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Original poster

To think job market for those 55 and over is dire

222 replies

Bettyfordtoday · 25/04/2026 13:54

At 55, and recently made redundant from a highly paid corporate role I am struggling to get another role or even an interview.

I'm wondering what others do at this age point, too young to retire but seemingly too old to interview ?

Have a mortgage etc to pay and don't want to get in debt , redundancy pay will last if I am careful to the end of the year at most

OP posts:
Bulbsbulbsbulbs · 26/04/2026 04:33

Yes. This happened to my husband, he was 52. He did work in a very niche industry but had been at a high level for 25 years. He didn't get an interview at the same level, or even close to it. He ended up having to take a job way below his skillset and experience. It was very soul destroying for him.

We eventually moved 250 miles away to start a tourism business so that he didn't have to carry on working in that environment, we kind of downsized I suppose which others have suggested as we used the equity in our house to start the business.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 26/04/2026 04:37

MidnightMeltdown · 26/04/2026 03:22

I’m not talking about ‘knowing how to use a computer’ or using Microsoft Word or Excel. Of course everyone knows the basics that have been around for decades. Tech has become an awful lot more advanced since then (at least in my industry) and what I’m seeing is that people are struggling to adapt.

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Actually the people I work with in their 20s and 30s have a lot less knowledge than I do. And yes I mean outside Word and Excel (although their abilities with that are pretty bad too).

They can’t work things out for themselves and ask things that I would never have asked when I was using the same systems.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 26/04/2026 04:57

Pettifogg · 25/04/2026 21:12

The job market is dire for everyone. A result of the retirement age going up, so people who would have retired are still working, this not freeing up jobs for younger people, and the high birth rate in the years 2005-2008 - those babies are now just nearly all over 18 and a lot of them are looking for the jobs that are blocked by the over 60s who cannot retire.

The government would have you believe it's all down to AI of course.

If I am still able to do a good job and am enjoying it by the time I reach retirement age, I’m not retiring. Plus I don’t have a pension.

YouHaveAnArse · 26/04/2026 06:04

HappiestSleeping · 25/04/2026 19:28

You can say the years of experience without naming the dates though. Everything you say is pretty much what I did and it has given me the opportunity to change change to doing something I enjoy more.

I would also look at fractional leadership.

The key is to be very clear about what you can do, and what area you can make a material difference, and then examples of where you have done this. You can say whatever you like as long as you can back it up.

For example, something along the lines of:
Focused on driving profitable revenue, as evidenced at xxx company where I drove down cost by £y and drove incremental revenue of £z.

That sort of thing.

Way to many CVs I used to see were lists of job descriptions, but told me nothing of what the candidate believed they could do. They all went straight in the bin.

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This is the advice I've been given, but my previous role (which I was in for a long time) just doesn't translate into that.

I'm getting interviews in my sector but it's fairly niche and it would be good to have as many irons in the fire as possible!

YouHaveAnArse · 26/04/2026 06:07

Speediegonzales · 25/04/2026 20:05

Sadly that’s the case. I’m all for women working and having equal opportunities but I do think in some ways working women have shot themselves in the foot.

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Through what, simply being female? Expected to be the primary carers for the children/elderly in their lives?

BunnyLake · 26/04/2026 06:50

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 25/04/2026 16:58

I agree. It was hard enough with employers not taking on women of child bearing age because they might be ‘unreliable’.

Now they are doing the same with menopause, I’m all for awareness but talking about leave etc just continues the myth that we are weak little beings who have to have special concessions made at all stages of our lives. I think it will hurt recruitment of women greatly.

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Trouble is posters on MN are constantly going on about being menopausal rage monsters and even perimenopausal (I’d never heard that phrase till MN) gets non stop mention. If bosses are reading those it’s not going to help. I’m in the same situation as others so certainly not without sympathy. I went from office based jobs all my working life to being a cleaner after redundancy in my late 50s. It’s played havoc with my joints but I literally could not get office work anymore.

Mummyoflittledragon · 26/04/2026 06:51

InconsequentialFerret · 25/04/2026 21:22

I don't understand remarks like that either! I was using a computer at college in the late 1980s. I was hardly unusual. At the same time, my mum had a computer at work. She retired in 1992, and continued with 'tech' until her nineties.

Who are these people my age who don't know how to use it? I find it baffling that there could possibly be more than a tiny minority who are clueless.

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What do you mean? Some people were still using manual typewriters. The 80s was a time, when credit cards details for shop payment weren’t digitised and entered manually from details lifted with carbon paper. And RSA typing was an option at school.

Edit - oops I think I misunderstood the post. Not had much sleep... I thought it meant people, who wee in their 50s in 1980s. Of course people now in their 50s know how to use tech. And I used computers back then.

And 57yo dh started a new job just under 6 months ago. He got a pay rise of about 15% on his basic and 25% more if he gets full bonus.

Wolmando · 26/04/2026 07:01

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 26/04/2026 04:37

Actually the people I work with in their 20s and 30s have a lot less knowledge than I do. And yes I mean outside Word and Excel (although their abilities with that are pretty bad too).

They can’t work things out for themselves and ask things that I would never have asked when I was using the same systems.

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It’s because they have probably only ever used an iPhone or iPad and haven’t a clue how to do anything else

Lovelyday63 · 26/04/2026 07:46

I was made redundant at 50. My profession is extremely ageist and I could only get temporary work through agencies.

I did downsize as I also divorced at the same time and I lived off my redundancy payout and equity from the house that was sold.

paint101 · 26/04/2026 07:53

MyPinkKoala · 25/04/2026 16:12

I wouldn't employ an older applicant because in my experience they think they know more than you, have no ambition, want an easy life and coast to retirement. Not fair on the rest of the team who have to pick up their slack.

You sound like someone promoted way beyond your capabilities. Let me guess - small family company and you are a relative of the boss.

Bagwyllydiart · 26/04/2026 07:56

I am 67, self employed, and I am having to turn work down. It very much depends on what work you do.

charactershoes · 26/04/2026 08:00

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 25/04/2026 16:58

I agree. It was hard enough with employers not taking on women of child bearing age because they might be ‘unreliable’.

Now they are doing the same with menopause, I’m all for awareness but talking about leave etc just continues the myth that we are weak little beings who have to have special concessions made at all stages of our lives. I think it will hurt recruitment of women greatly.

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Yes I agree too. All through my 30s I’ve felt employers think I may be unreliable because I have young children / may get pregnant again. Now approaching my 40s I’m worried they’ll think I’m unreliable because of all the menopause stuff which seems to be EVERYWHERE right now and makes it sound like women are all basket cases from 42-57…

charactershoes · 26/04/2026 08:03

CypressGrove · 25/04/2026 23:47

I think this must be quite specific to your workplace. I've found the opposite in my engineering/high tech workplace- the over 50s have been quickest to pick up AI and are better with tech generally as they grew up with it evolving and have experienced rapid changes in technology. The younger generation have been used to tech being neatly packaged up and really don't understand it to the same extent as those that experienced it being built from what I've seen.

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Yes, the two people in my office who are known to be very good with the tech side of things are both around 60. I think the idea of older people being rubbish with IT is just an outdated stereotype.

Speediegonzales · 26/04/2026 08:05

YouHaveAnArse · 26/04/2026 06:07

Through what, simply being female? Expected to be the primary carers for the children/elderly in their lives?

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Sadly yes. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s how some potential employers see things. As an example, you have 4 people in team, 2 go on mat leave, that’s you instantly down 50%. Then when they come back they could potentially want to go part time or have flexible working. If granted, that puts pressure on the other team members and on it goes. With all the awareness around menopause etc (which can be a good thing) employers then see us as potentially emotional wrecks etc. Things do need change.

lljkk · 26/04/2026 08:14

Employers favour younger people ALWAYS.

Not in my experience.
Which bias do ppl want to argue dominates:

Employers avoid hiring child-bearing age women bcz of maternity leave disruption.
/or/
Employers favour the experienced (older employees) so don't want employees (usually quite young, new graduates) without experience
/or/
Employers avoid post-menop women bcz we're all emotional disasters who need our own special sickness policies (per lots of recent propaganda)
/or/
Employers want to fire everyone before they are in post long enough to get expensive redundancy pay & unfair dismissal rights
/or/
Employers avoid new graduates bcz the new Grads only know how to use LLMs and lack basic skills, can't think for themselves...

I mean, make up your mind.

If anecdote is helpful, my boss openly admits he likes to hire nice people, the ones he finds easiest to work with. Niceness is not age dependent but he may think first of potential recruits who he knows well, which de facto makes them older adults like himself.

Pickledonion1999 · 26/04/2026 08:16

Touty · 26/04/2026 00:20

How can a carer earn 4k a month?

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I would think the only way to do this would be to be a live in carer 24/7 !

Hoppity80 · 26/04/2026 08:27

Bagwyllydiart · 26/04/2026 07:56

I am 67, self employed, and I am having to turn work down. It very much depends on what work you do.

What work you do could we ask? It would be really helpful to understand where there are opportunities for more mature workers x

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 26/04/2026 08:40

Wolmando · 26/04/2026 07:01

It’s because they have probably only ever used an iPhone or iPad and haven’t a clue how to do anything else

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Possibly. But they have no idea how to work things out or look them up. They just expect it spoonfed

aCatCalledFawkes · 26/04/2026 08:42

MidnightMeltdown · 25/04/2026 20:26

I have to say, I can relate to this. I’ve worked with a few over 50s in my team, and as lovely as they are, they are hopeless with tech, and very slow to pick up new things, despite getting the same training etc. The annoying thing is that these people are often more senior than me and get paid more, simply because they are 15 years plus years older and have ‘more experience’. However, that experience doesn’t count for much when it isn’t up to date, and I end up spending a lot of time helping them and showing them how to do things.

It isn’t lack of effort or willingness to learn, it seems to me that learning just slows down after a certain age, which is problematic given the pace at which the world is changing. From that perspective, I can see why employers want to pay them less, but equally, it’s shit given how high retirement age is now

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I have to say this sounds like a "you" problem not a "them" problem. You're basically complaining that they get paid more than you for having more experience than for which they were most probably recruited for.

As for tech in your late 40's/50s... We grew up with it to you know? I did my degree in AI over 20 years ago when it was actually a proper computer science subject rather than a bandwagon that everyone now thinks there an expert in because they did a course on linkedin.

StillAGoth · 26/04/2026 09:09

lljkk · 26/04/2026 08:14

Employers favour younger people ALWAYS.

Not in my experience.
Which bias do ppl want to argue dominates:

Employers avoid hiring child-bearing age women bcz of maternity leave disruption.
/or/
Employers favour the experienced (older employees) so don't want employees (usually quite young, new graduates) without experience
/or/
Employers avoid post-menop women bcz we're all emotional disasters who need our own special sickness policies (per lots of recent propaganda)
/or/
Employers want to fire everyone before they are in post long enough to get expensive redundancy pay & unfair dismissal rights
/or/
Employers avoid new graduates bcz the new Grads only know how to use LLMs and lack basic skills, can't think for themselves...

I mean, make up your mind.

If anecdote is helpful, my boss openly admits he likes to hire nice people, the ones he finds easiest to work with. Niceness is not age dependent but he may think first of potential recruits who he knows well, which de facto makes them older adults like himself.

I suppose it boils down to different employers having different biases. It will also depend on the nature of the role, the level you're hiring at and previous experience.

I once went for a teaching interview. I was mid 30s. The interview was going really well. You know when an interview is going well. Then they told me staff in the school had to do a 4 night annual residential. Not every year, it was done on a rotation basis. They asked who would look after my children when it was my turn. When I said, "Oh, my husband," I felt the whole tone of the interview change and went from thinking I've got a good chance of getting this job to instantly knowing I definitely wasn't getting it. The rest of the interview was just going through the motions and I didn't get it.

Firstly, my husband would have done it willingly - I didn't have a any doubt; secondly, I instantly realised that if I'd said, "Oh, my mum," I'd likely have got it; thirdly, they wouldn't have asked a male candidate that question in the first place.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 26/04/2026 09:14

aCatCalledFawkes · 26/04/2026 08:42

I have to say this sounds like a "you" problem not a "them" problem. You're basically complaining that they get paid more than you for having more experience than for which they were most probably recruited for.

As for tech in your late 40's/50s... We grew up with it to you know? I did my degree in AI over 20 years ago when it was actually a proper computer science subject rather than a bandwagon that everyone now thinks there an expert in because they did a course on linkedin.

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Yes - I started with a typewriter and used every iteration of word processors etc (anyone remember the orange or green display?) 😬

littlepicklebum · 26/04/2026 09:18

Ncisdouble · 25/04/2026 14:39

I use only last 10 years of working history. I am younger but skilled in hiding my immigrant arse on CV...
Nothing has locations or dates. Take dates off, do not use all work history (no one really cares what you did at 20 unless it was massively important.
It seemed to work last time i job hunted last year.
Nothing what can identofy your protected characteristocs essentially unless it was part of your job or similar.
Re qualifications, I put equivalent ones for uk and current time

Edited

You asked a question op and here’s your answer.
Straight from the horses mouth

StillAGoth · 26/04/2026 09:37

RaininSummer · 25/04/2026 23:12

Agree the older person 'bad at IT' trope is tiresome. At 63, I am ahead of most of my colleagues with IT. I also got a job at 58 in the civil service. Also agree that this peri and menopause obsession is making things harder for women. I wasn't affected adversely at work by either and hadn't even heard of peri.

There is some good CV advice here. Unfortunately it's much harder to actually knock years off your age now like my Dad did in the eighties when job seeking in his late fifties.

I agree with all of that.

Especially the menopause thing now. I get really frustrated when I see every other women posting frustrations on MN about pretty much anything being told its her age, asked if she could be menopausal and told its because her tolerance has reduced due to lower oestrogen.

It's so dismissive. I posted about something under a different name and half the people who responded asked if I could be menopausal. ! As soon as people know you're 50+, that's the go to response. I probably am menopausal - I'm over 50 but I'm not consumed by rage, I don't find myself regularly having 'a little cry' and I haven't experienced any cognitive decline. I've never been tolerant of dickheads.

I'm actually in the safe zone. As I think I've already said, I have no children at home, there's zero chance of me taking maternity leave, I have no parents to become elderly and no health issues. I've just now committed the sin of being in my 50s.

Maized · 26/04/2026 09:44

MyPinkKoala · 25/04/2026 16:12

I wouldn't employ an older applicant because in my experience they think they know more than you, have no ambition, want an easy life and coast to retirement. Not fair on the rest of the team who have to pick up their slack.

You've just described ageism, which is against the law. Your experience is limited - you have not met all people over the age of 50 - but you are using it to discriminate against people you don't know based on a protected characteristic under the Equality Act.

Maized · 26/04/2026 09:51

charactershoes · 26/04/2026 08:03

Yes, the two people in my office who are known to be very good with the tech side of things are both around 60. I think the idea of older people being rubbish with IT is just an outdated stereotype.

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In my workplace we are about to lose two highly skilled, highly experienced tech people due to retirement, and it will be a real loss. Tech people love tech, love keeping up with developments, and understand that tech as a career requires continual reskilling. In my experience if you have the opportunity to hire an older person whose whole career has been in tech you are onto a winner!