Ageism

Can ageism be a catalyst for career reinvention?

It sure was in my case. 

And I have since met others who flipped the script on ageism and harnessed it to unleash creativity and entrepreneurship.

🚨 This is a positive spin on a very negative topic.

But we can’t forget how damaging ageism really is, especially for women in ALL demographics.

According to a survey published by @Forbes,

👉 33% of women feel they can’t get a job or an interview because of their age

👉 47% feel ignored at work

👉 35% say they’re not invited to key meetings

If you’ve ever felt this type of prejudice, please know you have my sympathy.

And if you were also able to TURN IT AROUND to your benefit, I’d love to know your story! 

What if being discriminated against because of your AGE ultimately turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to your career?

Now, let’s be clear – I am not supporting any prejudice of any kind or at any age. 

But let me tell you a little story about how it worked out for me. 

A few years back, I was laid off from a traditional-style corporate job. 

And frankly, I wasn’t concerned at all. The company was downsizing and I decided this was the perfect opportunity to take some much needed time off. That is, before I “got snagged” on the next rung of the ladder. 

I took 2 weeks and did absolutely nothing. It was glorious. 

But when I tried to jump back into the game… no offers. None. 

Months passed. 

I couldn’t understand it. 

I was highly qualified. 

I had numerous interviews with amazing companies. 

I would get second, third, and even fourth call backs… and they all fell through. 

Then I realized the cold, hard truth. 

I wasn’t getting the offers because of my AGE.

What? 

MEEE? 

Yep, all the offers were going to younger applicants.

What would I do? 

After I scraped my pride off the ground, I played around with the idea of semi-retirement. I even took a position at a small, high-end retail boutique in my town. 

Isn’t that what all semi-retired professional women do? 

But I couldn’t shake the yearning to do more. 

I had so much knowledge and so many new ideas. 

Was I really about to let it all go to waste?

Then, I snapped out of it. 

I realized the value of my experience.

I leveraged the wealth of knowledge I had collected over the years and turned it into my greatest asset.

I pivoted and decided to embrace ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 

Ageism compelled me to adopt a fresh perspective, to approach my challenge innovatively. When I embraced dynamic thinking, I realized I could build a new fulfilling life on MY OWN terms.

Ageism tried to take me down, but I used it as a catapult instead!

Sometimes overcoming our greatest obstacles leads to the most rewarding results. 

#Branding #BrandStrategy #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusinessOwner

Ivonne Ribeiro 🔸 Brand Strategist

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