I'm job searching in my 50s after a 17-year career break. I feel like I'm sending my résumé into a black hole.

Natalie Strawn is re-entering the job market after 16 years as a stay-at-home mom. Courtesy of Natalie Strawn Natalie Strawn quit her job at Adobe in 2009 and hasn't been in the job market since. Seventeen years since her last job, she's looking for work or self-employment opportunities. She said she needs to find a job by January, when changes to Medicaid requirements take effect. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Natalie Strawn, a 52-year-old stay-at-home mom of two in Colorado who is going back to the workforce 17 years after quitting her job at Adobe. She's been finding the job market challenging and is leaning toward self-employment. Business Insider previously profiled her husband , who took a job as a school bus driver after being laid off from Adobe after 25 years. The following has been edited for length and clarity.