Job hunting in your 50s

[christinarossetti19]

Does anyone have any success stories?

Background - I've been self-employed for 14 years. Not intentionally initially, it just sort of happened and worked well when my children were younger.

Worked dried up during the pandemic, there are now many, many more people doing this role as the area has become very popular, and what work there is is mainly online, which I absolutely hate. Could cope with this in the short-term, but can't imagine spending the rest of my working life worrying if I'm going to have any work next month, and if I do, doing it on fecking Teams or Zoom.

I spent about 6 months job hunting last year. Lots of applications, 8 or 9 interviews, no job - someone else always had more relevant skills and experience.

Had a break in the autumn as had a bit of freelance work, and my mental health was in tatters. Personally had a difficult time, one of my children refusing to go to school due to unmanaged bullying (now in a different school and much happier) and my mum's health declining rapidly, she died in December.

But even with all that going on, I felt much better in myself than when I was continually putting myself out there to be rejected over and over again!

A New Year and I'm going to have to start job hunting again, and I honestly don't know how to dust myself down, spend hours looking for jobs, filling in applications, tweaking my CV, preparing for interviews, attending interviews with no job at the end of it.

Just putting this out there really. I was on a couple of threads last year where most people did secure new jobs, some very quickly. This was good to see but luck never came my way.

I'm doing an MSc (though might not be able to continue as the next part needs a job role to 'practice' in). Tried finding a job in the sector where I've worked for 25 years to no avail. Looked at different sectors but someone else always had more skills and experience, of course...

Not quite 50, but I was 49 when I landed my job now. I had a particular skill, but I was a TA before. I still earn way less than I did before dc, but it isn’t really my focus now.

My job is tenuous though and funding needs to be secured every year. It is with a charity. If I don’t get funded again, I can do the job in a voluntary capacity. A similar job FT was advertised at £40k, I would have gone for it, but I have a dd with anorexia who needs a lot of support at home.

When I was hired, so was a young man in his 20s fresh out of uni. I was rehired, he wasn’t. It was really clear why - I asked questions, I worked hard, I studied hard. I am not knocking him, he was me some 25 years ago, but it is easy to see the benefits of an ‘older’ worker. For reference, my team are 40s and 50: but we work directly with children and YP.

I'm sorry to hear about your dd - so difficult for her and you.

I agree that there are benefits to older workers, but not a view necessarily shared by younger ones (even if no-one would directly say that, of course).

One of the interviews I had was for a job way 'below' the level that I've been doing for nearly 20 years, but more money plus obvs annual leave, pension. I could have done it standing on my head.

The three people on the panel were in their 20s and I can honestly understand why they didn't want to recruit someone twice their age who began working in the field before they were born.

Although I did feel a bit mystified as to how they'd gained sufficient skills and experience in their short years out of university to secure roles with more seniority than I'd feel comfortable applying for but ho, hum.

In the context of my never having enough/the right 'skills and experience' for the posts that I applied for, not saying that they couldn't do their jobs btw.

I was made redundant at 51, applied for about 8 jobs got one working for a charity. I wanted better work/life balance so only applied for part -time so I limited my options.

I've just left there as an even more part-time job which is pretty much equivalent to the type of job I was made redundant from. I loved the charity but wanted more of a challenge.

Good luck with your job hunt

I think the fact that my workplace is a small team all working from home. In my old work place in financial services pre-dc, we were drinking and socialising with lots of us in our 20s - 30s. If I was going back to financial services, I would feel more nervous about gaining employment. I guess it is very industry specific.

Op I worked for many years in the newspaper industry which now basically does not exist. I was made redundant at 46, got a job in a school and at 47 retrained as a teacher. Got a job and did that for about 7 yrs; needed to leave so found a role in NHS comms using my skills from before. That was at 53; yes it was a more junior role and a pay cut (my salary had gone down as an NQT of course) but it was a good opportunity. Four years later as I hadn't progrssed I applied for and got a dream job in the private sector, more money and doing what I love. Lots of young ppl at my firm but so so talented and I am loving it.

You just need to find the right role.

I meant to add, what is your field?

Would some part time voluntary work give you an entrance into what you’re looking for. I know it is tricky when need to earn money in the meantime but I wondered if that would be a route in?

Keep going. I was out of work for a while in my 50s, applied for lots of jobs, set up my own business in the end. Really felt down lots of times.

Then got offered the job of my life at 58 doing exactly what I love and am good at. 3 years in I'm almost the oldest in the team, but am well-regarded and earning a great salary. Not sure how long this will last (private sector, always precarious) so I am making the most of it.
Please don't give up. Botox your cv (nobody cares about 20 years ago), focus on your skills and what you love doing. There are jobs out there! Good luck.

I have been offered three jobs in my 50s. One in a field I'd never worked in before, one in the field I'd worked in for 25 years before I took a decade out to run a business. And one for the civil service - the branch that advertises on here

When I first started looking I signed up with an agency and did some temping. I also signed up with CV Library and Indeed etc and still get calls for interviews five years on.

So it can be done. Good luck!

Could you try a different tack? Look for opportunities where there is a shortage eg you could do a Class 2 lorry driving course in a week if you already have a driving license. You also need to have a medical and pass a theory test. They are crying out for lorry drivers and taking anyone with a licence even without experience. You could earn £30k.

@Getabloominmoveon

Keep going. I was out of work for a while in my 50s, applied for lots of jobs, set up my own business in the end. Really felt down lots of times.

Then got offered the job of my life at 58 doing exactly what I love and am good at. 3 years in I'm almost the oldest in the team, but am well-regarded and earning a great salary. Not sure how long this will last (private sector, always precarious) so I am making the most of it.
Please don't give up. Botox your cv (nobody cares about 20 years ago), focus on your skills and what you love doing. There are jobs out there! Good luck.

I love the expression 'Botox your CV' but can I ask exactly what you mean by it?

A friend and I were just discussing this today as we are both recently qualified and looking for roles within the same field. We were talking about potential employers being put off by our age, and she said that she had left off university information (as the most obvious age signifier) and cut out a proportion of her work history specifically to head off any negative assumptions.

It hadn't occurred to me to do this. I know I'm up against a cohort of talented 30 somethings and am now wondering if this is the right approach?

Sorry for the derail, but I wondered if anyone had considered being less than up front about their age at the application stage?!

Thanks all. It is encouraging to hear success stories, it really is.

I have indeed 'Botoxed my CV' by using a skills-based format, rather than chronological. I have been self-employed for a long time, which I don't think is regarded very favourably, but I can't do anything about that.

Several of the application forms that I filled in asked for school qualifications and dates - even without dates, the fact that I did 'O' levels was a give away to my age!

I'm just about to start some voluntary work with a literacy charity - supporting children not doing so well in KS2 with reading and writing after school. Not sure that it will lead to anything job wise, but worthwhile.

Taking a different tack - lorry driving most certainly not for me, but the MSc I'm doing is something different with potential broad application. I do need a job role to continue it after the PGCert though, so it's unlikely that I'll be able to carry on even with funding myself etc which I'm pretty gutted about tbh.

I applied for 'long shot' jobs, didn't get an interview, fair enough. Also, jobs where I could have hit the ground running. Got interviews, but someone else always had more relevant skills and experience. Ditto, jobs in broadly a similar field, but not exactly what I've done.

One of the problems is that I don't have 'two years recent management experience' even for junior managerial roles. My management experience is 20 years ago. Obvs can't get two years experience without a job, and am clearly far too old and experienced for 'entry level' jobs (although I did apply for them too).

I am in my 50s and have been offered jobs in social care. I took one and have been happily doing it for 7 months. Totally different to what I did before. Part time, money not great but happy to be employed and feeling good about what I do.

I got a job in a field I hadn't worked in for a very long time by going to a recruitment day/event with a company. I had applied for jobs (not in that area) and got nowhere, I think it was easier to make an impression face-to-face than by CV.

Who are your employment references, OP? How do they know you?

I got job with new employer / new industry at age 51, wasn't that difficult, but I did have some useful skills and recent employer references.

My references are a colleague who used to be my manager who I still do some work with freelance - very highly regarded in her field.

An ex-colleague also well regarded.

There are also quite a few commissioners I've worked with for years who would be happy to provide recent reference.

Some freelance commissioners have contacted them before they've finalised my work with them (all good), but no employer has as I've wasn't offered any jobs.

Seriously though, how do you 'keep going?'

I've been up all night panicking and crying with the prospect of another year of putting myself out there to be rejected. I applied for some voluntary work in the field where I've worked for 20 years and didn't even get a call back/interview.

I'm on anti-depressants and HRT. See a therapist, exercise, try to keep busy etc ie do all the well-being stuff that I can.

But I honestly don't know how to 'keep going' when I'm already so depleted and beaten down by it all.

Realising that I'm not going to be able to continue my MSc without a job role is a bigger blow than I thought. Doing that has been interesting and a point of stability and I did have a vague idea that it 'might lead to something'.

Every thought I have - networking, careers coaching, applying for jobs, doing a course - is immediately followed by my memories of how I tried that and I still can't find a fecking job.

A lot of ppl do give up. Would be your decision. You shouldn't get depressed about it.

When I hadn't worked for 7+ years, the first paid job I got was minimum wage no skills, part-time, supply role. When I finally applied for (& got) a real job, it was at the same level as the first graduate entry jobs I had done 20 years earlier. One of my references was someone who ran voluntary group (Parent+toddler) & others were my (many years previous) colleagues.

It took me 2 yrs to get back to my previous seniority grade & ~6 yrs to get back to previous pay grade. I was fine with all that after changing fields & the long career break. Then (in my early 50s) I took a paycut & had a brief stint in an allied industry -- really informative when I got back to my usual industry.

Given the massive labour shortage, I'm surprised you can't get any work . Care homes around here would hire in an instant (no, I don't want to do that work either, but I'd consider it short term over nothing, or hospitality, or retail... ). It's easier to get a job when you have a job, and not obvious to me that you are applying very far down the food chain just to get your foot back in the conventional labour market.

Hi

Use good references, this is crucial. Focus on your skills, qualities and goals too. Make sure that you have a recent DBS check in case you want to work with kids or less able people of any age etc. Read a few career books to help speed up the entire application process. It will help.

Go to recruitment days and career events as well. Never lie on your CV either. Buff up your interview technique in some mock interviews and get feedback afterwards on your interview performance. Either in the form of a written report or a oral discussion.

Sign up onto LinkedIn and register with a few recruitment agencies in addition. Fill out all parts of the application form correctly and be prepared for all manner of questions at the interview. Believe me, interviewers love asking questions that really make you think.

Use Glassdoor site to research companies, you can find lots of company reviews on there. Plus you can even find interview advice and tips. Look at the company website on top of that.

Print out job descriptions. Also read and make some brief summary notes on the person specification. The assessment day website is another good source of information, begin there.

You are in my prayers. See if you can even manage to find a few job descriptions online and also borrow two or three good career books from a library.

Consider freelance work. Perhaps also consult with a career advisor, maybe they can help you to find work again. Remember sometimes, it is not what you know but who you know that ultimately matters when you are looking for work.

I was SE doing Consultancy for 15 Yeats before being tempted in-house last year aged 49
I am very lucky in that one of the main reasons they wanted me was my consultancy experience and approach and it’s a really good fit for the role. I earn less that I could consulting but I get paid holidays, sick days, health insurance etc and I know what I will earn as a minimum without having to look for clients
My boss said he had no idea of my age until he was filling in the forms for my health insurance but said he wasn’t interested anyway.

lljk I don't think I can go much further down the food chain that voluntary work or minimum wage/entry level admin jobs and what on earth does 'you shouldn't get depressed about it' mean?

I did social care work and retail many years ago and left because I was bored and, social care in particular, ended up being bad for my mental health.

Also, after many years of being the only family member around to co-ordinate care and support for my mum who died in December, I was hoping for a bit of a change from looking after other people.

I'm utterly emotionally drained and have been for a long time. Admin would be fine and help me get some confidence back, I think.

Thank you languagelover96. I have done everything that you suggest, including freelance work, but appreciate your kind words.

@Hoppinggreen

I was SE doing Consultancy for 15 Yeats before being tempted in-house last year aged 49 I am very lucky in that one of the main reasons they wanted me was my consultancy experience and approach and it’s a really good fit for the role. I earn less that I could consulting but I get paid holidays, sick days, health insurance etc and I know what I will earn as a minimum without having to look for clients My boss said he had no idea of my age until he was filling in the forms for my health insurance but said he wasn’t interested anyway.

That's the shift that I was hoping to make Hoppinggreen.

So many organisations remote working during the pandemic has certainly made networking much harder.

I’m of a similar age and background and was offered 2 roles last week. The age + self-employment has given me enormous confidence (zero fucks) and I’m been totally upfront about not being in “formal” employment for the last decade.

I’m making zero excuses and zero apologies for that and have basically said “I’ve needed to be there for my children and wasn’t able to dedicate myself to an external role”.

Everyone I’ve spoken to has been “wowed” at the self-employment bit - and as for not having 2 years recent managerial experience - I’d be rolling my eyes and asking who they think’s been running this —shit— show the last 2 years!?

PS for self-employed I use Director as my title - perhaps it helps my CV get past the box-tickers.