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Rebuilding a Future After an Unexpected Fall
Determination and support from BACK TO WORK 50+ helped Theresa restart her career.
At age 50, Theresa DePoi had a stable and comfortable life.
She had a steady career as an executive assistant and a nice house in Atlanta that she shared with her three adult children. She was experienced, reliable and used to landing on her feet, having worked for more than 20 years in the same field, moving with ease from one contract job to the next. So when an opportunity for a contract role came along offering better pay than her full-time job and a remote structure that would help her care for her son with special needs, it seemed like a smart next step.
One Decision, Major Consequences
She took the job, but the reality didn’t match the promise. Within weeks, she was being asked to be on-site every day, which became increasingly challenging. Nonetheless, Theresa stayed through the end of the contract, but when it ended, she chose not to extend. She figured she’d find something else — she always had before.
But the job market had changed, and roles were scarce. Days turned into months, 14 months, to be exact, during which Theresa applied everywhere she could think of, sometimes applying to as many as ten jobs per day. She reached out to old colleagues and took every networking opportunity she could find, but nothing panned out.
The stable life Theresa had made for herself and her family began to unravel. Over the next eight months she sold her truck, lost her home, and used the last of her savings to help her children. She moved into a budget hotel, unsure how long she could afford to stay.
Without her truck, she couldn't drive to interviews or go to the grocery store to buy food; she had to take the bus to the food bank. The situation drained her emotionally, and she began to wonder if she was too old to get a job.
“It was so scary,” she recalls. “I had a nice house and a good job, and because of one decision, I pretty much lost everything. I felt hopeless.”
A Lifeline, Just in Time
What she didn’t lose was her instinct to get back on her feet, which led her to AARP Foundation BACK TO WORK 50+, a free job coaching program designed to help older workers re-enter the job market. Theresa learned about the program through an AARP membership email and decided to give it a shot (AARP Foundation is a charitable affiliate of AARP, and AARP membership is not required to participate in the program).
Signing up was easy, but the training site, the Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency (ACSS), was on the other side of town — a 2½-hour commute each way by bus and train. Theresa was undeterred. She showed up every day for a week of full-day sessions.
“It gave me purpose,” she says. “That was the first time in months I got out of bed and went somewhere.”
She met others in those sessions, people dealing with uncertainty later in their careers, just like she was. “What I found was hope. It was so powerful to be around people who understood.”
The program delivered practical tools — résumé guidance, personal branding and mock interviews that taught her how to articulate her value. “I thought I was too old, that nobody would hire me,” she says. “But the coach said companies are looking for seasoned workers.”
Career coaching offered encouragement and structure. Guest speakers and workshops helped explain the current job market. But the biggest shift was personal — in sharing her story with the group, Theresa began to reclaim her identity. “It helped me rediscover who I am.”
Near the end of the program, Theresa landed an interview. However, the office wasn’t accessible by bus, and after a year and a half of unemployment, she didn’t have enough money for a taxi or Uber ride.
She did have a $50 gift card, which she used to pay for an Uber to the interview, and she got the job the next day.
From Job Seeker to Mentor
Theresa is now the executive assistant to the Vice President of operations at a global airport and logistics company, and she couldn’t be happier. She’s financially stable again, with more savings than she’s had in her life.
She still lives in an extended-stay hotel by choice, prioritizing stability and affordability. “I made a lot of radical decisions in the last few years,” she explains. “So I’m staying put until God tells me to move.”
At the hotel, she’s become a source of encouragement for younger residents, offering résumé advice, job tips, even the occasional meal. She embraces the role, happy to be able to use her experience to help others.
Theresa hopes sharing what she learned from the BACK TO WORK 50+ program will encourage other unemployed older adults to look into it. “You can feel like you’re all alone, but you’re not. You just have to reach out.”
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.
Free Coaching & Workshops
Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop.
Free Coaching & Workshops
Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop.