Ideas for job hunting at over 55

[ThatFlightyTemptressAdventure]

I’ve recently handed in my notice. I’m very aware that the job market is difficult, but my workplace has become extremely dysfunctional and my mental health has suffered for too long. We can manage on my DH’s salary if needed, but I don’t feel ready to retire yet.

It’s been a long time since I last looked for work, and I’d really welcome advice on how to approach this — particularly as I’m in my late 50s.

I’m a Finance Manager, mainly in small companies, so I’m used to being flexible and wearing multiple hats. Alongside finance, I’ve been involved in HR and office management, though I don’t have extensive experience of managing large teams. I’m also unsure how recruitment and roles differ in the public sector, as I’ve only worked in the private sector.

Ideally, I’d like to be part of a supportive team and to do work that makes other people’s jobs or lives easier in some way.

Any thoughts or tips would be very much appreciated.

Have you thought about working for a charity in a paid role? Charity Jobs UK is a good site. IME the only downside is some roles are fixed term subject to funding every 2-3 years but this may suit you? Often charities are recruiting for office managers, team leaders, finance officers. I work for a charity myself, the downside I mentioned is one of the only ones- often very rewarding environments.

Thanks, that sounds great. I would love to work for a charity and as you say I could take a fixed term contract. I’ll have a look at the website

Schools are crying out for Business / Finance Managers.

De age your CV, don’t put all the work history just last 15 years maybe? Hopefully you don’t look your age. Use AI/chat to help with CV, update linkedin and use linkedin to job hunt, start networking, contacting the people you know.

Good luck. I have good experience and found a job very quickly, early 50s. I was s bit worried too but landed a job very soon after I finished the other; quit due to politics and burnout but didn’t give all that information on the interviews.

I’m 55 and tentatively back on the job market after retiring from my main career. I’ve gone back onto LinkedIn primarily because I met someone at a retirement party ( not mine) who had set up his own company and was planning on recruiting this year. I would personally go through your own network and make contact with any of them who may be able to advance your cause. So much recruitment happens through personal contacts rather than responding to advertisements. That being said I have a little freelance training gig that earns me some money so I have no intention of leaping at anything just for moneys sake.

It’s difficult when they ask for qualifications and you have to add your O Levels (despite being degree educated).

Following out of interest...

My friend lists her O levels as GCSEs on her CV. I have GCSEs so it’s not an issue for me.

I was similar.

i found my place in the police. They don’t give a shit about age- in fact they regularly re employ retired officers and recent retirees to it’s not unusual to have. 60 year old chap who knows everything in an office with a bunch of 20-40 year olds.

they’re also pretty good with utilising existing skill sets- see above. One of the few organisations that appreciates people brining in experience from elsewhere

application is fairly straightforward too, it’s obviously done on skill criteria so once you get the format down accessing interviews is relatively easy.

add to that they’re huge, so there will be a job there somewhere.

age isn’t holding me back either. I’ve already had on promotion. My collegue is same age and going for a really big job as well.

Your age is irrelevant, your experience is. I’m late 50’s and never disclosed my age.
my last job was with the NHS. I have moved to the other end of the country and live in a more rural area, I now work part time in a coffee shop cafe. For the first time in years I have no pressure and actually enjoy chatting to customers and leaving the job at work at the end of the day.
Perhaps look at other jobs and go speak to an agency for ideas .
Well done for putting your MH first and giving your notice.

Second this, I work in admin side of schools and there is a real shortage of bursars/business managers

Why can’t you just put your degree?

i wouldn’t de-age your cv

when you turn up at interview your age will be will be clear and then there will be questions about cv gaps and why you’ve missed or manipulated your history.

be honest. Make the extensive experience a positive, don’t hide it.

Personally I want to be hired on my experience and skills anyway. If a company prefer to hire younger, less experienced candidates then I’m better off somewhere where they want what I bring to the role, not my age or lack of.

I'm not really familiar with your sector, but are their options to temp? Are there any agencies in your sector? I've heard of 'Office Angels'. I searched 'Finance manager, London' and 146 jobs came up!

It might give you the opportunity to work in a few different areas, companies and to know about up coming jobs. Different sector, but I did temp work for 15yrs. I loved the flexibility and got offered many jobs.

www.office-angels.com/

Thanks for all the ideas. I don’t put o’levels on my CV, just my degree but that is a minefield as that has changed name too. Plus my professional qualifications date me too.

It seems that some employers care and others don’t. I did ask AI to check my CV for any possible ageist traps and it suggested a couple of bits of rewording.

I will definitely look at schools and the police though. Thanks

Most job applications now involve filling out an online form, not just attaching a CV. They're annoying as hell.

Most jobs recruit using an AI platform now - so make sure you optimise your CV so it passes the initial AI sift.

Network on LinkedIn

Join Brave Starts. It's specifially geared towards older people. It's really affordable for the first year (about £40 I think). I found it really helpful when I took voluntary redundancy a couple of years ago (just before I turned 50). It really helped me evaluate my worth, and identify what sort of role I wanted. And helped me understand how the world of work is changing. (I have no affiliation with them, btw and first heard about them on here when I saw someone else recommend them). https://www.bravestarts.com/

Good luck OP!

I recently got what would be considered an entry level foot in the door role age 60 and the other new hire was 50. Both of us had kept 'current' i.e. still regularly learning new skills in our old roles or life in general. 30 years experience is irrelevant if you are in, say for example, a technology role, but 25 of those years cover technology that is now redundant. Make sure you brush up and highlight current skills in demand on your cv. I think this is something older job applicants sometimes fail to grasp.