I was one of the first Twitter “influencers” back before it even had an app. When Facebook launched pages, I was the first gay journalist to have one after they helped me set one up, complete with the blue “verified” checkmark that actually meant something before they started selling them.
I grew another Facebook page to over a million followers, and the Library of Congress archived my old blog as an important part of the internet.
I spent 20 years helping to build the online journalism ecosystem into what it is today. So why can’t I find a job in digital journalism now that I’m unemployed for the first time in 20 years?
I have a sneaking suspicion it’s because of my age.
I was laid off after decades in the media business
I started my own site in the early days of blogging, back in 2004. After 10 years, I sold it to a media company and went to work for them.
I stopped focusing on my own social media presence to build the media company’s accounts. The publications needed the awards and recognition more than I did, I thought. I invested in them instead of myself.
They laid me off a few days before I’d have been there for 10 years.
I know I’m not the only one. Editors, journalists, and professional copywriters are laid off weekly. LinkedIn is now chock-full of professionals bemoaning that they’re on layoff lists.
Many have most likely been replaced with AI programs. AI doesn’t want paid holidays, vacation time, or health insurance. It definitely doesn’t need to plan for retirement.
I wonder how much my age is factored into my struggles
Now I’m scraping by on Substack subscriptions, monetized social media content, and freelance writing. None of those are 401(k) boosters.
During the one interview I’ve landed, a person half my age told me that my résumé was impressive, but the follow-up question was, “When do you see yourself retiring?”
When will I retire? When I hit the lottery.
There’s a particular type of despair that arises when you realize that you have to justify 20 years’ worth of work in one paragraph that will impress an AI bot.
Toss in the fact that I never finished my college degree, and I’ve got even less of a chance of bypassing the AI screeners who always tell me I forgot to enter my higher education qualifications.
Job listings I’m now seeing require a master’s degree and an active TikTok account to land a minimum wage job pitching influencers to shill a corporation’s latest product. Sure, I’ve got thousands of followers across multiple platforms, but have I done the latest TikTok dance trend? That’s considered experience now.
Add in that I moved to Mexico City three years ago
Most job listings for remote positions require you to be based in the US. While my bank account is American and I pay American taxes, companies don’t want to deal with a cross-border hire.
Now I’m not just older, I’m complicated.
I don’t want to retire; I want to pay my bills. I miss leading teams and being useful in a way that feels more immediate.
Until I can again, I tweak résumés, rebuild my social media presence, grow my newsletter, write the best cover letters I can, and hope for the best.
It’s been challenging, but I’m hopeful that my best years aren’t behind me.
