I resigned myself to $300 monthly salary for fear of unemployment at age 40

My tasks are mostly administrative, such as data entry and processing paperwork. There is little pressure, but also no future. Over a decade has passed, and I am still in the same place.

Many have urged me to quit for a better-paying job, but I can only smile faintly, knowing I would not dare to do so. At 40, I fear unemployment. I fear sending out resumes and being rejected. I fear leaving this job and finding nowhere else to go. I fear becoming a burden on my family if I lose my income, however meager it might be.

I have tried applying for other positions a few times, but I have only been met with silence or rejection. The jobs I was interested in required English, tech skills and management experience, among others, while I have nothing but more than a decade of handling simple paperwork. Once, a recruiter even asked bluntly, "You are 40, can you keep up with a high-pressure job?" I did not know how to respond.

This job offers no chance for promotion or skill development, but it is my lifeline. Every month, it provides an assurance that my family will not go hungry. I know that quitting will certainly lead to long-term unemployment, as that is already happening to many my age.

I am caught in a vicious cycle, where I want to change but lack courage, stay stuck, grow frustrated and long for change all over again. Every morning, I sit at the same desk and boot up the same computer to do the same repetitive tasks. Each month ends with enough money for basic expenses, and then another month of struggle begins.

Some have advised me to step out of my "comfort zone" and learn new skills or start a business. But that feels like a luxury given how I am already 40 with family responsibilities, declining health and limited experience. I missed my chance when I was younger, so now I have to live with constant worry.

Life at 40 feels like standing on a rotting bridge: moving forward or backward risks collapse, while standing still merely delays the inevitable downfall. I cling to this VND8 million job not because I love it, but because I have no other choice.

I write this to tell young people that many middle-aged workers live in silent despair. We dare not quit, we dare not take risks, and we quietly keep low-paying jobs, because unemployment at this age is far scarier. This is the consequence of our past mistakes.

If you are young and still able to strive, do not stop learning and improving your value. Otherwise, you may one day find yourself in a limbo as I am now.

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.