This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gregory Brooks, a 57-year-old based in Rochester, New York. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
After reluctantly resigning from my technology services job at a community college in May, I was terrified to be out of work.
I’m not a young guy anymore. Starting over at 57 feels like a mix of humiliation and frustration — and it feels harder than when I was younger. I think for the most part, young professionals are more willing to work late, sacrifice work-life balance, and hustle to climb the corporate ladder. I’m not looking to build my career the way I did as a 20-something hustling…
