People are working to a much older age than ever before as populations are growing older and states find it difficult to come up with the money to provide enough pensions. However, many employers do not like employing older staff. Many also have difficulty finding a new job if they have an unbroken track record and are simply looking for a change in career after the age of 40.

There are things that you can do which rely on experience which can only be gained through age which will make you a more attractive candidate during a job hunt.

You need to target the job you are applying for re-writing your CV. You can do this by highlighting all the skills and experience which are needed for the job and then proving that you have got them. The fact that you are older means that you have valuable experience in many areas. If you have had a career break in which time you raised children, you will still have developed skills that employers are looking for like communication and organisation.

You do not have to put personal details like age, marital status and parenthood on your CV, it is not a legal requirement. You should either leave out your date of birth completely or put it at the end if you really want to include it.

Many people make the mistake of assuming that they will get job satisfaction in one place, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Ask yourself what gives you job satisfaction and all the skills you want to show or learn in your job. It may turn out that you will only be really happy if you do more than one job. You might, for example, work as a freelance in your existing career for two or three days a week and set up a small business doing something completely different during the rest of the week. You could start a class teaching a skill you have mastered to others. You could teach anything from a hobby to a fitness class, it doesn’t have to be related to your work. You might find yourself to be a bit of an expert at something which you have done all of your life.

If you are prepared to look beyond the conventional 9-5 job, you will find that there are many opportunities open to you, regardless of your age.

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