Am I being unreasonable?

[Ilovechips123]

Can anyone tell me where I am going wrong? I am 57 years old. I have worked most of my life NHS/education sector admin. The only time I have had off is when I had my children. In 40 years I have had 2 weeks sick leave in total. I have always made any time up, never late, etc, etc.
I left a job of 16 years I loved last year due to a terrible toxic management. I couldn't bear the way staff were being treated. However, my new job hasn't turned out what I thought it would be. I have tried hard for 7 months to make it work but I just don't enjoy it. Colleagues are okay but its just not right for me.
I have been to 12 interviews now and not got any of them apart from one offer just above the minimum wage!
Am I being selected for interview as the "random old bird" that we need to ensure we are covering all the workforce in the selection criteria? I come across well, happy, well dressed, look after myself well but I find each rejection is now bringing me down so much. The interviews seem to go well with comments such as "that's a great answer!". Am I fooling myself applying for these jobs? Am I shortlisted because I fit the criteria but they are more likely to recruit a younger candidate. Its so hard to get time off to go to interviews because I work in a school
I feel demoralized and will only be offered jobs around the minimum wage now. I have battled most of my life keeping my depression under control and not letting it affect my work but this is really getting me down. Has anyone else had this problem and if so what did you do?
Thanks for listening.

I am sure you are being selected on merit rather than as a token older person, so stop worrying about that aspect of it.
I am mid 50s and I do think there is age discrimination in the selection process, but the upside is you only need to find one job.

Is there any way you can bring more joy into your life as it is currently? It sounds like your job isn’t awful and perhaps focusing on things outside of work - whilst continuing to see what’s available - may bring you greater contentment.

Just keep going. You will find a job that is a better fit. Worth remembering also that the NHS has recruitment freezes almost everywhere at the moment plus NHSE being 'abolished' so very likely that if you are looking for NHS roles you are up against a huge amount of candidates.

@Motnight @rookiemere
Thank you both. I get my heart set on the job, do my research and I know that I could give so much to the job that its disheartening!

@Mummydays87 Thank you. That is a really kind thing to say and just what i needed right now!

Where I live I keep seeing jobs going to people of your age - for the majority of your age group your kids are grown up so you won’t need to be taking time off for school stuff and sick kids. Your age group are more flexible on hours and shifts because you don’t have to fit them around the family. All the admin staff are DC school are over 55 with grown up kids. I never see a member of staff under 50 working in my local Asda in the daytime. My food shop is always delivered by an older person.

Keep applying and research and practise your interview skills.

The job market is pretty dire right now. I'm job hunting for the first time in 15+ years having taken voluntary redundancy last year (from a well paid job) and then doing a Masters in an effort to career change (my previous sector is dying/ dead and there are no jobs at all doing what I used to do). I am finding the process absolutely soul destroying. I either don't have the right experience and/or the job is so low paid I couldn't afford to live on it (I'm 50, 2 kids still at school, husband works freelance in an unpredictable industry that is being decimated by AI). I'm beginning to seriously panic about finding another job, losing our home, etc etc.

It's great that you're getting interviews, that means you're doing something (a lot) right. Have you had feedback from the interviews? If not, I'd request it. It may simply be that there is a better candidate, rather than there being anything 'wrong' with you.

Surely after 40 years service at NHS you must have a cracking pension?

I'd be heading down the retired/semi retired route in your shoes.

It’s tough, the job market is hard right now.

im in my 50s and it was hard the last time I was looking, and I’m sure there is an element of some places looking for younger people, but I’m recruiting in my team right now and have just appointed a couple of people, both women in their late 50s. They were the best qualified, most experienced, and best fit so their age wasn’t a factor.

there are jobs out there and there are organisations that don’t care how old you are, just how good you are

Can you ask for feedback on why you didn’t get the job? Not in an aggressive way, of course, but in a “it would be very helpful for me in my ongoing job hunt if you would be willing to take a few minutes to give me feedback on my application and interview and why I was not successful”. As all PP have said, the market is really tough so don’t take it personally or think you are doing anything wrong, but if you could get any tips to move you from high up the list to top of the list, you should take them.

Dear All,
Thank you for all your comments. Its been really encouraging to have some support. I still feel rubbish tbh but I need to be realistic that the job market is different to when I was last looking. I'm 58 years old and looking for a new job! I just wish I hadn't left my last employment. I should have shut up and stuck it out.

@noidea69 Sadly I have 2 more years before I can take part of my NHS pension and the rest at 65. TBH its not great because I wasn't particularly earning an amazing salary!

It’s hard. I got rejected for a job as not enough experience
it was a min wage call centre one
I have worked for 19 years in call centres

@cordeliabuffy I'm sorry. That must make you so mad.

Have a look at Brave Starts.