To think job market for those 55 and over is dire

Not just prison, it's a general safeguarding requirement in teaching. Any gaps in employment need to be explained fully.

What are/were List 99 offences?

It is not usual to include DOB in CVs and not on application forms. I’ve only included relevant professional experience from when I qualified as a midwife. I was already 31 then but could have been 21 if I’d started my training at 18. Interviews are usually online and with a gentle filter I look 40s not 50s. The people I’ve worked with still have no idea I’m 58 and have never asked!

Except it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that for most roles no one is interested in what you did 35 years ago or 20 years ago.

Anyone who puts an entire lifetime of job history on a CV for most jobs they're going for is just highlighting how out of touch they are with what is expected and wanted by most employers for most jobs in 2026.

Hence CV gets filed in the shredder.

Job market doesn't seem easy whether you are young or old these days, finding that a lot of more experienced people are struggling because even though companies shouldn't see age they, think that is why a lot of people do what I do as it earns money flexibly and gives you a royalty style income too

I didn't think Brits did tbh so am quite surprised. It usually showed on immigrants' CV (alongside MANY other things that shouldn't be mentioned in UK...)

People shouldn’t be putting DOB on a CV and I’ve been saying that for about 25 years.

And it also doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize as the older candidate you don't need to put 35y experience! I have 25y experience but I only go back to 2014. I put 'insert professional body' qualified and my membership level, no date.

Except it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that someone with, say 35 yrs experience, is over 50

Having your DoB on your CV hasn't been the done thing for a number of years.

So a CV with DoB may be flagging up a candidate who isn't up to date in their thinking.

I'm 56 and job hunting, I used to get shortlisted for most jobs, not anymore.

I've taken my DOB off my CV, my SIL is in HR and she said you don't have to put it on. I'm hoping this makes a difference.

Good luck 🤞

I’m in my late 60s and still do some consulting and training on a freelance basis. Could that be an option in your area of expertise?

If you have teaching or any other experience or skill thats in demand you can always do private tutoting (as I do) so you are not at the mercy of employers.

I retired from teaching at 65 and I had a couple of lovely part time jobs since then. I do a load of grandchild care do I am not flexible about days but I am willing and hardworking and still working part time and doing childcare at 75. I think the fact that I was a teacher helps a lot. I attended a local toddler group session and the centre offered me work there. I am reliable and keen to learn which makes a big difference. A friend of mine in her mid sixties has just accepted a job as an entertainments manager for a care home. They had been looking for someone for ages.

I went for a job interview on Friday
I am late 50s
Yes I had to produce all my work history since 16

Written test
Verbal test

age discrimination is definitely alive and kicking.

Yes.

Maybe they were MN users and of the opinion that men are useless and assumed I'd be making excuses to not go or pulling out at the last minute due to childcare issues. Maybe they'd had experience of that happening before. Maybe their own husbands would have refused and they thought there was no chance my husband would agree to it.

But, you're absolutely right they shouldn't have asked the question in the first place!

The market is truly awful! I have tried to reduce my CV but they check qualifications and can see when you qualified.
i was quizzed by a recruiter about what I was doing in 1997! mad as that’s 30 years ago almost…

I’m not a teacher but I work as a support staff at a secondary school. I applied last summer and as you said, had to list all my jobs since I graduated in 1993. I understand why this is done but equally it is bit pointless, as I moved to UK in 1998, so all those jobs before were in another country. I could have said anything, the school would have no way of finding out if I lied or not. But I guess it’s a box ticking exercise to show they have tried their best to check the information.

Tbh I was quite worried they’ll withdraw their offer as I had to explain why I had a 14 month gap from 1994-1995. I was unemployed as my country was in a deep recession, unemployment was 18% at that time. There were no jobs at all. But if there’s a current 30 year old going through my details, they would not understand the situation at all.

Luckily the job offer still stood and I’ve now been there nearly a year. I’m 53 and infact youngest of all the technicians with our department. I feel very lucky I found this job after 17 years as a SAHM AND being over 50.

You'd think!

But it's just the way it's done.

We also have to sign a form to say we've never been convicted of any 'List 99' offences too. It's not even called that anymore.

I suppose it's just to make sure no one slips through the net.

In teaching this is because of safeguarding policy. You need to account for all the time in case of something untoward.

Yes, a couple of years ago, a friend was applying for teaching roles and had to account for a month between his summer job on a building site and being back in uni - in 1991. He had been on a driving holiday in the USA, but he couldn't actually prove it after all this time. And not everyone would remember at all.

It's probably people in their 50s who wrote the applications. We know how to program and write scripts and often learnt when people had to be careful with memory usage and so on, and we had to know how we impacted efficiency and cost. Of course some people are slow, but that is true of any age group, not just the over 50s. Most of my colleagues would be very dismissive of anyone who thinks tech is just MS Office applications.

You are being ageist. Please stop it.

I took my dates off my CV. A recruitment consultant made me put them back on. (He didn't even get me a job, either.) Fortunately another one did.

Can I ask you how long you worked in your job , if you don't mind ? I am going through this just now. I am going through a terrible time due to bullying and have a disability . I have never worked anywhere so horrible. Just going through the grievance process just now and can hardly sleep. Good for you .I am glad you won .

Grade C Maths and English remain relevant for life and are required for lots of jobs. But I would just say I had GCSEs. They are the equivalent to O levels.

Once you have been offered the job and asked for your certificates, I doubt anyone is going to quibble that they're O levels.