Title: I’m too old to get a job
348
Message in a nutshell:
Version:
Expert 1 and Role:
Expert 2 and Role:
Presenter
Purpose:
Primary User Question:
Secondary User Questions:
Workflow:
GW write, NS edit
Over 25s
Dianne Bown Wilson
Sandy Warr
Help older people look at their age as a potential benefit, not a drawback
How can I get a job when (I think that) employers think I’m past it – or rather, I think I’m past it too?
How can I compete against young people?
Knowledge Summary

Age = experience

You can get a job
Attitude Change

You’re never too old to get a
job

But you may need to have
more flexible expectations
Action Plan

Think about my strengths not my previous job title!

Think about my broader options – what do I want to do?
Objective (knowledge/action)
Question/expert angle/notes
Information to be conveyed in the chapter
Intro and CH1
Scotch the myth that age is a barrier to
finding a job
Are you ever ‘too old’ to find a job?
CH2
Prove age isn’t a barrier to finding a job
using a case study
CH3
List the advantages older people may
have over younger employees
Talk to A4e client
CH4
Get to the real root of the issue: you
may not be too old, but you might be too
proud
Involve client success story in this
discussion – we need to move
older people to a less combative
mindset

In terms of employability, age is a state of mind. It’s a barrier only if you let it be

You are never ‘past-it’: Used correctly, your age is your greatest asset
[Give examples, e.g. B&Q – getting great results in customer service by employing older people]

It’s not a job for life anymore. People now have three, four, five or more careers over the course of their life and it’s
never too late to change

Client gives testimonial to their own achievements. Explain how they used their age and experience to get work, how
they did it, and which characteristics got them there
THIS CHAPTER WAS NEVER DONE IN THE ACTUAL STUDIO SHOOT
As a mature worker you have a wonderful array of weapons in your arsenal. These include:
o
Proven track record
o
Already trained up with a several skills
o
Lower risk of leaving paid work
o
More reliable and consistent than younger workers – appreciate the long haul
o
Greater sense of loyalty
o
A huge bank of ‘life experience’

However, you may have to re-appraise yourself and your skills and set new expectations:
o
Salary
o
Job title
o
Seniority/rank

It could be an ideal time to change direction:
o
Can you utilize a hobby or pastime?
o
Self-employment as a way to really benefit from your skills
o
Apply your life’s experience to a new sector?

You are never ‘past-it’: Used correctly, your age can be your strongest selling point

You may have to reset your expectations

Consider this an opportunity to change direction
Summary
What hope do I have of finding a
job when I’m competing with
younger people
Extra Research Notes
Objective (knowledge/action)
Research, thoughts and ideas
Intro and CH1
Scotch the myth that age is a barrier to finding a job

CH2
Prove age isn’t a barrier to finding a job using a case
study
CH3
List the advantages older people may have over younger
employees
CH4
Get to the real root of the issue: you may not be too old,
but you might be too proud
Examples of older success stories:
o
Colonel Sanders didn’t began his KFC franchise until he was in his sixties
o
James Alfred Wright, better known by his pen name James Herriot, wrote the successful
book series All Creatures Great and Small at 54 having been a veterinary surgeon all his
working life

Some useful supporting stats:
o
Our population is aging. In 20 years time, half of us will be 50+
o
More than three fifths of older workers say that they feel “as fit as ever”
o
Nearly one in ten 70-75 year olds still support their children financially
o
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is recommending away with the default
retirement age
24% of men and 64% of women plan to keep working beyond the state pension age
Example to demonstrate it’s never too late to change direction:
Ricky Tomlinson was a trained and qualified plasterer by trade; he worked on various building sites for
many years before becoming actively involved in politics. It wasn’t until he was in his early 40s that he
began acting