I was laid off at 54 after spending 12 years as a manager at my company. The entire team was eliminated during a reorganization, and I found myself navigating the job market with limited savings. Thankfully, I had a severance package that covered six months of expenses, which gave me some breathing room. I applied to around 150 jobs over the course of 11 months, but it was a tough journey. Ageism was a constant theme in my experience; it felt like my age was a barrier despite my qualifications. I even had to adjust my resume to remove employment dates and downplay my master's degree in hopes of getting noticed. Ultimately, I managed to secure a lower-paying position, but it was disheartening to realize that I was earning less in 2026 than I was in 2024.