“Ho 50 anni e da due anni faccio domanda ogni giorno per un lavoro, forse dovrò andare a vivere da mia madre”

I have to admit that it’s a bit tiresome to hear anyone who’s struggling to find the job automatically fall back on ‘the government needs to step in’. A few weeks ago there was a spurt of articles where *grads* were saying the same thing, but opposite reasons – employers want experience and they don’t have it, the seniors are employed and AI is wiping out the juniors. Prior to that it was NEETs saying the same thing about how everything needed a degree. The government can’t just subsidise everyone’s job, that’s the point behind the benefits system.

I’d probably agree that her age is a factor but I think she’s coming at it from the wrong direction – at 50, with that many qualifications, there’s going to be an expectation that you bring a ton of experience to the table and it sounds like she’s jumped careers a few times *before* she was out of work for 2 years, so she’s kind of paying the price for her experience being broad but skin deep. No-one’s hiring a 50 year old with a 20 year old’s experience for anything close to the salary range she’s likely expecting. Not to mention it sounds like she’s trying to get into an industry she doesn’t seem to have any actual experience of.

I’m a big believer that it’s a good idea to start your own business / be self employed in your 30s or 40s. This is why. Being employed is usually easier younger but you will prepare yourself well to have something you can fall back on that doesn’t rely on convincing a recruiter. Create your own work. Get good at attracting and keeping your own clients. I honestly can’t think of anyone who I know who is still employed in their 50s no matter what career almost all are made redundant or some such. Yet no one seems to be aware this happens or warned about it.

Digital marketing is a bit of a tough one because lots of people entered that sector because of Covid and needing something wfh.

You’d think with a degree in psychotherapy she’d be able to be a self employed therapist? There’s a lot of demand for that. She says she’s doing a bit of that at the moment but I’m so sure she could do it full time. Maybe she needs to look at what’s already offered in her area and find a bit of a gap. Eg if there’s no one offering emdr she could get qualified in that. Maybe there’s a stigma against older people in digital marketing (I think it’s more that entry level jobs have lower wages) but there definitely isn’t that stigma in psychotherapy and if anything being a bit older is probably helpful in fostering trust in the therapeutic relationship.

Been in digital marketing for over 10 years and done plenty of hiring in that time too.

I can assure you nobody in the industry gives a shit about a Masters in marketing let alone two.

It’s a handy foot in the door for a low paid/internship role and that’s about it.

The market is indeed really tough right now. There are too few jobs and every one, if you take LinkedIn as a benchmark, has hundreds of applicants, most of which won’t even be reviewed. Many of the applicants are from abroad, even if the job specifically states it’s for UK residents only. AI has made it so much easier to apply for jobs, and that’s a double-edged sword. My advice is to apply every morning, so you’re in the first 30-40 applicants. If you’re not already on LinkedIn, create an account and try to get to 300-400 connections by adding everyone you can from previous positions.

Also, learn how to use AI to help. Everyone else is, so you’ll be at a disadvantage if you’re not. Don’t use a free AI account as they tend to suck. Google Gemini pro is about £20 a month. You can upload your CV and tell it your life situations and what you’re looking for.  Once you’ve given it the job spec, it can then tailor your CV for each role and help write covering letters. You should definitely edit these and put them into your own words, as AI isn’t great at writing, and recruits can spot their fingerprints. Be mindful that AIs hallucinate, so check it’s output.

Google Gemini Pro also has a Deep Research mode, where it can scan the web for you. You can tell it what jobs you’re looking for and where, even tell it what job sites to avoid if you’ve already searched them, and they can find some interesting positions. 

You can then add to your CV your new AI skills.

Welcome to the club.

The job market right now has never been as clustered as It Is right now, and you may have hundreds of applications applying for a single job vacancy, meaning vacancies could be closed In a matter of days If they find the right candidate.

There are jobs available out there, but It may be jobs no one wants to do, such as the failing and decayed community care sector that has been Ignored for decades and Is constantly under pressure.