Told I am too old to find a new job

Is it possible for you to become self employed? I am now in my seventies and have been self employed since I was 57. My only regret is not doing it years earlier.

What do you do, varian? nosy

Hilary Clinton is 68! As you understand HR you would have a good idea of how employers view older workers. Good luck!

I was made redundant after 20 years as a legal Secretary at age 52 with 13 weeks notice. The following week I took a day off and sat down with the phone and rang every solicitor' s office within possible travelling distance. About 12 offices stating my position and asking off they were looking for staff. At 2pm I had a call back, an interview that same afternoon, and got an offer with better money, holidays etc. In an office only 10 minutes walk from home. During the following two weeks I had a couple more call backs.

When I told the current boss he said..... Well, I didn't expect you to go this soon, you're leaving us in a bit of a pickle !!!

That redundancy changed my life for the better, great friends to this day, even though I left 6 years ago after being there for 10 years up to retirement.

It is impossible to know just when a door will open or a chance meeting that leads to something.

My friend who had been made redundant from the same office decided to not look for employment and made an income from eBay to supplement her window's pension. She scoured car boot sales in posher areas across the city for top quality items, the same with charity shops in the more well to do areas. It became her 'job' and she's been doing it for at least 10 years.

I was lucky and got my gov't pension at 60. But following the example of my friend I do a bot of eBay to supplement my income.

'bit' of eBay.

I have a dear sister in law caught in this pension trick. She's 61, will have to carry on working.
Is working for a small company and is treated like a dogsbody.
Trying desperately to get another job. Doesn't put her dob on applications but doesn't get called for interview.
I don't think she sells herself well (low self esteem) but would be an asset to any company's accounts team.
I've suggests she sends her CV off to all the local agencies and she should say in her letter she plans to work for another 10 years too.

Just a bit of advice, I trimmed my CV down to the last three "proper" jobs removed dates of education, and then when I did get interviews, broached the subject of age by saying "yes, I 'm a slightly older candidate, but I have a lot of "life" experience in dealing with all sorts of people and situations, plus I'm extremely unlikely to need to take maternity leave!

Feel free to PM if you want.

I second Phoenix, remove all dates of birth, education etc from the CV and emphasise reliability and experience.

Try agencies, they are often a good way to get a foot in the door. I actually like the flexibility of agency work, working a couple of months and having a couple of months off, but I've just been offered a permanent part time role at the company I am presently temping for and I'm considering taking it and I'm 64.

My top tip is search for "immediate start" on agency web sites. I've applied for roles on the Thursday and started the following Monday. I'm not saying the panic to get people in place to sort out a work place back log is the only reason they hired me, but I'm sure it helped!!

Of course a lot depends on how much you want to earn, there are plenty of jobs out there, but they mainly pay minimum wage and it's not easy, I know, to think about starting at the bottom of the pay scale at our age.

One final point, in my experience the older the interviewer the more likely I have been to be offered the role. Discrimination can work both ways.

Well done Coolgran you obviously have a very persuasive telephone manner to back up your CV.

I has a friend in the same position, and due to her divorce she was in a financial pickle with a mortgage still to pay, on her own. Like others on here, she was guaranteed an interview at most jobs she applied for, due to her experience and qualifications ticking all the 'essential' and 'desirable' bits, but rejected at interview. This was doubtless because of her age, though no employer would actually come out and say that.

She took a job in a well-known DIY store at low wages as it was all she could find. But she didn't stay on the 'floor' very long, as it became obvious she had skills which could be used elsewhere. She is now in their accountancy department and due to retire soon, but has been asked if she wants to stay on longer.

Getting your foot in the door somewhere, anywhere?, might be a way forward.

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This thread is 6 years old. OP will be 67 now and probably retired

Yes Grannybags it would be lovely if Dingbat could come back and let us know how she got on.

I got a temporary Christmas job on the checkouts at ASDA and was asked to stay on in the cash office. You have to be prepared to take a change of direction sometimes, but being in temporary employment seems to help at interviews. Employers want proof that you are flexible and not afraid of work even if it is regarded (by some people) as menial..

I was one of the lucky ones who "retired" to draw my state and occupational pensions at 60 (2004) otherwise I would have found myself in this trap.

Id been selling part time on Ebay since the 1990s and opened a shop there to go full time self employed post 2004. I now have 4 shops of various platforms and sell antique and vintage items of a very niche kind in which I am regarded as an expert.

At first my family were a bit snippy about my selling "tat" then they realised how much money I was making. I enjoy being self employed and its something you can adapt to being less mobile.

Maybe there is a pastime or interest from the past you could gradually tuen into self employment. You dont get paid holidays and time off sick but there are many advantages. The tax changes that are coming in will hit those on PAYE but the self employed will simply raise their prices or fees to consumers.

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Reported

One or two posters upthread have mentioned consultancy.

I was lucky enough to draw my pension at 60 and retire from employed work. However I still had many contacts in the academic world and continued to do research and consultancy for some years. At the same time I built up my side hustle of antiques which was my real love. Having done considerable research into how people use computers and the internet I found that knowledge transferred well into internet selling.

Sounds like you have some valuable transferable people related skills you can draw upon too. Have you thought about tutoring, virtual PA or similar areas?

You could find an undemanding part time job (topped up by UC as many do) and then use the extra time to do some research on setting up a side hustle.

My 71 year old sister got a new part time job as a bookkeeper for a church. She was in banking before that. Good luck and I hope you find a job that you enjoy!

I did a degree when made redundant in my mid 50s. It made me feel thoroughly alive again and I'd recommend it to anyone.

But... just read 10 days ago, in a newspaper at the gym about Euan Blair and his new business which will help re-train over 55s.
Unfortunately the article is behind a pay wall in The Times Euan Blair, the eldest son of the former prime minister, is to start offering apprenticeships to people aged 55 and over
No doubt this is a way to feather his nest via government funding but I expect the training will be funded.

Sorry can't read it again to offer more as I only read this paper at the gym!

The OP will be 70 now.
I wonder if she got a job after all.

I changed jobs at 62 to work as a domestic in a hospital and love it. Age never came into it. I get my state pension at 66.