Can we admit that the biggest obstacle in our careers are the Boomers who can't afford to retire?
My manager is 68 years old. He's been in the same position for 16 years. Every year he hints that he's 'almost there' and about to retire, but it never happens. He's been saying that since the first day I started working here.
I'm 34 years old and I've been stuck in the same role for 4 years with no chance of getting promoted. There's nowhere for me to go. Literally nowhere. Because no one is leaving.
And honestly, I sympathize with him. His wife had a major stroke a few years ago, and their entire life savings were spent on medical bills. Healthcare in this country is a joke. He's not a bad person, and I'm not saying he shouldn't have the right to work. But what's the plan for me? Am I supposed to just tread water here until I'm nearly 40 to get a promotion?
This issue isn't just in my office. I see it everywhere. People want to blame individuals, and tell you to 'upskill' or 'be more aggressive,' but no one wants to admit that the real problem is that there's a huge bottleneck at the top because an entire generation can't afford to leave the workforce for financial reasons.
I was so frustrated a few nights ago that I started Googling this stuff. The number of people working past age 65 has increased dramatically compared to 25 years ago. And let's be honest, it's not because they all love their jobs and can't bear to leave. Every older person I know who is still working, is doing it because they have no other choice.
My friend's younger brother just got a marketing degree from a good university with high honors. It took him 9 months to find a job. His salary is $62k in a city where a regular apartment easily costs over $2200 in rent. He finds himself competing against people with 25 years of experience who were laid off and are now desperate enough to apply for 'entry-level' marketing coordinator jobs. How is a recent graduate supposed to get a chance in the midst of all this?
And all the while, you see these articles saying the new generations are 'lazy' or are 'quiet quitting'. Are you kidding me?? I would do anything to feel challenged and engaged in my work. But it's so hard to stay motivated when you're stuck in the same place for years with no clear path for advancement, because the people above you seem like they're going to be there until they die.
The irony that kills me is how we're constantly lectured about saving for retirement. Contribute to your 401k, max out your IRA, think about compound interest! Yeah, great advice. I'd love to do that, but since I can't get promoted, my salary is stagnant, and I can barely save anything after bills. So what's going to happen? In another 35 years, I'll be the 70-year-old guy who can't stop working, and some 24-year-old will be on whatever exists instead of Reddit complaining about me.
It feels like a trap we're all walking into. The whole system is broken and honestly, I have no idea how we're supposed to fix it.
With each passing period, I feel more and more that it’s a strong sign that we need to have a side job, freelance work, or a project beyond traditional employment or at least some form of remote work, because things are becoming really difficult. At the same time, there are many tools now that can help during this phase, whether it’s learning languages or acquiring new skills, and even tools that assist during interviews, like InterviewMan, an AI assistant that gives you instant answers during interviews.