Baby Boomers find opportunities in job loss

“No wonder they let me go,” she says. “And I’m not even sick.”

However, some boomers see opportunities in this job market where others see threats. Millicent of Charlotte, N.C., told me she is happy to be “unemployed” at age 50.

“I no longer work in a thankless job,” she says. “I lost my job one year ago and decided I could take care of myself and my daughter without all of the drama that working for someone else can provide. This is very, very, very, very, very good.”

Millicent is now an entrepreneur. She sells products for seniors and she works from home.

And working from home, at your own pace and when you want, might be the future, especially for women, says Orange County resident Julia Sutton, 52.

About two years ago, Sutton walked away from corporate life and became a Mary Kay Inc. cosmetics representative.

“I was working for somebody else. Today I work for myself, and I’d better be the best boss I ever had.”

She was attracted to Mary Kay Inc. because of their founder, Mary Kay Ash. Ash, who founded her company in 1963, is regarded as a pioneering female entrepreneur.

“Her philosophy changed my life,” Sutton said. “After I got my degree (I have a bachelor of arts in finance), I went into the corporate world. And I loved the money and the prestige because I thought I was ‘somebody.’ But I’m a mother first, and that just didn’t jibe with corporate America.”

Photo by Thomas Hafeneth on Unsplash
written by Jane G Haas – Copywrite the OC Register  OC Register.com