Neither young, nor old, nor a man: ageism, gender, and underemployment in the professional trajectory of a Brazilian female engineer

This teaching case narrates the real-life story of Marcela, an engineer over 45 years old, highlighting the impacts of ageism and gender in the labor market. The narrative demonstrates how the intersection of age and gender creates specific barriers to job retention and professional reintegration for mature women, even when they possess extensive experience and recognized performance. After being laid off due to a corporate restructuring, Marcela faces a cycle of both explicit and subtle exclusions in recruitment processes, often being overlooked in favor of younger candidates or older male professionals. In response to these challenges, she adopts strategies such as omitting her age from her résumé and accepting a position far below her qualifications. The case also explores forms of resistance, including the pursuit of autonomy through consulting and teaching, albeit constrained by material limitations. Ultimately, this teaching case fosters critical reflection on underemployment as an expression of institutionalized ageism and underscores the importance of organizational practices that value experienced professionals, especially women, in the context of aging.

Keywords:
organizational ageism; gender and work; underemployment; teaching case