At 46, Dennis thought his professional experience would give him some protection in a difficult job market. He had spent four years as a development director at a nonprofit, earned $108,000 annually and had reached a point in his career where the next move was supposed to build on what he had already accomplished. Instead, after leaving his position, he spent seven months looking for work and watched the assumptions he had made about his market value slowly unravel. Dennis submitted 142 job applications, received five interviews and ultimately received one offer. The position paid $71,000 a year, $37,000 less than his previous salary, representing a reduction of roughly 34%. By the time the offer arrived, however, the decision was no longer simply about whether the salary reflected his experience or whether the title represented the next logical step in his career. It had become a question of how much longer he could afford to remain unemployed.