Found my ideal job in London, but at nearly 57 years old is it worth trying

[Stressedout65]

I have just found a vacancy in London that would be ideal for me. I could easily do the role and I've previously had a similar role in the same industry. It's remote working with one day a month in the office required. I'm Midlands based but love London so it would be ideal. My issues are:

1. I used to be AAT qualified,(passed in 1986!) but i let the qualification lapse a few years ago as I changed industries and roles. I've still got my membership certificate to prove I was once qualified. The advert states a degree is required, which I do not have.
2. I've let myself go over the years, weight wise and am now obese at 19 stone. I'm working on it as I do not want to spend retirement being ill & immobile.

I therefore do not have the confidence to try & get a London based job, even though I know I can do it. I feel I would perhaps be looked down on by the younger/same age even, city slicker types for being obese. Where I work now I don't feel looked down upon for being obese, but I have felt this in a previous role quite a lot and it's dented my confidence quite a lot work wise. At the moment I'm employed in a basic accounts/admin role paying only £20k. I was semi retired & temping until covid struck and my husband was furloughed. The remote London job is about £30k and I know I can do it. I love London too, so the occasional trip would suit me down to the ground. I have considered just staying as I am as we're OK for money, house paid etc. However, I think it's an unfair burden on my husband to keep being the main breadwinner, doing 10 hour shifts again as he's so busy. He's worked hard all his life so I could be a sahm until the children were teenagers, its my turn to help out now. I also would like to help them & their families out if this current cost of living crisis gets too much for them. I just don't know if I can take another 10 years until I reach retirement age of the relentless slog into an office doing the same basic routine job. Wfh, with the occasional day in an London would be so much better for me. Just after I started my current job my dad died from covid & then I was very ill in hospital with it too. I still get depressed over my dad 15 months on. I feel like I need a fresh start away from a workplace I associate with death, depression and covid.

1. So as it's a candidate's market at the moment do I take a risk and try to better myself job wise, risking the fact I could well be looked down upon again?
2. Is it worth going for a job where it states you need a degree when you don't have one.
3. Is it worth trying to get my AAt qualification again at almost 57 years old.
4. Should I wait until I've got a qualification again & have lost weight, by which time the candidates market might have died down

5 Or just drift into retirement, feeling totally bored, unmotivated & unexcited for the next 10 years. Accept the inevitable that it's too late for me work wise now. Sorry for the long post, I just needed to get all my thoughts down & thank you if you read it until the end

Nothing ventured nothing gained . Just apply and see what happens

I would recruit someone with relevant experience even if they didn't have a degree, I think experience is much more important. As is attitude.

Although I do have a degree, it's an arts degree and the role I do always advertises for degrees in STEM subjects. But it doesn't stop me getting jobs, no one has even mentioned it in over a decade.

Go for it. You have lots of relevant experience.

Make sure they will pay your travel expenses to London though as this could eat up any pay increase.

Can’t comment about pay rate for London but where I’m based a degree is expected for most most jobs paying over NMW rate.

Just coming on here to say congratulations to @GnomeDePlume and "go for it" op!

Don't, whatever you do, hold off because of your weight. You are far more likely to lose weight if you are happy and engaged in your work and in a good place mentally. Good luck

I'd apply and also start talking to recruiters in the industry, they will have a feel for competitiveness and pitching of different CVs as well as what roles well be coming up. Certainly don't drift into retirement.

And your weight is irrelevant unless it impedes your ability to do a role.

@ThinWomansBrain

Most people went straight to work at that time. Huh? The OP’s 57 not 107! I'm a similar age to OP - only about 25% of my school cohort stayed on to sixth year, so 75% started working at 16. Large school - around 400 in year group. One girl went on to university, two teacher training college, one trained as a nurse. Not sure about the boys - school was a bit more encouraging for them.

but @Lunaballoon

Almost impossible for girls to get out of having typing and office practice as CSE options, and standard career advice was did you want to work in a shop or an office.
In 1970, just over 50k degrees were awarded (adult learners as well as students straight from school) - with just 30% to women.
By 2010, the number of degrees had risen seven fold to 350k, and approaching 60% to women.
So in 1970, 15k degrees to women, by 2010 just short of 200k.

So @lunaballon - what utter twaddle - I suppose you're a younger degree educated woman that knows it all?

*@ThinWomansBrain*My response was to an earlier poster who asserted that “most women” back in the ‘80s didn’t have degrees and went straight to work after school.

FYI, I’m 62, have a degree as do most of my friends and acquaintances of similar ages. I accept that it might not have been the widespread norm, but it was certainly not unusual to stay at school after 16.

YES!!

omg, I can't understand why you hesitate at all.

Yes you may not get it or they may turn out to be jerks -- but so what? Benefit is You still get practice at job applications & you can quit. There is nothing to lose.

"The answer is always YES" said a colleague, when I asked if I should apply for a job a few years ago. "If you're looking & find something you fancy" -- he meant. "You can decide later if you actually want it." (nb, I was 51 then).

Think like a bloke. Of course you can do this, that's the easiest part to figure out. The only hesitation would be if it's too much effort for what they offer & you should look for something more ambitious.

@comeundone

I'd apply and also start talking to recruiters in the industry, they will have a feel for competitiveness and pitching of different CVs as well as what roles well be coming up. Certainly don't drift into retirement.

^^ This is really good advice!

If you use this job application as a catalyst to explore what's out there, upgrade your CV and qualifications, make contacts, maybe even get a competing offer (why not think positively ?) start losing weight sensibly, exercising a bit more, then it's all a big win-win even if you don't get this particular position, but I really hope you do!

I've hired staff for London based roles, which advertised degree required, but many years of experience can definitely out way the need for a degree.

Experienced hire are great as they need very little training and support, so I would go for it.

@notafraidofthebigbadwolf

I have a city job. When we recruit, we ask for grads, but fully understand that a 57 year old applicant wouldn’t be a grad. Most people just went straight into work at 18 at that time. We have a 55 year old non-grad and she’s fab. Good luck!

Well that's offensive. I'm 50 and have a degree along with all the others ancient 50+ people I work with.

Apply apply apply good luck!

Very late to this but wanted to say that I undertook a Master’s in a completely new subject in my mid-fifties. Graduated with Distinction - and my new occupation has brought me immense joy, both in terms of professional challenge, excitement and satisfaction and also in a whole new world of colleagues/ friends.

It sounds as if you already know what you want to do, but for anyone reading who needs inspiration or the answer to a query, you may find the Mature Study and Retraining board, here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

• worth browsing or posting on.

Best of luck, OP - hope you eventually find your dream job!

It’s always applying for a job you aren’t qualified to do. Look at Boris Johnson! And Trump!

Go into it knowing that the lack of a degree may mean auto-reject.

Don’t wait to find jobs until you lose weight. Start trying to lose weight today but know that it will take a while.

We have a saying round here, "shy bairns get nowt".

I’d also be interested in hearing how recruitment view older candidates. Not only do we bring a wealth of life expertise into an office, we are generally more reliable… or are we?

I’m 55 and planning on going back to work after some time out. I’m intrigued by what (mis)conceptions there are out there.

Go for it OP

I recruit people a lot as well as being in a recruitment-based industry. Not having a degree can often be offset by being qualified by experience and you sound like you are exactly that. You are right it is a candidate's market right now which makes employers a lot more flexible on the prerequisite requirements like degrees etc if you can demonstably do the job. You sound like a great candidate in terms of skills fit and based on what you have said I would interview you.

Also, although I sympathise with your experience with being overweight, please don't let that stop you from applying for a job, loads of people are overweight, in London as much as everywhere else and honestly it shouldn't be an issue. You sound like you have been unlucky and worked in a toxic place in the past, but that isn't the norm and we Londoners can be just as far from perfect as anyone else. Please don't put your ife on hold until you feel like you tick all the boxes, you'll never do anything again if you do.

Best of luck.

@ByeByeMissAmericanPie

I’d also be interested in hearing how recruitment view older candidates. Not only do we bring a wealth of life expertise into an office, we are generally more reliable… or are we?

I’m 55 and planning on going back to work after some time out. I’m intrigued by what (mis)conceptions there are out there.

Ugh. Your second sentence gets my back up!

Life experience? I'm interested in work experience. And I wouldn't assume someone was particularly reliable or unreliable based on their age.

In my field (the OP's field), I look at technical qualifications, work experience and how any career gaps have been mitigated. Everyone gets an equal shot based on actual merit. Age has no impact on hierarchy - I've been managed by people older than me before, and I've managed people older than me before. As long as everyone is a grown up, it's all good.

I view all time out with the same critical eye - whether it's to raise kids, travel the world or to manage sickness. What's relevant is not how old you were when taking that break, but what you've done to stay in the game. I've seen too many candidates take a career break and do absolutely nothing to stay current.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm going to start applying at least! Fingers crossed I find a new lease of life work wise x

You should definitely apply. If you don't get it you should apply for other things which look interesting.
I'm excited for you.

Good for you! You have 10 more years of working life. That’s a very long time. Well worth requalifying. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Worst case, they say no. But every interview you do is more experience to learn from and move on. Best of luck to you.

OP, you probably won’t make the shortlist as you don’t meet the person specification and don’t have a relevant qualification that you need (albeit you once did).

You can apply, you’ve got nothing to lose, but don’t be surprised if you’re not invited for interview for the above reasons alone.

I think your motivation for doing it isn’t where it needs to be (you love London?!) and honestly, I would maybe use the recognition of this kind of opportunity to rethink your plans to upskill, get fitter etc over the next few months as this will only benefit you.

Keep looking and see what else comes up whilst you do this and remember, being older isn’t necessarily perceived as a problem.

@boomshakalacka

You can always apply for any job- no harm there. However, you don't have the basic qualifications that the job has asked for so you're unlikely to get an interview in this case.

True, you probably wouldn't get an interview because you're missing the two qualifications. But it's worth a shot and it won't cost you anything to apply.

@boomshakalacka sometimes having the experience counts just as much as having the qualification. Nobody can really take away my qualification. I passed it fair & square with a distinction, but I let my professional membership lapse. Because it's been more than 5 years since I let it lapse I would have to resit the exams; which I'm wiling to do, but wondered if at the age of 57 it would be worth it.