I am in my late 40s and need a new career – but who will give me a job?
After home educating my child for 16 years I am now in a position to work full-time again. I would like to build a new career but am struggling over how to begin.
While teaching my child I worked part-time for a large chain and as a magazine researcher (the magazine is no longer published), and in September I doubled my hours and took on a leadership role in a retail management programme.
Retail is not well paid and for managers it’s often very stressful and demands quite a bit of unpaid overtime. Although I am happy to work extra hours and love the team of people I work with, I don’t want to work as a manager for this company and would really like to move into another sector.
I am in my late forties and have GCSEs, but I struggled during a difficult childhood and let myself down at university and have a poor degree. I am really unsure about what to do for the best.
A family member has very kindly offered to pay for a post-graduate course, and a friend has suggested I take an MA in communications, but I’m not sure whether at my age this would be a benefit. I have thought about seeing a life coach but the expense is off-putting.
I have experience in social care, research, copywriting, proofreading and bookselling, and am interested in publishing and NGOs, as well as teaching and areas of social care. I feel I would be able to work well in these areas but am concerned about my age and that financially I’m not in a position to “try things out”.
Jeremy says
There’s a very simple, basic question that a surprising number of people can’t immediately answer: “What are you best at?”
I think you should start by trying to answer this question. You’ve some experience in a wide range of occupations but, apart from doubts about staying in retail, you don’t reveal which, if any, have used your abilities most enjoyably. There must be some that you look back on with warmer memories than others.
When planning to build a new career it makes sense to start by aiming high. Things that you’re best at are things that you’re likely to enjoy doing, so try, as dispassionately as possible, to make a conscious note of where you believe yourself to perform better than many other people of your age and background. Then concentrate your thoughts, and your search, on those areas which seem most likely to offer the kinds of satisfactions you are looking for.
I find it impressive – more impressive than you seem to – that for 16 years you educated your child at home, I assume successfully. This suggests to me the whole area of training – a hugely diverse activity, because it covers so many different spheres of work. I believe that at least some potential employers, as I do, would see your achievement in educating your child as valuable and relevant experience and admirable evidence of character.
Unless you set your heart on a job for which a certain degree is required, I don’t think you should contemplate further academic qualifications. At your time of life, most employers will be much more interested in your personality and your experience.
Readers say
• Try to find a job you really want to do where your wisdom is an advantage. For example, you have experience in social care – would you consider requalifying as a therapist (quicker to qualify as a therapist than a psychologist, which was my other thought), and then you can set up a little business, charge the same as a life coach and help people out! delta68
• You have to build on the strengths and experience you already have. I would not recommend spending on a master’s unless it will clearly set you on the right course vocationally. If you have home schooled for 16 years you must have a lot of experience in how children learn and what makes them tick. Teaching may be a strong candidate – either in a classroom or some sort of special needs provision where you can use your experience of working in small groups or one to one. Bookwitch2
• No one is ever too old to change anything in life. Desmo46
It feels to me that I’m only given an interview to make up the numbers
I’m going for job after job but feel more and more that I am only being asked to attend interviews to make up the numbers, as every time the job appears to go to an internal member of staff.
For example, only yesterday I had an interview that lasted 15 minutes, 10 of which I was talking through a presentation. During the interview it was very apparent that there was no interest whatsoever in what I was saying.
I’m so fed up having my time and efforts wasted, and it is very demoralising as I had high hopes for some of the jobs I applied for and which I wanted very badly. It happens far too often.
Can/should I contact external auditors or the governing body to put my case and complain?
Sorry for the rant! But I suppose an important question is, how not to get demoralised if you fail at several interviews, for whatever you perceive the reason to be. What is the best strategy for “interview rejection”?
Jeremy says
Yes it is a bit of a rant, and I hope you feel better for it.
But you must use your rants to release your sense of frustration – not to compound it. You’re dangerously close to being so convinced that everyone is conspiring against you that your manner in future interviews will make further rejection almost inevitable.
Hard though it may be, you must accept life as it is. Internal candidates may start as favourites – and they’ll certainly be seen as benchmarks – but an exceptional external candidate always has a fair chance. You weren’t offered that job because the panel, for whatever reason, thought you less suitable than another person.
Under no circumstances should you ever complain to external auditors or a governing body. It will achieve absolutely nothing.
To overcome “interview rejection” take a deep breath and decide to make a completely clean start. In future, prepare yourself far more carefully (not for the first time I recommend Jenny Rogers’ book Job Interview Success). Concentrate obsessively not on what you want from any given job but on what you can bring to it. Be grateful that you’re getting the interviews. And persevere.
Readers say
• In my experience (on both sides of the interviewing table) you are only invited if you are believed to have the required skills and experience to perform well in the role. The interview process is more to see if you are a good fit for the company and the team. The question I would be asking myself is: what sets me apart from the other candidates? craigbert
• Don’t bother complaining. The only strategy to cope with interview failure is to keep on trying. JustanOldFool
Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.
