making sure everyone follows the strict rules (format resume correctly, take out dates and only go back eight years… if you are “too old”; one-page or two-page resume and definitely don’t change the margins; make sure you have all the correct buzzwords for the ATS; etc).
This dysfunctional corporate america environment that wants to automate everything, including the hiring process. So focused on my gaps in my resume timeline, they will never know how much I love Linear Algebra and thus AI.
Companies, like Amazon, are looking to automate jobs (even software engineering jobs), yet what happens when people lose their jobs and don’t have money? Will AI buy the products Amazon is providing? Prime day started the other day, to a sales decline of 41%. Are people afraid to buy anything because they are afraid to lose their jobs (needing to save money) to AI? Change is necessary and exciting but the need to be strategic and aware of the long term effects is important as well. An experienced employee, who has been through significant change themselves and has no problem speaking up, could have made this clear. Even though Jeff Bezos is a Gen-Xer, maybe he needs other Gen-Xers around to remind him?
Companies are looking to minimize that number of experienced employees, yet with that wealth of knowledge companies are missing out on the advice that AI is a wonderful tool to help employees but not replace them.
In Conclusion
We live in an era defined by “disruption” – a buzzword often applied to tech, but rarely to personal biology. “Disruption”, in terms of tech, refers to an innovation that significantly alters the way consumers, industries, or businesses operate. It challenges or replaces existing technologies, products, or services by offering a different approach or set of values. Yet there can be “disruption” in terms of personal biology (like menopause), one that is a catalyst for positive change and self-discovery, like a renewed zest & confidence and opportunities for personal growth.
We talk about ‘adapting to change’ in the abstract, but what happens when the change is coming at you from every direction – from the algorithms threatening your livelihood to the fluctuating hormones sapping your very energy? My recent experience has unveiled a profound truth: both upskilling due to AI layoffs and changing my lifestyle in this silent battle with menopause fatigue have pushed me to cultivate a resilience that goes ‘beyond the buzzwords’ of corporate and societal jargon.
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