I'm 52 and can't find a full-time job. I wasn't prepared for the shame of no longer being seen as a viable candidate.
A 52-year-old public relations professional shares her struggles with ageism and the difficulty of finding full-time employment after immigrating to the U.S. She discusses the emotional toll of being overlooked in the job market.
Why it matters
This reflects broader economic trends regarding age bias and the challenges faced by older workers in the modern job market.
Jodi Lynn Karpes Martina Tuaty for BI This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jodi Lynn Karpes, a 52-year-old public relations professional who lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. It's been edited for length and clarity. I'm 52, and I've been working in public relations for the last 25 years. I immigrated to the US from South Africa five years ago, at age 47. When I moved to Florida , I left a country where I'd had my own business, GreenQueen PR, for about 17 years. After moving, I paused the business to look for full-time work. The first job I found in Florida in 2021 had terrible pay, and I couldn't live on it long-term — I had to dip into savings each month. The next took about three months to find.
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