At 57, Rebecca, who spent three decades in IT support and management, found herself redundant despite a career she described as spotless. In the year since her dismissal from her role as IT Service Desk Manager, earning £56,000 annually, she has applied for over 100 jobs without success. The prolonged period of unemployment has severely impacted her mental health, leading to NHS-referred therapy.
Rebecca's career in IT began after she completed a BTEC in hotel catering and institutional management, where she discovered a passion for computers. Her career spanned 30 years, with 28 years in management roles. The financial stability she once enjoyed was disrupted by an acrimonious divorce in 2016, which forced her and her daughter to relocate and live in challenging circumstances before she eventually purchased a small terraced house.
Following her mother's death in 2023, Rebecca used the inheritance to pay off her mortgage. This decision proved crucial when she was made redundant in February 2025. Her employer did not provide a reason for her dismissal. Initially confident she would find another IT position quickly, Rebecca's optimism faded as weeks turned into months with no responses to her applications.
Facing financial pressure, she took a minimum wage job at a dry cleaners, a role she found physically demanding and demoralizing, a stark contrast to her previous highly qualified position. At 57, retirement was not an option, nor was it financially feasible. She continued to apply for IT roles, submitting at least five applications weekly, but secured only four interviews over nine months. Three of these did not offer feedback, and one cited a lack of "technical experience," which Rebecca disputes, noting she achieved 100% on her last technical exam.
Rebecca suspects her age and gender played a role in the rejections, feeling that interviewers were hesitant to "take a risk" on an older woman. The constant rejection has been deeply demoralizing. Her daughter expressed concern and advised her to find part-time work to allow more time for job applications. Consequently, Rebecca started a part-time job packing food orders at a supermarket four mornings a week, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. This role, while offering some calm, represents a significant income reduction from £3,000 to £900 per month.
Her lifestyle has drastically changed. Previously able to afford wine monthly, she is now largely teetotal and has reduced her meat consumption due to cost. She walks everywhere to save on fuel and worries about the upkeep of her aging car, unable to afford a replacement. Holidays are limited to visiting her daughter at university, staying with friends to save on accommodation. At 58, she finds herself in a financially precarious position, a stark contrast to her earlier expectations of financial security in her later working years.
Rebecca acknowledges her relative fortune in owning her home and having small pensions that will commence at 65, though she has had to withdraw some funds early. She remains hopeful about re-entering the IT sector, though she recognizes the diminishing chances with each passing week. She now identifies herself as a former IT worker when asked about her occupation, followed by her current supermarket role. Her experience underscores the profound emotional and financial devastation that job displacement in one's fifties can bring, challenging the assumption that a long career guarantees security until retirement.