
"I thought my career was over."
Anisa Kumar remembers the exact moment her world turned upside down. After 35 years of climbing the corporate ladder, a single email changed everything. Company-wide layoffs. Just like that, at 58, she joined the ranks of the unemployed – another casualty of corporate America's endless restructuring.
The first few weeks felt like free-falling. "Every morning, I'd wake up and stare at my laptop, wondering if anyone would hire someone my age," she admits with a wry smile. After all, she'd started working at 23, back when the internet was just a wild idea, and smartphones weren't even a dream. Now, here she was, competing with twenty-somethings who seemed to speak a different language.
But Anisa isn't the type to give up easily. Even as she watched her LinkedIn messages go unanswered – eight months of silence can feel like an eternity – she kept pushing. Fifteen recruiters. Countless applications. Zero offers. Something had to give.
That's when an AARP membership email caught her eye: BACK TO WORK 50+. A free program created by AARP Foundation that equips workers over 50 with the skills and confidence to compete in today’s fast-changing job market. She almost deleted it. Almost.
"Being Indian American, we're taught to keep our heads down and work hard," Anisa says, laughing. "Pushing yourself forward? That feels like begging. At least, that's what I thought." But the program flipped her world view on its head. They taught her that showcasing her value wasn't bragging – it was survival in today's job market.
The weekly meetings became her lifeline. Picture a room full of accomplished professionals, all sharing their small victories and setbacks, cheering each other on like marathon runners. "When you're hearing 'no' for the hundredth time, you need those cheerleaders," she says. "You need someone to remind you that you're not too old, too expensive, or too anything."
They armed her with modern weapons for the job hunt: AI-powered interview tools, résumé optimization software, and skills training she didn't even know existed. But more importantly, they gave her back her confidence.
Today, Anisa sits in her new office as a business development manager at a medical software company, proof that second acts exist in corporate America. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about her journey, especially when offering advice to others in similar situations.
"Just try," she says, leaning forward intensely. "What's the worst that could happen? Another 'no'? Trust me, those stop hurting after the first thirty." She pauses, then adds with a grin, "But that one 'yes'? That makes it all worth it."
Six months into her new role, Anisa's story isn't just about finding a job. It's about rediscovering yourself when the world tells you you're past your prime. It's about proving that experience isn't a liability – it's a superpower.
And sometimes, it's about opening that one email that changes everything.
Learn more about the AARP Foundation BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop.
Connect With AARP Career Coaches
If you’re struggling to find a job or are underemployed, help is available. To learn whether there's a local BACK TO WORK 50+ site near you, dial toll free 1-855-850-2525. You can also search for a free Overview Workshop hosted by AARP Foundation or a community partner in your area.

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