Am I too old to be recruited?

[Colycola]

I have applied for about 60 high level PA jobs over the past few weeks.

I used to work in the City, moved to a local suburbs PA job part time after kids now looking to go back full time back to London if I need too.

I haven’t been selected for even one single interview, today I sent my cv and it got rejected straight away within an hour.

I’m in my early 40s, am I too old to be employable?

You’re absolutely not too old! But definitely take off your DOB and don’t have too many roles listed on your CV - is it no longer than 2 pages? Don’t have years and years of employment listed. If nothing else, a recruiter will reject a CV that’s too long.

I’ve been in the same job about five years.
I work reduced days but still Monday to Friday, my kids are older now and I need to earn more money so happy to go back up to town.
I get it’s probably really competitive at the moment I’ll get in touch with some recruiters this week.

It sounds like your CV isn’t tailored specifically to each and every job you apply for; it should be, because if it isn’t it’ll just go straight in the bin.

It’s nothing to do with your age.

I read a thread recently from a career coach in which she gives good advice on tailoring your CV to the job - I think it was in the back to work topic.

I got a job in London after 10 years as a SAHM followed by 2 years working locally (only one of which was related to the job I do now. Pre-kids jobs also related). I got the job through an agency that really put in the work getting to know me and then persuading my employer-to-be to meet me (they also had a strong working relationship).

I started a new job in March....I'm 60

You don't need to list all your previous employment on your CV.I've done a skills based cv rather than a chronological one. No one is interested in my Saturday job in Miss Selfridge.

I interviewed for a post recently (50% of the candidates I shortlisted were 50+) several candidates I didn't shortlist I could have assumed had the skills and experience I was looking for from their career history but with a large field I shortlisted those who demonstrated they had read the advert, job description and person spec and clearly highlighted the key information.

I had a number of applicants who were very over qualified/experienced they all failed to tailor the application and missed the mark, I need someone who can run a project not someone who can manage people who can run a project, tailoring is a lot of work, but essential.

If somebody doesn't have their DOB on their CV you can still work out their age by looking at their education history

I for example left school in 95, then you were sixteen. It's now 2020 so it's not hard to work out my age

I for example left school in 95, then you were sixteen. It's now 2020 so it's not hard to work out my age

You don't have the put the years, if the qualifications are essential to the role then they might of course ask for the year or certificates to confirm you have them; but likely by that point you will be in the interview process and they will have seen you or whatever. Also no need to put complete work experience dating back to leaving school, 5 or 10 years at a push is fine.

@Givemlala

I for example left school in 95, then you were sixteen. It's now 2020 so it's not hard to work out my age

You don't have the put the years, if the qualifications are essential to the role then they might of course ask for the year or certificates to confirm you have them; but likely by that point you will be in the interview process and they will have seen you or whatever. Also no need to put complete work experience dating back to leaving school, 5 or 10 years at a push is fine.

That would depend what you were applying for. We expect a full career history with dates. We ask for qualifications with dates.

Not your age. There's a lot of City PAs looking for a new job.
Reg with agencies
Be active on LinkedIn

We expect a full career history with dates.
We ask for qualifications with dates.
I'm a decade older than you so this runs to two pages without lots of evidenced achievements. I just landed a new job and I'm convinced the reason was I put a one-sided letter of supporting evidence as the first page of CV. It gave directly relevant experience, achievements and skills. I always used to put the achievements under each job or on a tailored final page. I think it was harder to wade through and with dates first easier to decide I was ancient .

We expect a full career history with dates. We ask for qualifications with dates.

Is there an actual reason, or just because it's always been done like that? Even jobs which require checks only require a decade. If the job says 20 years experience required (!) then sure, but a lot of places make requirements for no real reason. Also there are no rules for CVs, so unless you're stipulating that or its part of an online application, then you cant expect people to provide it.

Not too old but the job market is utterly dire atm.
Remove all personal details. I only put my town under my email address as well if applying for London.
I also don't put educational dates etc. Some employers do ask this but I've only had that in interview and I find by that time it's past worrying about.

Think I’ll stay where I am for job security reasons.

Also though if it was rejected within an hour, they probably didn't even look at it. I know that makes it worse, but they likely had someone in mind and were just going through the motions.

Regarding a full work history with dates, this isn’t really thing unless you need Developed Vetting where they actually get references for the past ten years of employment or study.

I’ve never had my qualifications checked and I’ve worked for some well known, huge organisations.

I can review and reject a CV in less than an hour if it doesn't meet requirements.

I would have thought it would be quite easy to work out someone’s year of birth or roundabouts of their age just by looking at experience. Or am I

Not only do many places ask for the year you started each job what if the op has only had 2 jobs and has to put she started one in say 1994 until 2016 then 2016 to present? Also some qualifications have changed so o levels to gcses as well as btecs only came about a few years ago so you can work out someones age if they took o levels at school or btecs etc.

😂😂😂

Of course you aren't!

I interviewed for a post recently (50% of the candidates I shortlisted were 50+) several candidates I didn't shortlist I could have assumed had the skills and experience I was looking for from their career history but with a large field I shortlisted those who demonstrated they had read the advert, job description and person spec and clearly highlighted the key information.

This in spades. I left school at the end of the 1980s, have a list of different jobs as long as my arm. I went back to uni in my 40s, trained for a different career and have landed several jobs in my new field. I now have to recruit around twice a year, wading through over SIX HUNDRED applications each time. I do not care about a person’s age - if they have read the job spec properly, tailored their application to suit and made it easy for me to tick everything they’ve written off against the requirements, they get that interview whether they’re 20 or 50. You would not believe how many people don’t do this when they apply.

I know it’s dispiriting not to get replies - I’ve had it happen despite doing everything I tell others to do. Sometimes a job has an internal candidate and the advert is just window-dressing. Sometimes you have no clue why. But you just have to stick at it. My sister is 59, lost a job she loved at the beginning of lockdown and has managed to land another this week in an area renowned for its lack of opportunities. Don’t give up!

I worked in recruitment and we didn't accept any CVs with dob on. It is also very competitive at the moment

@CherryPavlova gross.