Looking for work later in life can be a frustrating experience. People with decades of experience find themselves overlooked, told they are "overqualified", or quietly passed over in favour of younger candidates. Others have been made redundant from an industry that has changed, and are unsure where their skills fit now.
Yet mature-age workers bring qualities that employers consistently say they need. This article looks at what mature-age job seekers bring, the barriers they face and the opportunities that are open.
What mature-age workers bring
Years of working life build capabilities that are hard to teach:
- Reliability: turning up, following through and taking responsibility
- Judgement: knowing when to act, when to ask and when to escalate
- Communication: dealing with customers, colleagues and managers of all kinds
- Problem solving: having seen plenty of things go wrong, and worked out how to fix them
- Mentoring: passing knowledge on to less experienced colleagues
- Industry knowledge: understanding how a sector works, even if the technology has changed
Mature-age workers also tend to bring stability. Many have settled family arrangements and are looking for a workplace where they can stay and contribute.
The barriers are real
Age discrimination is unlawful, but assumptions about older workers still influence hiring. Other common barriers include:
- skills or qualifications that have not kept up with new technology or regulations
- a long period with one employer, which can make job searching feel unfamiliar
- health conditions or injuries that rule out previous kinds of work
- uncertainty about how to present a long career on a two-page resume
Turning experience into recognised qualifications
One of the most useful options for mature-age job seekers is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL assesses the skills and knowledge someone already has against the requirements of a nationally recognised qualification. Where the evidence is there, people can gain all or part of a qualification without repeating training in things they already know.
For someone who has worked in an industry for twenty years without a formal qualification, RPL can open doors that would otherwise stay closed. Through our partner registered training organisations, participants can find out whether RPL suits them, or whether a short course would be a better fit.
Opportunities to consider
Mature-age job seekers are well placed for roles where experience and judgement matter, such as:
- supervision, training and mentoring roles
- customer-facing roles where patience and communication are valued
- community services, aged care and disability support
- security, transport and logistics
- returning to a previous industry with updated skills or a recognised qualification
Some people use a change in circumstances to try something new. A career change later in life is entirely possible, especially when existing skills are recognised rather than ignored.
A long career is not a liability. It is evidence.
How we can help
We help mature-age job seekers present their experience in a way that speaks to employers, explore training or RPL options, and connect with employers who value experience. Each participant has one point of contact from the first conversation through to the first weeks in a new job.
If you would like to talk about your next step, contact us or call 1800 993 557. You may also find our article on pre-employment workshops useful.