'Age is just a number.' A wonderful retort from a teenager who senses her parents’ disapproval when she tells them how many years older her new boyfriend is. Age doesn’t matter when you are in love. But people over 40 will agree that age on the labour market can play a greater role after each birthday. As an applicant, your age is a factor and certainly not 'just a number.'
"A poll by resume.io/uk shows that half of people over 40 have sensed that they experienced age discrimination during the application process. This was most often the case when applying by email or telephone at another company (54%), or during a job interview at another company (48%). They were less likely to suspect age discrimination during an internal job application or promotion (28%)."
Research by WerkLabs and The Mom Project found that 75% of 700 over-40s in their survey experienced being labelled 'old' when applying for a job at some point. The spectre of ageism occurs at all stages of the hiring process:
Age discrimination is common. Without justification, as over the years various studies have shown that older employees perform the same or better than younger employees. People over 55 can use the same technologies as their colleagues between 18 and 35 years old. In addition, they are more stable in their performance and levels of absenteeism are lower.
Unfortunately, being good at your job does not prevent age discrimination. That is why postdoc researcher Jelle Lössbroek from Utrecht University advises a mixed selection committee. His research showed that managers who are over 50 themselves discriminate less on age than younger managers.
Like any form of discrimination, age discrimination in the UK is prohibited – the Equality Act of 2010 came into force in 2012 and contains some far reaching provisions. Many have won such age discrimination cases, yet it remains difficult to prove. So, if you are a professional over the age of 50, what can you do yourself to minimise the potential bias? Below we offer plenty of tips for applying after the age of 50.
The above studies make it clear that as an older employee you usually have no advantage when applying for a job. To become the teacher’s pet, you will have to pay extra attention to your homework. Perfect preparation for the application process is even more important for people over 50.
And that application process already starts when you still have a job. Life is unpredictable. You don't always know long in advance that you need to look for another job. That is why it is wise to make certain preparations in case 'later' suddenly turns out to be 'today'.
If you are actively looking for a job, then naturally you do not want to be rejected because of your age. You can avoid age discrimination when you apply with a resume that does not show your age. Omit your date of birth, remove graduation dates, and do not mention your first few years of work experience. The last 15-20 or so years will be fine. In that case, age does not come into the equation.
As far as we are concerned, hiding your age is therefore not an ideal solution.
Be open about your age. Embrace your seniority and provide a convincing CV that shows that you are enthusiastic, energetic, eager to learn, involved and experienced.
If it's been a while since you last applied, your CV needs extra attention. With these tips, your CV will be completely up-to-date again and you will present yourself optimally:
Have you landed an invitation to a job interview with a compelling CV? Get ready for questions that are directly or indirectly related to your age. The employer may have some concerns and prejudices about your age. Make sure you can explain in detail why your extra years of experience are an advantage in the workplace. Remove prejudices about your eagerness to learn, salary requirements, software knowledge and work pace. Focus on:
Experience: With years of work experience in your locker, you have seen many office trends come and go. You know what works and what doesn't, you aren’t easily misled and work with a quiet confidence.
Involvement: You now have a picture of what kind of organization suits you and which tasks you do well. You are committed and like to work for a higher purpose.
Stability: There is a good chance that as a person over 50 you have a stable home situation, that the hectic pace of a young family is behind you and that you have more self-knowledge than twenty years ago. That makes you the stable presence in a young team.
Productivity: Plenty of work experience makes it easier for you to perform certain tasks and take on new tasks more easily. You have mastered the subject matter, have seen it all, and you know how to solve unforeseen problems. That boosts your productivity.
Loyalty: Where young employees like to have a job-hopping career, you are a loyal employee. You don't change jobs for the slightest reason, and you try to get the most out of your position, getting going when things get tough.
Broad employability: As a person over 50, you have usually held various jobs and positions. This means that you possess a lot of knowledge in different business processes. That is why you can help colleagues with their tasks when they are busy or intervene in the event of illness. In short, you are a great person to have around.
The Equality Act of 2012 is clear in its aim to make the rules around age discrimination: transparent, accountable, proportionate, consistent and targeted. There is an objective justification test that is set in law and that many age discrimination cases refer to in terms of thei vailidity.
Age UK offers a wide range of advice and support around age-related discrimination in the workplace and in the job seeking sector. While employers can still make a decision based in your age if it is objectively justified and proportionate, employers cannot force an employee to retire and they cannot allow a hiring decision to be unduly influenced.
The UK government also offers a programme of assistance for job seekers who are over 50+ and the JobCentre Plus is always a useful source of information.
Job adverts should not discriminate about age, you should not be asked about your health or previous sickness record during an interview.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against, the Equality and Advisory Service will help you to understand the next steps. Acas also offers a wealth of advice and support that will help you to understand your rights.
The CIPD has published an excellent guide to employment rights for the older worker, including age discrimination and retirement.
More and more people continue to work well into their retirement period. They like to have a daily rhythm, structure in their days, to stay among people, to share their knowledge and to keep making themselves useful.
After reaching retirement age, this group often continues to work for the employer where they have been active for many years. In addition to their wages, they will also receive retirement benefits and any additional employee pension. It is also possible to postpone the payment of extra pension. More information about pensions can be found on the UK government pensions page.
Are you over 65 and do you want to get back to work? Nowadays there are plenty of job boards especially for the elderly. For example:
You've been applying for a job for a while, but with no luck. Time to broaden your horizons and give your job hunt a boost in the right direction. It is important that you do not sit still, because employers mainly look at what you have done in the past three years. If you were unemployed during that period, that does not create a good impression. Therefore, make sure that you stay busy, for example with training, voluntary work or an internship. Our tips:
And finally: Keep networking. Many senior positions are not listed on company websites but are instead shared only internally or through networking, so make sure your network knows you're looking for a job and profile yourself as a job seeker. Good luck!
Read more about ageism and applying for jobs over 50: