Maureen Wiley Clough transitioned from a brief television career to tech after graduating from Tufts with an English degree, leaving TV because of volatility, limited mobility, and age bias against women. She moved into SaaS startups and rose into a Big Tech company via acquisition, working in sales and business development despite lacking a STEM background by leveraging communication and relationship skills. She encountered workplace ageism, including being called a "dino," and experienced the shock of age suddenly affecting career prospects. She left the tech industry at 40 and now hosts a podcast about workplace ageism.
The thing about getting older is that you see it happening around you, but somehow you never believe it'll happen to you specifically. It's a real shock when it actually starts to matter - especially at work. Being called a "dino" by a coworker got me thinking about the issue of ageism more seriously, and led me to consider whether I should stay in tech.
I started my career in television after graduating from Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in English. I only spent a few years working in TV. It wasn't just the well-known age bias against women that drove me out; it was also the volatility of the industry, the lack of upward mobility, and the constant reinvention required to stay afloat.
Tech seemed like the obvious choice to a young person without a real path in mind. It was innovative, well-funded, culturally relevant, and cool. I wasn't a STEM major or a coder, but I had the communication, relationship-building, and people chops. I figured they'd need someone like me with an English degree to round out their team - and for a while, they did.
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