When I was younger, I thought I would keep working until I didn’t want to work anymore, a time I vaguely assumed would be in my sixties. I worked in technology and then advertising, and I saw that the only older women still working in advertising owned their own agencies or were in executive roles, so I worked my way up to an executive role.

And got fired. My job performance was demonstrably exemplary, but the thirty something creative director didn’t think that I, in my fifties, could understand his creative vision.

I haven’t worked full time in advertising since then.

Fortunately, I had a backup plan. I’d experienced enough sexism and ageism that I returned to grad school in my forties to get a Masters in Transformational Leadership. I was able to pivot to consulting work and then executive coaching, which I’ve been doing for the last ten years.

The harsh reality is that we might not get to work as long as we think, in spite of how good we are at our job. Whether we are over forty, female, a person of color, or disabled, there are many ways in which our career can be impacted by various forms of discrimination.

You can find lots of advice on how to build a career, and how to get to your career peak. Acres of content exist about getting ready for retirement when you are done with a paying job.

But what about that liminal space so many of us find ourselves in where we are no longer in demand, but we’re not done yet? What is that called? Where is the advice for that?  

The Season of Consolidation

I call it the Season of Consolidation. Some people have the money, privilege or good fortune to leave at the top of their game or move from an unplanned exit into a comfortable retirement. But plenty of us were pushed out well before we were ready to go.

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