How the System Can Make You Unemployable — And What to Do Next

What happens when a single job loss turns into years of rejection?

I studied my second degree late in life. In my early 40s, I finally decided to pivot from education — after years as an English teacher — to studying literature at Swinburne University in 2019. Returning to academia at that age was quietly terrifying, at least until I met an 82-year-old woman in one of my literature units.

When I asked her, “Why are you studying at your age?”
She replied simply, “Why not? I love writing… I always wanted to be a writer.”

I smiled and nodded, offering something throwaway like “That’s impressive.” But beneath my casual response, I was genuinely moved. Seeing a woman of her age pursue her passion reminded me exactly why I was there. I was just like her — just at a different stage in my life.

I was returning to something I had loved since childhood — writing had always felt as natural as breathing. But over the years, I had drifted away from it, like losing touch with an old friend I deeply missed.

What I didn’t realize then was that my degree would only ever lead me to knowledge, not opportunity. The system was already poised to ensure I would never work in the industry as…