Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I’m 52 and terrified ageist recruiters are ignoring my purposes’
Reader Bob keeps applying for roles but he’s not getting many interviews – could his age be the problem? Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
Applying for jobs can be a stressful process(Image: Getty Images)
Dear James
I’m 52 and have been applying for roles for more than six months now without success.
I’ve got solid experience and a strong track record – but interviews are really very thin on the ground. I can’t shake this feeling that employers just guess my age and move on.
Is this in fact what they’re doing?
Bob, Blackburn
Let’s be honest here, Bob. Ageism exists. But, most of the time, it’s not the actual number that hurts you; it’s how you look on paper. Recruiters hire people who look sharp, current and ready to go. If your CV feels heavy on what you did two decades ago then alarm bells may well start ringing.
Being around for a long time isn’t the same as being valuable today. This may be brutal but it’s true. “I’ve worked in this sector since 1998”, doesn’t impress anyone anymore. What did you achieve last year? What did you improve? What did you develop?
A common mistake at 50+ is giving every role equal space in your CV. That flattens your story. Twenty-five years of progress ends up looking like one long stretch of “same again”. Keep your full history – of course you should – but trim right down on the early career stuff. Focus very much on the last decade.
At 52, you shouldn’t look like you’re winding down. You should look like you’re still climbing!
If your CV reads like a look back at the good old days, that’s exactly where employers will leave you.
Top Tip:
Keep your full career in your CV, but trim right down on older roles. Make the last decade carry the weight. Recent results matter more than old memories.
Spotlight On: Older Candidates
It’s not about birth dates. It’s about tone.
If your strongest examples are from years ago, it suggests your best days are behind you. That’s rarely true – but it’s how it reads.
Recruiters scan fast. Very fast. They look for growth, bigger challenges, fresh skills… If everything looks steady and unchanged, they assume you’ve stopped pushing yourself.
Show progress. Show learning. Show scale. Age doesn’t switch employers off. Looking like you’re stagnating does!
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
