Want to moan no advice needed

[MunterJobHunter]

After becoming disabled with a chronic illness 17 years ago and losing my job, I decided to study a humanities degree and masters to show that I didn’t sit back do nothing with my time while ill. I got fantastic grades but they mean nothing in the real world. Academia isn’t an option any further.

I’m 49, starting anew and getting nowhere with job applications. I volunteer three days a week for current references and to prove to myself I am still valuable to someone and I’m not asking for adjustments at work but do have restrictions because of family responsibilities on evening and weekend work. My condition is now well managed and in remission.

Under the guidance of friends who are a professional HR director and careers guidance staff, I have sent off hundreds of applications to all manners of jobs including graduate entry and graduate training schemes since leaving university in 2024. I’ve applied to basic admin, retail and hospitality. I have cvs that include my studies and cvs that don’t in case I appear over qualified. I’m getting nowhere. I accept this may be my future as I’m older and technically disabled.

I’m really really worried about not having a pension. My pension from previous working before getting sick will give me a hefty £4-£6 a month. I’m so sad. I don’t look old, I don’t feel old, my training is as current and as up to date as my 25 year old peers, I just don’t have youth on my side but I have life experience, maturity and loyalty.

now I’m not really looking for career advice. I’ve had that until it’s coming out my ears. I just want to moan about how hard it is to start again as an older woman, even when I don’t consider myself an older woman yet. I have potentially 20 years of career ahead of me. Why does that rule me out compared to someone likely to move on in a few years?

Oooft. That sounds brutal.

I suspect a chunk of it might come down to people doing the recruiting being lazy. The traditional candidate is easy for them to recognise and understand how would work with their organisation. So they pick them.

The unusual candidate needs more brain power from the manager to see the potential of. Even when that potential is higher.

I sympathise, it’s so disheartening to have done all that work and feel nowhere wants you.
All I would say is this isn’t an age thing and you certainly aren’t alone. The job market for graduates is terrible at the moment. There’s basically far too many graduates for the number of jobs available at that level.

Thanks you!

I’m not just applying to graduate roles as as I need money so it’s pretty much anything. The only thing I can’t actively do is caring work so it’s the only thing I haven’t applied for.

All gaps in work are accounted for so my illness isn’t something I even need to raise as an issue if I ever get to interview. The only interview I had has been where they didn’t ask for a date of birth /age on application and they asked me about my age at interview (mentioned I was older than all their other applicants- yes I know that’s bad taste at best illegal at worst).

It just seems so unfair that I’ve worked so hard through severe illness to a place of remission and wellness and I can’t find work.

I'm sorry to read what you are going through. I think the job market is especially dire at the moment and lots of people ( including professional people with recent work experience) are being made redundant. I will be losing my job in a few months and know it's going to be extremely hard to find anything else and I have never been out of work in 40 years so can't imagine how hard it is for people with big gaps in employment history.

Remove your age from your CV and other stuff that identifies your age. Don't put start and end dates on your schooling.

Age discrimination particularly against women is huge.

That was the first thing I did with my CV at the insistence of my HR friend. Unfortunately so many places have online preforms that do ask for this kind of information and short of lying I don’t really know what to do in that instance. Even LinkedIn recruiters end up wanting you to fill out their forms after seeing my cv. It’s like it’s designed to keep me out

One way in can be volunteering in a loosely connected area. Otherwise yes, it's not great.

You haven’t by any chance got a date of birth you could mix up two digits in do you?

Y’know, as a typo.