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I was made redundant from my position as a driving examiiner with SGS Ireland in Nov along with 90 or so of my collegues.
I have since lost count of the amount of jobs I've applied for and to date have not yet received a single response to these applications.
A friend of mine related an incident to me the other day which might explain it.The company he works for had a vacancy for a general manager in one of their stores. They contacted and advertised with some employment agencies. One of these agencies called the HR manager to discuss the details of the position. At the end of the conversation the agent said "I suppose you obviously won't be interested in interviewing anyone over 40". The HR manager said yes of course they would. To which the agent replied "Oh, right, well in that case I have a few candidates for you".
Sean, I'm 45. Does this attitude prevail amoungst all agencies out there? If so, am I then looking at the possibility of never working again. Am I washed up at 45. Surely someone of my age has a huge advantage of experience, both in life and work, over the graduate or twenty something just out of college. Should I get real and start loooking for my retirement home now or should I keep looking? Hmmm, I wonder.
Quote: One of these agencies called the HR manager to discuss the details of the position. At the end of the conversation the agent said "I suppose you obviously won't be interested in interviewing anyone over 40".
Thats very naughty. You dont have to put your age on your CV though, your experience relevant to the job should be most important and if age is brought into question then that could be discrimination.
There is discrimination legislation to prevent this very thing. As an employer people of different ages have different attributes. Lets be honest a 45 year old is not likely to win a sprint race against a 20 years younger version of themselves.
but the person in their mid 40's may well have a different outlook on life, also they may well be more loyal, desiring stability for families etc. As an employer it is good to have a mix of people attitudes and ages etc.
There is no way you are over the hill in your 40's, as you say you have experience etc. But also there are times, when you just have to sight, and accept that you are back to square one, but use your strengths to get up the greasy pole quicker.
I've felt for a while now that I get no joy applying for jobs through agencies. I definitely get a better response when applying direct. The hard part is working out who's recruiting.
An opportunity to set up on your own ?
Quote: An opportunity to set up on your own ?
Exactly right! As an examiner you must be qualified for instructing? Or if there's another hobby you have that you could turn into an earner? Don't give up looking for a job, but also don't give up on yourself - you have plenty to offer, just find that one thing that sparks.
Quote: There is nothing compelling you to put a date of birth or age on a CV!
I don't have my DOB on the cv but its an easy thing to work out by dates of previous jobs.
Quote: Lets be honest a 45 year old is not likely to win a sprint race against a 20 years younger version of themselves..
Actually I just might. I keep myself in shape. Looking at the state of some 20 somethings I'm glad I did.
Quote: An opportunity to set up on your own ?Exactly right! As an examiner you must be qualified for instructing? Or if there's another hobby you have that you could turn into an earner? Don't give up looking for a job, but also don't give up on yourself - you have plenty to offer, just find that one thing that sparks.
I have been doing a bit of instructing. Not a huge amount of business out there at the moment.
I would never give up on myself. Wouldn't take much for me to give up on this kip of a country though. Corruption, corruption, corruption.
At the moment it is quite likely to be nothing (or very little) to do with your age. The more people who are made redundant the more compeition there will be for every job. I decided last July to can the business and look for a permanent job.
I have 30 years experience in IT, much of it in senior roles, but it took me 6 months and about 90 applications to find something.
I asked an agency if it was an age thing (which by the way is illegal these days) and they told me it was simply that employers could afford to insist on the most specific of requirements, eg you must have PS CS3 or above, CS2 would not be suitable.
The only advice I can offer is keep plugging away and don't get disheartened. It only takes one company to give you an interview and then it is down to you.
Ian
Quote: Too old at 45?
When I was 45 ('92), I learned that it was WHO you knew rather than WHAT you knew that REALLY counted - especially in High Tech Industries and Information Technology in particular.
Quote: Quote:Too old at 45?When I was 45 ('92), I learned that it was WHO you knew rather than WHAT you knew that REALLY counted - especially in High Tech Industries and Information Technology in particular.
Actually, if you think about it, thats part of the problem.
Contemplating voluntary redundancy, I saw a consultant.
She did emphasise, whether you look for work or start a business, networking is what counts. Its your contacts that get you going, and provide feedback on what opportunities are available, what line of work is doing best, and what is not worth considering.
I would not think that is age related.
However I'm not sure how that affects a driving examiner.
It depends perhaps on what you're looking for.
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