This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jodi Lynn Karpes, a 52-year-old public relations professional who lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I'm 52, and I've been working in public relations for the last 25 years.
I immigrated to the US from South Africa five years ago, at age 47. When I moved to Florida, I left a country where I'd had my own business, GreenQueen PR, for about 17 years. After moving, I paused the business to look for full-time work.
The first job I found in Florida in 2021 had terrible pay, and I couldn't live on it long-term — I had to dip into savings each month. The next took about three months to find. It was a director-level role for a PR agency based in New York, and I worked remotely. That agency was a terrible fit, and I hated the job — so much so that I was having terrible nightmares. So I resigned in December 2025.
In Still in the Game, Business Insider is chronicling the realities of job hunting in your 50s — from overcoming age bias and navigating career transitions to rebuilding confidence, updating skills, and finding new opportunities in a competitive job market. Read more stories here, and share your own experience here.