I held senior roles at Bank of America and EY. At 56, I can't find a job, and it led to a bit of a midlife crisis.
A 56-year-old cybersecurity executive shared the challenges in her years-long job search and how it led to her launching her own venture.
Siobhan MacDermott is a 56-year-old tech founder from Menlo Park, California. She has held senior roles in cybersecurity, consulting, and boardroom positions. MacDermott relocated from New York City to California in 2023 due to family reasons, which led her to re-enter the job market at 54. She found that the job market was unprepared to categorize her extensive experience and expertise.
MacDermott's attempts to apply online, through recruiters, and via competency-based interviews were largely unsuccessful. She discovered that bypassing HR and reaching out directly to CEOs and board members was the most effective approach. However, even this strategy sometimes resulted in being told she was overqualified. MacDermott adjusted her LinkedIn profile to attract more attention, removing her age and adjusting her gender to see if it improved her response rate.
After two years of unsuccessful job searches, MacDermott decided to launch her own venture, Khaos Holdings and TeenAegis, to solve a problem she identified.
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