Finding Strength After 50: Kat’s Journey From Setback to Success

How Resilience, Community and Coaching Helped One Woman Reclaim Her Confidence

Kat Willis , senior woman blonde hair wearing blue earrings and a sweater sitting in a chair inside

Kat Willis had a stable, fulfilling career in product development at a major technology company for 26 years. “I was planning on riding my career out there,” she says, “but that’s not what God planned for me.”

Kat was unexpectedly laid off in August 2024 as part of a restructuring. At first, she felt numb. “I was in shock,” she says. “I never saw it coming.” The layoff came after a tumultuous few years — she’d been divorced, lost her mother and moved out of her home.

Facing Fears and Seeking Support

The thought of looking for a job at her age was daunting. “Nobody ever thinks about ageism when they’re growing in their career,” she said. “But then you turn 50 and you become invisible.”

Kat took some time off before making a plan. She had been “working like a mad woman” at a high-pressure job for years, and she didn’t want that anymore. After a couple of months of soul-searching, Kat began her search.

She knew networking was vital. She had hundreds of LinkedIn connections and excellent relationships with former colleagues, but she found it difficult to reach out. “I’m not the type of person that asks for help; it’s not how I was raised. I had to get over that, but I didn’t know how.”

After almost a year of applying and only getting two or three interviews, Kat was starting to worry. “My COBRA was running out in January. If I didn’t get a job, I would be faced with a whopping monthly medical bill. This created a tremendous amount of anxiety for me.”

The turning point came via an AARP member email, where Kat learned about BACK TO WORK 50+, an AARP Foundation program that offers career coaching and workshops to help people over 50 find work. She signed up right away.

Kat liked the program’s “Back to Work in 7 Steps,” a resource that provides guidance throughout the job search process, as well as the AI training and accountability the program provided, but more than anything, it was the coaching that made the difference.

Her coach encouraged her to see asking for help as a strength, not a weakness. “It was like career therapy,” Kat says. “I had deep, personal conversations with her about things I worried about, and she was so understanding.”

Regaining Confidence and Finding Community

The program gave Kat something else she had been missing: community. Weekly Zoom meetings from her home in Round Rock, Texas, gave her the opportunity to connect with others facing similar struggles. Hearing their stories and successes comforted her and gave her hope. “You realize you're not alone. We need that, because our identities get lost. Suddenly you think, ‘If I can't get a job, I'm not good at anything.’”

Slowly, Kat regained her confidence. She prepared for interviews, leaned on her network and kept moving forward. She was offered (and accepted) a role in sales late in 2025 after nearly 15 months of unemployment, a role that involves her interacting with former colleagues from the tech company she used to work for, as well as learning new skills.

Kat says BACK TO WORK 50+ helped her through one of the most difficult times in her life. The program provided her with tools to advance her job search, but more importantly, it offered coaching that helped her feel seen and supported. Every time they met, the coach would tell her she was proud of her, says Kat. “That's really important to hear, no matter how old you are.”

Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop.

Read more stories about how our programs and volunteers have helped people to find hope and transform their lives.

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