Invisible After 50? Why Experience No Longer Matters in Today's Job Market

medium.com
In an age where visibility is often valued more than substance, people over 50 are quietly vanishing from public life  --  not because they've become less capable, but because they no longer "fit the picture." The job market has long turned its back on them. Quietly. Systematically.

All Shine, No Salary  --  When Appearance Trumps Experience

Reality shows like Dubai Bling, Bling Empire, or WAGs to Riches are more than guilty pleasures  --  they're cultural mirrors. Real people with real wealth and hard-earned achievements are reduced to caricatures in scripted scenes where beauty, status, and conflict steal the spotlight.

It might look like entertainment, but it reflects something deeper: the worth of a person today is often measured not by their accomplishments, but by how easily they can be marketed. And this logic has long seeped into the world of work.

Overqualified, Overlooked, and Written Off

If you're over 50 and job-hunting, you'll likely feel it firsthand: qualifications alone don't cut it anymore. Instead, it's all about buzzwords, personal branding, and youthful appeal. If your résumé doesn't scream "dynamic," "agile," or "digital native," it's game over  --  often before the interview stage.

Yet older professionals offer exactly what many companies claim to crave: loyalty, composure, leadership, and lived experience. But those virtues don't shine in Instagram stories or on flashy recruitment sites. They don't dazzle  --  they sustain. And in today's economy, that's apparently not enough.

The Silent Discrimination

This exclusion doesn't come with headlines. It creeps in quietly. Contracts are left unrenewed. Training is aimed at younger talent. Applications are ignored. It's a wall you only notice once you hit it  --  and by then, most remain silent out of shame.

But it's not just unjust  --  it's economically absurd. In a time of severe labor shortages, society can't afford to bench thousands of skilled professionals. And yet, here we are: ignoring an entire generation for the crime of growing older.

A Story That Needs Rewriting

It's time to break the image. Older people have stories far richer than any influencer highlight reel  --  stories of responsibility, resilience, reinvention. Yet they are rarely asked to share them. Instead, we cling to a narrative that glorifies youth and treats experience like dead weight.

But audiences  --  and job markets  --  are ready for something deeper. They're hungry for context, not just content. For meaning, not metrics. For people, not just profiles.

Because real relevance starts when we're willing to listen again. Especially to those who no longer shout  --  because they understand.
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  • 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 very very depressing.

  • I am happy to see this thread. Perhaps we can start anmovement to address this concern. I am interested.

  • I totally agree with this!!

  • Connect with me let's discuss how you will land an interview successfully

  • Sadly im experiencing this in healthcare at the age 40.

  • Try being muvh closer to 70 than 50! LOL Definate age-ish!!!