Comments on: Career Workshop: Too Experienced

By: Lesley b

Lesley b — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 08:02:08 +0000

Hi,

Im on a social worker ma course and im not enjoying, have tried for another jb but all I can get is in a nursing home wiping old peoples bums – anyone thought about that for a job.

Good Luck all

By: Rich G

Rich G — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:44:39 +0000

I’m in the same boat too. Spent 10 years doing post-doctoral research as a scientist. Job agencies won’t touch me – say ‘You’re a scientist’ / ‘You’ve got a PhD – you’ll just leave when you find something better’ (who wouldn’t?!) etc etc

Already doing what Michelle suggests – have had a couple of two month admin work contracts (found through contacts NOT agencies) but have been out of long-term work for three years now.

Hope all you guys have luck finding something.

By: Sheila Kavanagh

Sheila Kavanagh — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:59:41 +0000

I just came across this website by accident.
I leave in the U.S, close to New York City.
I certainly agree with you. I am 60 years old and looking for a new job. I have a 2 years degree which I got at night school (Associate Degree), not a 4 years degree (Bachelors Degree). All advertised jobs ask for a Bachelors Degree. As you said, when I graduated, not everyone went on to college,. In the U.S. today, I would say about 60% of students now go on to college. However, I have years of experience and my resume is probably passed over because I do not have a 4 year degree.

By: Pam

Pam — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:37:14 +0000

It’s not only mature job seekers having trouble: I am a twenty-five year old with two degrees and nine years experience as editor-in-chief of a magazine (yes, really). I have too much experience for every entry-level or graduate job i’ve gone for, and they don’t seem to know what to do with me because if I am qualified for the job, they’re looking for someone older.

I’m not the only person my age experiencing this: this climate does not know what to do with young, over-qualified graduates. Many of us are not inexperienced — we try to get ahead by taking as much work and voluntary experience as possible, we start projects and small businesses, but it doesn’t seem to count because this ageist society can’t seem to square youth with ability.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:14:06 +0000

I left school in 1969 with no qualifications and have spent most of my working life as a receptionist – took time off to do a history degree in my 40s & look after my family. I have now just been made redundant and have come up against the age thing given my chosen profession. Receptionist do not just sit around these days they need to be multi skilled and I am well within that sphere however, at 55 I am now invisible even though I do not look my age one look at the my dates on the CV & I don’t even get to 1st base. So this country is going to lose a lot of skilled experienced baby boomers in the job market if employers are not careful.

By: Doug X

Doug X — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:39:33 +0000

I think you miss the point – why bother going to school to learn soft skills like reading and writing or hard skills like work experience when 16 year olds ultimately decide your fate based on no experience or knowledge of the subject apart from “saleasmanship” ?

What happened to “education, education, education “(sic) , or is that left to bankers with no soft banking qualifications just true grit(or greed).

By: Doug J

Doug J — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:25:50 +0000

Does asking for a degree for the most mundane of vacancies smack of ageism?
The reason I ask this is because I am 54 years of age. When my generation left secondary education, only 4% went on to university. This compares to 40% of today’s school leavers taking up a university education. The point I am making is we have unemployed 50+ year olds with tremendous experience and “soft skills” who have worked at high levels, but no degree equates to old git!

By: Douglas Bain

Douglas Bain — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:23:32 +0000

I have a 1st Class Honours degree in Computer Science and a PhD in Computational Mathematics from a well respected technological University in the UK, I have worked in IT for 30years.

A recruiter from one of the largest IT recruitment agencies advised me that “we no longer recognise academic qualifications as they are easily purchased over the internet”.

On enquiring about the recruiters’ backgrouund I found she had no formal qualifications at all but had gone to an English speaking school in the Middle East until 16 years old.

Is this some form of ageism as 8 years tertiary education plus 30 years experience is a real giveaway of age?

By: Barry Robinson

Barry Robinson — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:49:45 +0000

Not really advice, just my story that might help people with some ideas.

Having been made redundant back in January for the second time in 8 months, I let myself slip into the hole of despair like many others in a similar position. I had been made redundant 3 time before this but had never been unemployed as I always left on a Friday and started a new job the following Monday. Now at 53 and from middle management in retail I am for all intent and purposes it seems unemployable. For six months I managed to only get one interview which I can only assume was on the bases of being seen not to be ageist. I had been sending out CV’s and applications to the tune of 20 or so a week. I joined many web sites all to no avail. The real pain was only 1 in 50 would even bother to reply so I could not get any useful feedback.
In June when Job Seekers ran out and we could not get any other benefits as my wife was earning full time money, I ate humble pie and visited some old employers to sound out for any possible positions current or up coming. I had always worked on the principle like many that you don’t go back. Now although this has not been fully successful it did however secure me a 20 hour a week part time position as an advisor.
This seems to have helped me in 2 ways, first I have a new confidence which has helped me be more positive. Also in job applications I now show the prospective employer I have the willingness to adapt I now get far more responses from applications giving me feedback. I feel far more confident about the future and my part in it to the point that I am now looking at setting up a small home business to complement my part time work.

By: embo

embo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:00:17 +0000

wow so many in the same overloaded boat, i,ve been out of work since March 09,im a maintenance engineer with 32 years experience in an fmcg enviroment and finding it really tough out there.i’ve found that the recruiters don’t have the decency to reply to applications if your unsuccessfull so your left wondering.the job centre look at you with blank expressions because they don’t have the answers and most of the advice is normally what we try.
most of my time is spent looking around the internet ,so now it’s another daily chore, i’ve tried taking my experience abroad but even that seems a minefield to juggle as well, if any of you are doing the same a word of warning, there are people who will email you stating you have been successfull and want all your details -scammers– be aware if you apply to large companies you will always find that the email will have the companies name in the address(usually) and not some other form they are after your details so to forge papers to gain entry to this country, they especially ask for passport details never give it out! if they are a true recruiter that will be the last thing they ask for and not the first