This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with 49-year-old Damon Duncan, who is based in Atlanta. His identity and salary have been verified by Business Insider. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
- Damon Duncan, a 49-year-old former sales engineer, took a drastic pay cut after he was laid off.
- Duncan's salary dropped from $148,000 to $52,000, impacting his family's lifestyle.
- Despite applying to hundreds of jobs, Duncan is struggling to re-enter the technical sales field.
Damon Duncan, a 49-year-old former sales engineer, took a drastic pay cut after he was laid off.
Duncan was laid off in 2023 and again in 2024. Since then, he has taken an entry-level position with significantly less pay.
Duncan’s salary dropped from $148,000 to $52,000, a change that has deeply impacted his family’s lifestyle. Despite applying to hundreds of jobs, he continues to struggle to re-enter the technical sales field.
This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with 49-year-old Damon Duncan, who is based in Atlanta. His identity and salary have been verified by Business Insider. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
I was laid off from my job as a sales engineer in April 2023. That was the last job I had in my career field.
It has now been more than two years since I worked in technical sales. I took a couple of related roles after my company went through a merger, but I was laid off for a second time in August 2024. I remained unemployed until I finally took a drastic step back — both in position and in pay.
I went from being a sales engineer, an architect, and an account executive to working at a consulting firm in an entry-level cold-calling job.
The majority of the people I work with are fresh out of college. When I sit with them in the common room, they’ll say things like, "This is my first big boy job fresh out of college," while I’m sitting there, almost 50 years old, with a child about to go to college myself.
It came with a massive pay cut
I now make about one-third of what I earned at my sales engineering job. At my former role, my base salary was $148,000, but now it is $52,000.
The layoff cost us a lot of money, and because of it, we don’t travel anymore. Our credit also took a massive hit, and we weren’t able to cosign on a loan for our daughter to attend college. She decided to take a gap year and start at a local tech school instead, building savings and credit so she can eventually take out loans and transfer.
We’ve had to cancel a lot of services we used to rely on. Typically, we could hire people to handle big tasks, but now I take them on myself during weekends.
Instead of spending my weekends with my family, I spend them fixing things around the house — rebuilding a staircase, working on cars, painting rooms, replacing light fixtures, AC plugs, light switches, and other projects.
We couldn’t afford to repair my daughter’s car, so we had to get rid of it. Now we’re down to two cars instead of three. We often have to carpool, which isn’t the end of the world, but it’s inconvenient at times. My company also required employees to return to the office, which means I now spend two hours a day commuting — one hour each way.
All of this has affected my family immensely.
I no longer understand the market
I’m trying to get back into the field that supported me for most of my 20-year career, but nobody is hiring me or even interviewing me seriously.
Since being laid off in 2023, I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs. I did receive one offer last year, but it was rescinded because of company changes. Other than that, I’ve had some interviews, but I’ve never made it to the acceptance stage.
I still apply to anywhere between two and five jobs a day.
No matter how I update my résumé or how much outreach I do, it feels pointless. I’ve followed every piece of advice — networking, customizing applications, everything. But it feels like throwing darts at paper, hoping one lands. I don’t understand the market anymore. It doesn’t make sense.
I’m doing this current job because I have bills to pay and a family to provide for. I’m stuck where I am until I can hopefully find another opportunity.
I have a feeling people assume I’m too expensive because of my experience, or that I’ll immediately leave once I find something better. But they don’t realize that I’m applying to these jobs not only because they’re in my field, but also because I view them as possible careers.
I don’t need just a job. I’m not 20 anymore. I need a career. I have three kids — one about to go to college, and two more following. I’ve got weddings to pay for in the future. Realistically, I’ll be working until I’m 80. What I need is stability.
Ageism may also be at play
I suspect some of this difficulty comes down to ageism. But older workers bring wisdom and experience. We’re not flashy, but we’re reliable.
People like me, Gen Xers, know how to be scrappy. I’m working an entry-level job right now despite having 24 years of experience. If that doesn’t prove my willingness to work hard and adapt, I don’t know what does.
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