You’re a dinoW and you just reached the golden age of 45. I know you don’t feel yet that it’s golden but wait till you’re much older; you’ll regret you didn’t appreciate that period a bit more.
What happens at work if you’re 40 years old?
Little by little you’ll start feeling relegated by your younger colleagues to the never enviable status of “older woman”. You’re shocked. You feel very young, act young, dress young and are up to date with the latest technology developments. So why do you notice that every time a co-worker or even your boss needs to ask a technology- oriented question they address a much younger person instinctively. Most of the time it turns out that this particular person is ignorant in technical matters.
According to a survey, 65% of women are victims of Ageism. The older you get, the younger workers are marginalizing you.
Senior positions and promotions are more the prerogative of older men than women. No matter how hard you work or how much you keep up to date with your line of work you’re always beaten by the other gender.
What’s The Excuse? High management is marketing the concept of “encouraging younger generations which are more in touch with the market and youth aspirations and activities”. You have nothing against it but should it be “either or?” Why can’t you carry on your progress at the same time as men and younger generations for instance?
If you’ve left your work and are looking for a new one you’re facing a bigger problem.
From age 45 and the older you get, opportunities will go on decreasing. The answers to your recruitment’s quest, if any, will be “over qualified” or “over experienced” meaning you’re an “old sock” and we’d rather choose a younger candidate with much less years of experience and a reduced salary. Men also go through this rejection but when they are much older.
What about Housewives reaching 40?
You’d think that it would be much easier on them? Don’t bet on it! They have already the pressure of their kids, partners, girlfriends etc… way before they reach that age.
Even in their twenties and thirties, they had to justify their choice. Their working friends were indulgent enough when kids were growing up and even a bit envious of them. They were lucky to be “full-time Moms” giving all their time to their kids, their activities, hobbies and studies.
Now that the kids are older and everyone starts coming home late, the housewives will be judged more severely. They belong more and more to the “ladies of leisure” category even if they are busy with their hobbies, charities etc… They are expected to look like “skinny bitches” with allllll that time on their hands!
The partners or hubbies are even more inconsiderate. “What did they have to do all day?” is the most cliché question.
Even if the hubbies had encouraged their partners to leave their careers for “the kids”. It’s long forgotten now. “The kids” are no exception or consolation since they expect their moms to be “on call” at any time.
Housewives have also the challenge of reinventing themselves all the time if they want to keep their husbands interested. They have to compete with their working girlfriends at social events. Moreover they have to stay up- to- date with all the news and the likes to prove to their partners that they can be as interesting as their working counterparts.
No win-win situation for the dinoWs.