Case study: Situation hopeful
*Name has been changed.
Jobseeker Annabel* reckons when prospective employers discover from her CV that she’s over 50, they say, “Nah, too old” and bin her applications.
She’s been looking for a job for seven months and is frustrated that she’s missed out time after time, despite having a wide range of skills.
“I need to work,” says Annabel, 56. “I’m on my own and it’s very tough financially – I’ve had to go to a foodbank, which was very distressing. I have applied for so many things but got nowhere. I think a lot of it is down to my age.”
It’s illegal for employers to discriminate against someone based on how old they are. Regardless, many take age into consideration when hiring.
While one in every three workers in New Zealand is over 50, people in that age bracket often struggle to find a new job. More than 30 percent of people who receive a Jobseeker benefit are aged 50 to 64.
According to a report by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)on working later in life, some employers believe hiring older workers leads to a stagnant workforce and mature workers are often regarded as having outdated skills, particularly regarding technology. Other research shows older people can also be seen as less energetic than younger counterparts. Employers tend to think this makes them less able to adapt to new ways of doing things. There’s also a belief that they won’t stay in the job long because they plan to retire.
However, these are stereotypes that simply aren’t true for many mature workers and being dismissive of prospective employees because of their age is a mistake, says Ian Fraser, who runs the recruitment website Seniors@work for people over 50.
Ian knows what an uphill battle it can be to land work later in life. He was in his late fifties when he lost his management job after his company closed down. He spent the next decade trying to find full-time employment but only landed a few short-term contracts.
“I had 30 years’ experience in management and thought I had a lot to offer,” says Ian, now 72. “I sent out over 75 applications and only got three interviews. Recruiters told me I either didn’t have the right skills for the job or I was overqualified. There was nothing in between.”
Realising that over-50s like him had a lot to offer employers, Ian set up Seniors@work. The site matches job hunters in that age group with companies open to hiring more mature workers. It’s great for businesses like New Zealand Post, Harvey Norman, Westpac and KiwiBank.
He lists jobs on his Facebook page and the website, and says the comments from jobseekers show how devastating it can be to feel locked out of the workforce simply because of when you were born.
“There certainly is discrimination towards older people,” he says. “It’s tough at the moment because unemployment is up. The 50-plus demographic is competing against younger people for a lower number of jobs.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom, he adds. “From what I’m seeing anecdotally, I don’t think the bias against older people is as bad as it was when I started in 2019. A lot of employers do recognise the benefits people over 50 can offer and are making more of an effort to hire them.”
And in return, businesses get employees with life experience and the wisdom that comes with it.
“People over 50 are generally more mature, reliable and trustworthy,” says Ian. “And if it’s someone who has been looking for a while, they are going to be very happy to be working.”
Fun fact: Nearly 25% of Kiwis over 65 are still employed – up from 8% in the mid-1980s.
Top tips for finding work when you’re over 50
- Create a strong cover letter. “It has to be relevant to the company, so it’s worth researching who it is you want to work for,” says Ian.
- Upskill where you can. For example, if digital skills would improve your chances of getting a job, look for courses like those offered by MSD.
- Broaden your search. If there’s not much available in your field, think outside the square when it comes to your transferable skills and jobs you could do.
- Have a great CV. Ian says, “CVs have to be up to date and well-formatted. Employers don’t want to know what you did 30 years ago. They really only want to know what you’ve been doing for the past 10 to 12 years.” Look online for CV templates.
‘People keep telling me I’m overqualified’
After job hunting for seven months, former nurse Annabel is convinced that age is a significant factor in her lack of success.
“I’ve applied for so many things I would be perfect for and I don’t hear a peep back,” she shares. “I went for a position as a medical receptionist. The woman at the agency said, ‘Unfortunately, your age is not at the best end of the scale.’ I’m 56 and I don’t look my age, but anyway, what’s age got to do with it? It’s incredibly frustrating.”
Annabel left a two-decades-long nursing career after witnessing the assault of a colleague. She then worked at a retirement village but had to step down for health reasons. She’s now ready and able to work again but has had no luck landing a job.
She’d prefer a desk job or to work from home, but is at the point where she’ll consider anything. “I’ve even gone into KFC and they told me I was overqualified. I keep hearing that. I have so many skills that I could transfer. I’d be good at customer service because I’ve become used to dealing with people.”
As well as wanting employers to consider mature workers for more roles, Annabel would like MSD to exempt them from training seminars.
“They’re geared for young people who don’t have experience in the workforce,” she explains. “We don’t need to know how to turn up for a job. We are ready to go and we just want to work.”
Is 65 too early to call it quits?
There’s no compulsory retirement age in New Zealand – Kiwis can work for as long as they want. However, because we become eligible for superannuation at 65, many people consider that as the cut-off point for working.
However, according to Statistics New Zealand, nearly 25 percent of people over 65 are still employed (up from 8 percent in the mid-1980s), making up 7 percent of New Zealand’s workforce – around 225,000 people. Twenty years ago, it was 2.5 percent.
There are various reasons why people over 65 still have jobs, including valuing social connections and the sense of satisfaction they bring.
“A lot of people don’t feel ready for retirement at 65,” says Ian. “But many of those still working have to for financial reasons. Often they have a mortgage and can’t afford to live just on superannuation.”
Being older got me my job!
After being made redundant from her job in the travel industry, Maggie Kean assumed she’d land something else fairly quickly. However, she did not get a single interview, despite applying for dozens of administration jobs for almost a year.
“My confidence took a real hit and because I had so much experience, all I could think was it was my age. At the time, I was 57,” she recalls. “I was lucky that I’d got a good redundancy payout so I was okay financially, but I wanted to work to have contact with people. I was going stir-crazy sitting at home.”
By chance, Maggie heard about an upcoming vacancy at a small tourist attraction. She emailed the boss and convinced her to grant an interview before advertising the job.
“I went in there with the attitude of ‘You’re going to hire me because I will be great for this business and my age is totally irrelevant.’I got the job because my boss said my maturity worked in my favour. She wanted someone responsible who she could leave to get on with the job and felt like I could do that because I was older.
“I think there are employers out there who do appreciate the skills and experience that older workers have, and hopefully more of them will start valuing – and hiring – us.”
Did you know: New Zealand has the third highest employment rate of workers aged 55-64 in the OECD and the fourth highest of people aged 65-69.
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