I'm applying to entry-level jobs at 56 and can't even get an interview. My confidence has taken a hit — so I'm pivoting.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Mannix, a 56-year-old based in Tacoma, Washington. It's been edited for length and clarity.

In 2022, after 30 years working for the city of Juneau, Alaska, I was eligible for a full retirement, which included health benefits and a pension for the rest of my life.

My wife and I moved to Tacoma, Washington, and it's been lovely to have a career break after several stressful years in risk management. However, I'm in a unique position where I can afford not to work for a while, but I'm only in my early 50s. I feel like I've earned the opportunity to put my efforts into something that really gets me excited: women's professional sports.

I've spent the last year applying to entry-level jobs in the industry, from executive assistant to game-day helper, and I haven't even landed an interview. My confidence has taken a hit, and I have to imagine my age plays a role.

In Still in the Game, Business Insider is chronicling the realities of job hunting in your 50s — from overcoming age bias and navigating career transitions to rebuilding confidence, updating skills, and finding new opportunities in a competitive job market. Read more stories here, and share your own experience here.

I wish hiring managers could see that there are a lot of safe careers I could be pursuing and making money in. The reason for my pivot is my absolute love and passion for live sports. I'm ready to put myself out there, start over, and learn something new.

I've mostly been applying to entry-level roles because I know that, on paper, it might be hard for a hiring manager to see how my past experience translates to this industry.

I can only imagine that a hiring manager might look at my age and experience and think, "What the heck do they want to do with this entry-level job?" They might wonder whether my skills translate or whether I plan to stick around for very long. In my cover letters, I've made it a point to convey that I'm excited about the job, I don't need to make a ton of money, and I want to be involved.

I went from a place where the people I worked with knew me and knew what I was capable of. I'm completely anonymous here. My insecurity level, especially after about a year of seriously applying for jobs and not getting any nibbles, has gone up. I still have confidence in myself, but putting myself out there in a new field is definitely vulnerable.

I know I can't take rejections personally, but they're a confidence hit.

I recently went to a job fair specifically for the Seattle sports industry, and I felt like I was 15 to 20 years older than most of the people there. I have to laugh about it all and embrace it.

I'm building my own business because I don't want to wait for an opportunity