‘I really feel invisible’: over-50s reveal harsh realities of attempting to get a job | Work & careers
Hundreds of job purposes, exhausting searches and relentless rejection – the expertise of making an attempt to get again into the workforce after dropping their jobs of their 50s and 60s has proved an ordeal for some Britons.
For some, these efforts show fruitless and lead jobseekers to reluctantly take early retirement. Others might need to depend on advantages to pay the payments whereas they proceed to job hunt.
Recent research by the Centre for Ageing Better discovered that the variety of folks between 50 and state pension age having issue discovering work was 918,000 – akin to the variety of young people not in education, employment or training – on the finish of final 12 months, the very best since 2020. The depend was 2.9 million when together with these with long-term well being circumstances and caring tasks.
The Guardian requested folks over 50 to get in contact and share their experiences of attempting to return to work.
‘I can’t discover a means out of this case’
James, 59, who lives in south-west England, misplaced his job two years in the past and, since then, has had “eight interviews from 598 job purposes”.
“It has been horrible … and really traumatic,” he says. “I’ve each utility listed in an Excel file, none of which have been profitable for the roles marketed, although I did handle to get another objects of labor on account of them. Overall I’ve been barely employed, maybe severely underemployed, for 2 years, and I can’t discover a means out of this case.”
James, who has labored in global growth, says when he was making use of for jobs within the early 2020s he was getting “an interview each 15 or 20 purposes” however now “it’s about one per 80 purposes”.
At the second, he’s scraping by with occasional modifying for organisations in his sector and a little bit of freelance writing for {a magazine}.
“It’s tiny, but it surely’s one thing,” he says. “I’ve additionally been residing at a relative’s home, who very kindly has stated I don’t must contribute to prices there in the intervening time, however I depend on my financial savings once I want them.”
He says job utility suggestions is “by no means shared, so I’ve no grasp of why I fail”.
He provides: “I do surprise if age is a matter. Perhaps firms assume a youthful particular person will likely be extra versatile, extra succesful, and so they can mould them into their explicit means of working. The solely factor to do is to persevere and hope.”
‘Looking for a job is at occasions more durable than really doing a job’
Sally*, 52, who has labored within the charity sector and lives in Birmingham, says she has utilized for “greater than 100 roles” however “nonetheless no bites”.
She has had 17 interviews up to now 10 months and has been perplexed by quick rejections for jobs for which she appeared effectively suited.
“I’ve utilized for decrease and better degree roles, for temp and part-time ones, some outdoors my area however the place I really feel my abilities can convey worth, and a few roles that I don’t really need however am determined,” she stated. “I’ve had quick noes for roles that look like written for me and have had interviews for roles which I utilized for as a protracted shot. It’s powerful on the market.”
Sally, who’s in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance, provides: “Looking for a job is at occasions more durable than really doing a job – to not point out the affect in your vanity, pocket, and relationships.”
She just isn’t positive if age is an element however feels it may very well be “a part of the combination”.
“I’ve questioned if assumptions are made, if there’s maybe a bias at play, is there an underlying feeling of risk? But I’ve to cease myself from happening that highway. It received’t assist my sense of self, because it’s one thing I can’t change.”
‘After three years of trying, I deserted my search and retired’
David*, 66, who has labored in IT for 35 years, says he had hoped to seek out work after he was made redundant in early 2020, however after three years of trying he simply couldn’t discover a job.
“After redundancy I used the Covid-19 interval to plan my retirement and transfer home,” he says. “In 2021 I began to search for a brand new job.”
While David, who lives within the north-east of England, knew his IT expertise was “old-fashioned”, he says he was content material to search for “part-time or momentary or minimum-wage jobs or zero-hours contracts”.
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“I partly anticipated I might get a job stacking cabinets in a grocery store,” he says.
However, he discovered the job market a lot more durable than anticipated.
“In 2024, I deserted the try and retired,” he says. “I had utilized to all of the supermarkets and by no means bought a response.”
He says he utilized to at least one well-known retailer solely to see its chair on TV “complaining about how troublesome it was to seek out workers as a result of Brexit deal”.
‘As a fiftysomething lady, I really feel invisible within the office and in public life’
In 2022, Liz, 51, took a six-month profession break to take care of her dying father.
She returned to the office in 2023; first, she took a part-time interim management function which was maternity cowl. After that, she took a “fairly junior function”, pondering it could “tide her over” till she secured a extra senior place.
But now, greater than two years on, she remains to be in the identical job regardless of making use of for different roles.
“I’ve utilized for greater than 100 jobs and solely obtained a handful of interviews,” says Liz, who works in schooling and lives in London. “I feel it’s my age but additionally my gender. My fear is that I received’t have the ability to return to a senior place. I really feel exhausted and deflated by the entire job-hunting expertise.
“I really feel like I’m being deskilled. But I’m not alone – a lot of my feminine pals who’re across the similar age as me are experiencing comparable points, and I additionally realise there are folks not capable of finding any employment in any respect.”
She says that originally she thought her lack of success in interviews was solely all the way down to her personal shortcomings.
“I assumed, effectively, there have to be one thing incorrect with me, with my profile, with what I’m saying, with how I’m interviewing. You do the soul looking.”
She remembers how simply earlier than one interview with a charity she was approached by an interview panel member who requested her: “Do you at all times gown so formally?”
“I felt it was a really private reference to my age, and this clear bias made its means as the rationale to not rent me,” she says. “I’ve labored with younger folks my complete profession. At one other charity, the suggestions was that I lacked ‘presence’. What can I do with that?”
She provides: “There are numerous folks like me within the sector I’m making use of for, so it signifies that employers have the choose. I really feel invisible within the office and in public life as a fiftysomething lady. I simply really feel like expertise isn’t valued any extra.”
* Names have been modified
