42....am I too old to get another job??

[Nowheretogo1985]

I have applied for SO many jobs but I am not getting anywhere. Literally spent hours of my time completing application forms to the best of my ability but no joy. Looking to make the move from a admin role in secondary to admin within higher education. Its just been constant knockbacks despite having so much experience in an admin capacity with proven results. Is my age a problem? Are employers favouring younger applicants? Heellp please 🙏🏻!

I don't think it's your age, it's the jump from secondary school work environment to higher education and lack of direct experience in higher education. In my experience, employers hardly ever want to train admins they just want you to hit the grounds running and it's an overpopulated sector. Keep applying and maybe sign up to temping/agency work in higher education admin roles to show you have recent experience of this particular environment.

Agree with PP, often getting a temp role is the way in, once your name gets associated with being good then you probably find something. However be aware there is a lot of streamlining and centralisation happening in HE admin along with recruitment being much more scrutinised.

OP, the HE sector is being decimated at the moment. Thousand and thousands of job cuts with lots of universities in a huge financial crisis. I'd advise this is not the sector to go to at the moment (you will also probably be competing with highly experienced people who have been made redundant). Maybe have a think about another sector. Good luck.

Thank you all, this is really helpful advice!
@Tamfs can you explain a bit about centralisation and streamiling - what do you mean?
Thanks for all your comments. Might be worth considering another sector after all x

Sure! So there is a move (in my experience anyway, I can't speak for all of HE) to reduce the number of smaller admin teams and instead replace them with a larger central admin team, either shedding posts via redundancy or through not replacing leavers.

@EvaShoe is also totally correct on the current decimation.

I got a new job at 43