I'm job searching in my 50s after a 17-year career break. I feel like I'm sending my résumé into a black hole.

Natalie Strawn is re-entering the job market after 16 years as a stay-at-home mom.

Courtesy of Natalie Strawn Natalie Strawn quit her job at Adobe in 2009 and hasn't been in the job market since.

Seventeen years since her last job, she's looking for work or self-employment opportunities.

She said she needs to find a job by January, when changes to Medicaid requirements take effect.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Natalie Strawn, a 52-year-old stay-at-home mom of two in Colorado who is going back to the workforce 17 years after quitting her job at Adobe.

She's been finding the job market challenging and is leaning toward self-employment.

Business Insider previously profiled her husband , who took a job as a school bus driver after being laid off from Adobe after 25 years.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

After 16 years as a stay-at-home mom, I'm getting back into the workforce to help my husband supplement our family income, after he was laid off.

I started job searching around mid-2026, and haven't gotten an interview.

Trying to start a new career in your 50s is hard.

I have a lot to offer in terms of experience and skills, but I feel like employers are maybe looking for someone who's younger or a bit more spry.

Searching the internet for a job feels like a bunch of dead ends.

What has your job search been like? Have you been looking for work for a while, made a career pivot, or had to dip into savings? Reach out to this reporter to share what it's been like at [email protected] .