Are We Written Off At 55 plus ?

Googlewhacker

I think you will find age discrimination will actually lessen now that employees cannot be forced to retire and the common knowledge that a large % of staff will want to carry on working after 65.

I have a guy who is nearly 80 working for me, definately one of the harder working of my staff.

inmypocketnottheirs

I am in my late 40's and recently made a move for various different reasons back into paid employment after 17 years of self employment.

My experience at having found work at the back end of last year was that I was often being interviewed by people in their 30's who cleared viewed my experience and work ethic as a threat to their own position.

My advice would be to firstly remove your date of birth from your CV, and secondly to only go back say 20 years maximum of work experience. Condense your CV down to two sides maximum, removing any reference to age, children and marital status, as all of these factors are irrelevant to your ability to do the job.

HTH

BodyElectric

stephyt23 wrote: »

On almost every application form I've filled in it's asked for it on the equal opportunities monitoring form. .

You are under no obligation to complete that section. I never would.

Tempus_Fugit_2

What a great forum this is. Thanks everyone for your observations and the practical suggestions.

Cheers :beer:

Tempus_Fugit_2

dark_lady wrote: »

Panorama are doing a programme about this very subject next Monday (unless the topic gets changed between now and then because something happens in the news) The programme will be focusing on the over fifties. I saw it advertised on BBC1 last night while waiting for Waking the Dead.

Thanks for the info, I will watch this one with interest.

ceridwen

Mrs_Money wrote: »

Well, I can't speak for how the Job Centre treats over 55s - but I have a shrewd idea that in most of my recent applications for jobs I have been descriminated against on the grounds of age (I'm 57) - of course, there's no way I can ever prove that!

I think I (and a lot of other women) am going to have even more problems as the state pensionable age for women is gradually put up. I'm on a sliding scale process which gives my State Pension age as 63 years and 2 months. If further changes in the pension rules go ahead, this is now due to be futher delayed until I am almost 64.

My point is, if a potential employer sees my DOB on an application form (and they don't know about or understand the pension changes) they are likely to mistakenly think that (as a woman) I will be retiring at 60 and dismiss my application as not worth considering for 2 years work! Trouble is, I am part-time at the moment and need more hours which probably means a different job - as I've got 6 years to go before receiving my pension.

I don't like to generalise, but, many interview panels seem to be made up of males in their 40s - who may have no knowledge about new pension rules for women.

To go back to the above post - I would hope that experience should count for something with the Job centres - you are highly likely to be more qualified, experienced and work-oriented than some younger people.

I would tend to disagree with that. My feeling is that employers will treat job applicants in the 55+ agegroup exactly the same - regardless of sex they are - ie they will expect them to be retiring at 65 either way. Personally - if I were on the interviewing end - I would ask applicants (of either sex) at interview at what age they intended to retire and expect that it may or may not equate to their State Pension Age either way.

There are, after all, the occasional people who either like the type of work they do so much on the one hand or are so hard-up for money on the other hand that they simply won't be influenced in their retirement age decision by when their State Pension Age falls due iyswim. We're not all chomping at the bit to get out as soon as the State Pension starts being paid AND can afford to do so.

************************

Where I DO expect there would be a difference in attitude is with Jobcentre staff. Jobcentre staff know that a lot of people who are made redundant in that agegroup don't actually want to get a job again and would regard themselves as being "early retired" really - rather than unemployed. This group of people will "go through the motions" to "be actively seeking work" in order to make sure the benefit money is paid until such time as their pension starts and will not expect to be harassed by Jobcentre staff (the attitude will be "Read between the lines - and leave me alone"). There will be the other group of redundant people in that agegroup on the other hand who WILL genuinely be seeking another job and they will expect whatever genuine help they can get from Jobcentre staff with this on the other hand.

It must be difficult for Jobcentre staff to tell the difference between the two groups sometimes and leave the first group alone and not bother them BUT actively genuinely help the second group. Either way - they might get it wrong.

Personally - if I were made redundant I would be in Group 1 (ie the "leave me alone - I'll go through the motions and do NOT harass me" group) - as I would be regarding myself as "early retired" - but having to sign on to get my income until the pension started.

I think one can sympathise with someone in either group if they get treated as if they are in the "other" group.

Caroline_a

I thought the same. I'm currently under redundancy consultation, so nothing definite yet, but to pre-empt I applied for 8 jobs last Friday. Since then I have had 2 interviews, waiting for details of another and have another 2 interviews today! I don't think I've ever been so popular! so don't assume that over 55 is over the hill!

Jowo_2

Tempus_Fugit wrote: »

...
I was wondering if posters have found that people of my age (57) are really `written off` in terms of the jobs market ?.

My folks held numerous jobs right up to state retirement age and beyond. My dad still does seasonal work, marking exams. He gets called back by the company a few times a year.

This included both of them finding employment from scratch when they moved closer to their grandchildren in an area that is economically depressed when they were in their late 50s/early 60s.

There, my mother was made redundant when the shop closed down and still managed to bag another job in another part of the retail park fairly soon after. She worked for them past state retirement age and they were happy for her to continue. My father's organisatiion closed their branch down where he was temping for the civil service and again he just hopped onto another job in the local area, which he then gave up in favour of a third position.

So if my folks could manage it in an area where there's stiff competition for job opportunities, I think this should be heartening. I never heard them complain about age discrimination but I do recall them saying how they noticed very less jobs advertised in their new area compared to down south.

aylesby

At 55 my last permanent job made me redundant and I need still to work until at least 63.
By 60 I have had four temporary jobs of 2, 9, 9, and 23 months so I work about two thirds of the time. No one will consider me for a permanent post in corporate finance because of my age and their succession planning.
All my work comes through agencies and recommendations. The younger agents do discriminate on age because that’s what their clients want. I enjoy more free time but I cannot control when it will be and the fluctuating salary causes chaos with my three kids Student Finance awards.

Timalay

You never know OP this could a turning point for your dream job. My dad was a self employed plumber aged 57, and after a year of having little to no work, he managed to get his dream job (working as a technician on a plumbing course at a nearby college).