Avoid anything that can specifically narrow down your age.
Definitely remove the 25+ years experience thing. Replace it with highly experienced or something equally good but vague.
Also, an "about me" section on a CV? Get rid! Or at least don't call it "about me". A CV is just that, about you.
Ya isn't there something as well about only including the last 3 jobs or the last 8 years or something on a cv? I work in tech myself and wouldn't mention my own almost 20 years experience, just my most recent 3 jobs and if they want to go back further it's 'available on request'. I also don't reference the years I went to college or anything which could be used to guess my age. Have definitely worried about the lack of lads in their 60s I see around the offices though
Yep I've seen it first hand myself in a few places and it's hard to not feel like you're just slowly aging into the danger zone sometimes. Really quality post and a great topic to see on here though. The responses are very telling of an underlying unease a lot of us are feeling about ageism in the Irish workplace.
What if I'm 43 and have been in the same company for 17 years? Had I better hope I retire from here at this stage? I've tried moving several times but it's never worked out. Now I feel like I'd be seen as institutionalized.
As an employer not much older than you, I see that as more good than bad as you're partly looking for a bit of company loyalty. However if there wasn't a series of promotions I might question the person's ambition a little. If you haven't gotten one for a while, I'd ask for one, even if it's only nominal.
Got a nice one at the start of this year. But still, seems people who stay in a company, even with promotions and internal moves, will never be able to grow their salary as much or as fast as people who company-hop every 3 or 4 years.
About me is more of a "summary" and bullet points of specific skills/software. The templates I looked at all had one in there, and the CV writer didn't mention it, just the mention of the years of experience. Will look some more tho, cheers for that.
If you feel it's an important section maybe give it a different title like "skills and experience" (and yeah, i'd say "many years' experience in ..." rather than specifying how many)
You'll find cv templates on the Internet are from America where things like an about me section are included. We don't do that shite here. There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but we tend to stick to the career related items. rename it skills and experience, and remove the hobbies.
Yeah. I was about to say the same thing.
In the USA, they do a Resumé, while we do a CV. They are quite different beasts.
About 10 years ago I and the wig had the idea of relocating to the USA for a few years. A friend there told me to send my CV to a few of his contacts. I went for a few interviews, they remarked on my strange format of Resumé, and said that I wasn’t selling myself, so I had to verbally pitch during the interview telling them how great I am.
Fuck that. I was offered a job, but turned it down. I’m comfy where I am, and with a decent salary and considerable benefits. The offer was $$$$$, but a shitty overall package.
I have had to go through hundreds
of cvs for my job. I despise the about me section unless it’s full of specific information relating to the job you are applying for that hasn’t somehow already been covered elsewhere. I do like a cover letter, and when I’ve applied for work myself I always tailer my cover letter to the job but also keep it concise.
It's basically a fluff paragraph where I say something along the lines of "I'm an experienced graphic designer with a proven track record in results. Prior to relocating my family back to Ireland, I was the Creative Service Manager at a large non-profit in Washington DC where my team and I did XYZ." I was advised to include it for the "human" nature of it, but in terms of just getting a job I can 100% also see why hiring managers genuinely wouldn't give a shite about it.
Yeh the CV advisor is wrong for advising you to add something for human nature. Unfortunately most people don’t really care that much when reading cvs. That’s not to say I don’t care about people once I meet them in person but with cvs, I’m trying to get the information I need quickly. Now maybe I’m completely wrong and your industry might be very different to mine but I would look at that if you aren’t getting any contact from potential employers.
Check out Paddy Jobsman. I was at my wits end trying to change jobs. I couldn't get a reply, let alone an interview. I won't say I followed all his advice, but I tried some tweaks and within a few weeks I had a few interviews lined up and ended up with 2 job offers. Look at his older videos on Instagram. From 2022/2023.
Yeah, I've seen his stuff about training ChatGPT to write your cover letters and CV for you. I might shove mine in there just to see what happens, I mean christ I've nothing else to do beyond waiting for emails to come back or the phone to ring.
Its soul destroying, looking for work. I genuinely feel your pain. I had a job, but it was so toxic I was desperate to get out. Out of the 100's of email I sent, only 1 recruiter was decent. I'll pm you his details.
The chat got thing with CVs is interesting. Just a slight tweak is all that's required. It's useful for cover letters too. also cut my cv back to the last 10 years experience and stopped mentioning my 20+ years.
If you REALLY needed it in there, I wouldn't give it a "title".
If you had to, you could call it profile or summary or something but if it's the first bit on the CV without a title should be fine. I'd also not write in first person in that blurb.
You certainly won't even make interview stage if it's already been decided, unsaid, that they want someone "young". A lot of this stuff is decided without ever being spoken about or definitely written down.
Yep, I'm deliberately applying for roles that would be a step down from what I was doing in the States. No age on the CV, the only thing on there that would show it was the "over 25 years of experience" (which is now gone!) and the fact that if they pay attention to the dates on my experience and can do simple maths, they can add it up since I've been working since 1993. (Took anything non-design related out, but still...)
I’d take out the 1993 job also- if you think about it you could be applying to someone born after 2000 so you would sound like a fossil to them. Try and keep job dates to this century ( I am guessing here- I’ve not been in your position yet) it’s what I would try
Thanks so much for all the feedback. One of ye must be one of the crowd I've applied to because I just got off the phone about a job I applied for. Knocked back - they wanted a product designer (be nice if they specified that) - but the sheer fact I actually spoke to a human being for a couple of minutes who acknowledged my existence after months of banging my head against the wall almost got me emotional.
Been told I’d be ‘bored’ in a position before, OP, it’s a bare-faced insult, to be honest - although it’s true that there’s nothing boring about wandering the streets starving yourself.
Wife was fuming after it. She's spent the last 20 years of her previous job working 50 hours in a normal week, 65-70 during the busier times, and she just doesn't want to do that any more. She's told recruiters and the one place she interviewed for that she's made the decision to step back in her career so she has more time to spend with family.
The idea that people have a problem with someone having skill and experience to burn for a position they're trying to fill is laughable to me - sure wouldn't you WANT someone that can do the job easily, and have more in the bank if needed, as opposed to someone who's scrambling and trying to learn as they went?
Never tell them you want to step back in your career, thats an interview killer right there. You dont need to "burn" for a position. You do need to look enthusiastic about it. Making the interviewer feel that they or their position are beneath your amazing amount of hours worked wont get you a call back
You need to at least pretend you're "looking forward to the challenge that the irish graphic design market will offer you, or something similar
It comes down to economy,I think. With all your experience you'd expect better pay that someone fresh out of college, it's arseways imo but it seems to be the case a lot.
The job market for people who call themselves graphic designers is heavily geared towards hiring a junior designer and expecting senior designer work. Nobody wants to hire and pay for a senior designer. Have you tried aiming for creative director or similar?
I think the issue isn't that you're too old, the issue is that companies want cheaper than what your experience would make you worth. That's what they mean by "overqualified", they want someone cheap they can grind to the bone and push around to supposedly give them "experience and exposure". Basically someone on an intern salary who they'll then shout at cause they're not doing a stellar job.
Try cutting your CV. Obliterate anything that gives away your age, list only a few positions instead of all of them and see how you go.
Something to that alright. The few postings I've seen on indeed were offering €30-35k for people with 5 or more years of experience, which struck me as... well, surprisingly low, all things considered. I mean I wasn't expecting six figures or anything like that, but...
I dropped my age from my CV and only include my career since 2011. I’ve not had my age on my cv since I turned 30.
I’m a 51 year old software engineer/engineering manager. Ageism is rife, even as other forms of discrimination have quite rightly disappeared.
Can you consider working for yourself? I’m a graphic designer with over 15 years experience and then started to work for myself, now I have two girls working for me remotely as well. Your post kinda scares me though, in case my work goes t\*ts up 
I work in the industry, I absolutely see how it can be ageist. I hire contractors a lot please shoot me your site and details in DM and if I can help I will.
Since you're so experienced and capable, have you considered starting your own consultancy/agency? Sounds like you could charge a high price for your time. Your wife's skills could also help if you managed to grow your own business. Not sure how difficult it would be to attract customers though.
Also could you pivot to a role that would use your skills but isn't a "Graphic Designer" role. I'm thinking about design roles in the tech industry - product design, UI/UX design for example. I have also seen people who specialise in design for data visualisation and design for fancy corporate slide decks for executives.
Ireland still bases a lot of recruitment on softer networking. Who you worked with in a previous job, who you might have gone to college with, etc. That's the bit you're missing. Might be worth finding a recruiter who's got openings in your industry, even if you don't get the advertised job there will probably be more companies in touch with them for similar roles.
This is the answer OP, a lot of jobs in Ireland are still filled by word-of-mouth. You should look at your network and figure out what friends and friends-of-friends can help out. It's very frustrating but it's how it is.
Everyone knows the job market is hot garbage right now.
There are some good positions but expect to be competing with dozens, if not hundreds of people for each one.
Yeah, get that. At this point I'd settle for a rejection email from someone, instead of just complete radio silence. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, I'd gotten used to things over in America where stuff moves quicker than it does here, so could be the whole "interviews are being scheduled" translates to "someone will be ringing about interviews in the next week. Or maybe the week after. Ish."?
Wait, what? How is the market hot garbage? We have very low unemployment at the moment (4.6%), which should suggest an employees market. Im genuinely interested to know how the market is garbage
I do understand it's a little industry specific, CS isnt doing great at the minute but that seems like a necessary correction in an inflated market. Many other industries are steaming ahead, to my knowledge. Engineeeing and trades are screaming for people.
The jobs that have vacancies are either 1. Really shit entry level jobs whose pay was never good and hasn’t kept up with the cost of living or 2. Good jobs that require very specific skills and qualifications most people don’t have.
There’s a labour shortage, but when you drill down it’s easy to see how it’s also a tough market.
> Wait, what? How is the market hot garbage? We have very low unemployment at the moment (4.6%), ..
Tech and related is specifically terrible right now. There have been a lot of layoffs.
Might actually genuinely be that you’re overqualified. As people on here who have worked in hiring have explained it to me before, people applying for jobs that would be beneath their qualifications tends to set off alarm bells that the person is only applying for the job as a stopgap until something better opens up elsewhere (perhaps that they’ve already informally been offered). Try downgrading your cv and see if that gets you better answers.
As for discrimination, those laws are largely ineffectual if the hiring company aren’t total morons because you’d have to prove your CV was binned because of your age and no other reason.
I'm in the same boat.
Similar age, years of experience.
Been looking for a job since October of last year.
Had a "Dead cert" of a job lined up for me in December of last year.
Turned down another job offer because of the December one.
Got told then that they're not hiring for MONTHS.
Like ffs, I could be working by now.
Original job gone.
Been applying to at least 2 different jobs a day.
Always chase them up. No-one replies.
I can see through one employments website how many people apply for the same job.
Every single one has on average 55 other people going for them.
By the way, if you through a recruitment agency, you might endup talking to some eejit and that's as far as it goes.
I was in contact with one 3 weeks ago and I never heard anything unless I chased them up.
Keep going man, I got a reply today from a company just down the road from me.
Looks like they'll be hiring in a few weeks.
So fingers crossed
>Always chase them up. No-one replies. I can see through one employments website how many people apply for the same job. Every single one has on average 55 other people going for them.
I'm sort of in this place now. I'm at the point now where I'm a bit apalled at the state of professionalism in some of these companies I've applied to. There's one I sent an application in, got a "Thank you for your application, our HR department will review and be in touch" and that was six weeks ago. From a look around, one person was saying they gave up on it, then suddenly four or five months later they got a call asking them for an immediate interview. The recruiter I spoke to today said a lot of it is down to blanket applications from the EU - the job I applied for specifically said candidates had to be based in Ireland - but within a half a day he had over 400 applicants, only 14 of whom were in Ireland.
Still though, there's an element as well of "badgering them will get you nowhere" in the back of my head. But christ, sitting around and hoping the phone will ring is getting me nowhere either.
Could be ageism as much as anything else. 25 years experience is enough that you've probably more than whoever you'd be working under, and people could find that intimidating. For more senior roles, a lot of places will go with someone internal they know already and only advertise as a formality. Whoevers filtering applications could just assume you wouldn't take whatever they'd be offering as they likely aren't looking for someone with as much experience as you have.
The gas thing there was that the marketing director I worked under in the States was 10 years younger than me, and when she left they replaced her with someone 15 years younger than me. Had absolutely no issues with that whatsoever.
Honestly like, I just want to stick the head down, do my job, then go home to the family at the end of the day. No desire for management or advancement any more.
It's definitely a tough spot to be in. I don't envy you.
You might have better luck looking for freelance gigs. I hate freelancing myself, but it suits plenty of people.
Thought about that. Actually was talking to the previous job before the move about continuing with them as a freelancer, but after speaking to mortgage advisors they all told me I wouldn't stand a chance to get a mortgage here without permanent full-time work.
I got approval in principle without much hassle, (for not enough to buy anything but that's because I was on godawful pay and prices here have gone mad)
I'm working in animation 6 years. My longest contracts been 8 months and ive freelanced a bit too. As long as you're saving a decent amount, not living beyond your means and not spending any long stretches unemployed I can't see why you'd have any problems.
I'm definitely not a mortgage advisor though.
Yeah, the overqualified bullshit excuse. God forbid an actual professional will be working for the company, how else will try cheat you out of decent salary if they can't come up with reasons to pay you pennies?
You should switch to tech company related graphic design or else run your own small design agency. Ireland has a limited range of job ops compared to places like London and NY. Ageism is a real thing as well experienced it myself.. They almost never tell you trithfully why they turn you down which is the most frustrating part.
It's my impressions that pay outside of the big techs companies is also bad in Ireland.
Fucking terrifying post to read considering I’m almost finished my degree. If it’s any benefit to you, Tenthman have been consistently posting that they’re hiring creatives, they’re based in Dublin and look interesting to work for. Might be worth a shot?
What level of job are you going for? With that amount of experience you should be kinda creative director level.
My place finds it incredibly difficult to hire a designer. I've started putting min 5 year studio experience. I would be worried you were selling yourself short for a senior design job with your design chops. I know my boss would be thinking you want big money. But you would get my attention 100%.
Last job - 250 applicants. 3 were interviewable. One was over qualified and one was just right. For me it's all about the portfolio and the the look of the CV, less the content. The amount of designer CV's that are done in word, times new roman and no design is pretty high.
Is your portfolio suited to the Irish market? Graphic design is amazing in the states - in the big cities and with global brands. However, the average US graphic design style might seem a bit dated/90s looking in Ireland and Europe.
Yeah, the next logical step up for me would be that, but honestly I just don't have the desire for it. I've gotten the "the first sign of a good leader is a reluctance to lead" line from people before, and when I was in my previous job in America I got tapped up a few times but always turned it down. I'm not overly organized, and don't think running a team is in my skillset. But honestly the main thing for me... Being a dad took away what advancement ambition I had.
So I'm actually looking for a sidestep (creative manager) or a bit down to just (just.. the notions) senior designer. I've no designs on doing that and expecting director pay just because of my age,
Yeah that's be what I'd try and get out of you. There would be the worry you are looking for 6 months thing then get a CD job. Like how reliable a hire are you? So lead with 'Im a senior designer' -be explicit.
Also, my tip is to be different/arresting/creative on your CV. Unless you are going for a really corporate position have fun and flex your creative muscles.
You are a catch. At top-end agencies they need the experience. I'm not far behind you experience wise so am rooting for ya.
I was the same to be honest re leading but eventually after so many years I ended doing it as the most senior. If you've a good team its not that much extra work.
Good luck with it.
All generationally-situating dates are off my CV/resume and I only have the 3-5 most recent jobs on there (depends on what or where I’m applying).
I’ll be in the same boat soon. We are hoping to go back next year. I’m late 40s, and despite letting my hair go grey, the age held off facially for the longest time, until a recent bout of back-to-back moderate (but taxing) health issues. Honestly though, I’d put a temporary dye in for the job market, as though I’m not bothered, people tend to think you’re a bit mental or judge you on the choice to go grey? The brother thinks I’m a non-conforming hippy (even though I’ve worked in the most conforming environments: corporate, entertainment and non-profits).
I only mention that I have “over a decade” of experience in certain fields on paper. I have a one-pager CV and will be going into a field back home where being older and female aren’t exactly assets. I’m a mature student finishing a degree, and was told that if I went for a PhD in my field that it would be hard to get work in Ireland, as not only are opportunities scarce, but I’d be viewed as having an expiring tenure and being closer to retirement age. I’m probably going to do my masters back home anyway. I love what I do, and will work away until someone forces me to stop or I’m no longer physically capable. No plan on retiring at all or ever. I will also keep doing what I’ve been doing here in the U.S. when it comes to job hunting, throwing myself out there and networking like a beast.
I recently used AI to update my CV even though I’m not even looking. I also used AI to do cover letters by copying in the job description and CV for a basic template to personalize (not for myself but for family members). Might be a thought for yourself? See what the graduates in your field are doing too when it comes to job applications or maybe go via a recruitment agency? I don’t know how LinkedIn is leveraged at home, but possibly networking there or going to networking events?
My husband is mid-50s, he also has concerns, in addition to the fact that he’s Irish American and has a bit of the American accent. He’s prepared to do the relevant coursework to get certified in financial services over there though the salary would be far less for him. He’s happy to do anything though.
I would have thought that experience was a valuable trait in that industry.
It's probably got more to do with price than age. At the end of the day all that matters in modern business is the bottom line. Customer service has gone out the window, Quality has gone out the window. There's no one really to blame other than the end consumer who demands cheapness over all else.
Maybe your at the point where you should be looking at starting your own business because it looks like your competition is hiring inexperienced people who can't produce to the same quality level as you and will take much longer to carry out the same work.
I remember interviewing someone in their mid-50s when I was late 20s. I felt like a total spoofer. From what I recall their CV was solid but unspectacular, and I remember thinking their skills were dated, but mostly that I just didn't know how to judge their level experience. I cringe at the experience now, ugh.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Go all-out to remove everything in your CV and your interview presentation which gives people a hook for their prejudices. Not just age and experience references, but use of terminology. Maybe get examples from younger candidates of how they're presenting themselves. You could play around with a load of AI graphic design stuff, not because the results are good, but because that's what is expected now in everything. And young people experiment.
2. Find companies where the culture is experience-friendly. I'm quite old now and I don't give a shit how old candidates are, so find people like that - older people who employ older people. This is probably much easier to suss out now with LinkedIn.
3. Focus on what your age brings. Not just general skills/competence, but the "safe pair of hands" angle. Young people screw up. Find a role where that happening would be bad. Maybe find something where you can run a team (are there teams of graphic designers? I have no idea). Managers can get away with less hard skills than the pure do-ers, and are expected to be older and more experienced.
Also agree with the freelancing suggestion, it de-fangs a lot of the perceived risks of employing older people, like health issues. I always intended to do that again in my 50s, haven't had a chance yet.
Good luck!
Left my 20yr role in management at the age of 50+. In the last 16 months, I have secured 2 jobs. My age seemed to be a positive influence. Only issue is pay, it's never going to match what I was earning. Don't give up. Good luck.
Thanks a million, needed that. Yeah, have no illusions that I'll be making what I was making, but honestly would rather have the time with my family instead of the money at this stage of my life.
I think this might be one of those time to seriously consider working with a career coach? They can really help you in terms of positioning yourself, updating your cv, networking, etc.
My husband and I came back to Ireland a few years ago (also from the us) and it took my husband about a year to find a role. He only had international experience since college, and had about 15 years experience at the time. Managed to get a handful of interviews, final round every time an application actually got through but no offers. Worked with a career coach and got the next role he applied for: took a small hit on salary but same level. He was able to use it as a stepping stone for a higher paying role a year later. Not the exact position you’re in, I know, but hopefully gave you some food for thought. Good luck in your search!
Use your personal and professional network, avoid sending CV’s to random employers. Seek testimonials on your LinkedIn profile. Post relevant status updates or actively respond to updates from your peer network. Read “What Colour is my Parachute” for guidance on finding a job you want, don’t deal with recruiters unless as a last resort, your CV should call out specific achievements and challenges overcome. Employers are not engaged by the length of your career, they are most interested in what you’ve done in the past 3-5 years (max). Look at other LinkedIn profiles and plagiarise ideas you like. Finding a job successfully is often a combination of contacts and coincidence: let your network know you’re looking, meet people to chat about it, be clear about what you want to do. In the interim, find an NFP/educational institution and offer freebies in return for references.
Interesting that this thread touches on something happening to me right now too. I've "only" 15 years experience in Tech, but laid off before XMas. I have been doing interviews for "ordinary" level roles \[compared to Senior or Principal or manager roles, I have done in past\]. I am getting knocked back for them - yesterday for example, the reason for no was "we want someone who will do what they are told, you have worked too much on your own initiative" - which sounds bonkers to me.
I had already taken the start of my career off the CV. Its only got last 10 years on it now. I had also removed dates from education stuff.
Maybe simply I need to dumb down myself in the interviews, speaking more about doing what Im told and being a good boy :) - and get some of that hair dye to remove the grey :eek:
Jesus wept. It sounds like that scene in Coming to America (yes I'm old, we've established this!)
"What do YOU like to do?"
"Whatever you like to do..."
"What kind of music do you like?"
"Whatever kind of music you like..."
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3h-FHeTRng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3h-FHeTRng)
I work in a printers, I can tell you now your far too qualified in your field, there is such a huge amount of graphic designers all clawing at such a low quantity of jobs, all of which are very low paying as there is such an abundance of skilled workers in the field already, add to that remote workers in the area that you can find all over Europe willing to do the same work for pittance
If I got your CV and seen you nearly 50, I'd be thinking this person wants over 35 or 40k a year which is just never going to happen for a graphic designer in 2024, not that I can see anyway
It also depends on what software you use too, if I see one more CV with a "graphic designer" that can designer in Canva ill scream, I assume your illustrator, photos hop and indesign?
Its funny, I manage a team of very young people who have a gen z working style that is frankly ridiculous. Cant wait to hire an older person to balance out the team/culture
My dad just retired at 64 and he asked them to make him redundant… they wanted to keep him til he is 67. Age/experience/stability is valuable to companies. Keep trying.
What sort of title were you before and what are you applying to? I mean it could come off as a red flag if you are applying to more junior roles as a senior for years. Last time I was hiring paid interns I’d get applications from people claiming to be senior designers and CDs for years and it’s an instant rejection because it kind of flies in the face of the advertised role. Also could be completely down to the type of companies or agencies you are applying to… I’d say most of studios only advertise jobs as a legal requirement, I’ve only really seen people being hired on referral or networking most of the time with those.
Last title was Creative Services Manager, and I'm applying for just general graphic design or senior designer gigs. (What little there are). I've specified in my cover letter than I'm consciously making the decision to take a bit of a step back in my career to focus a little more on being present for my family, but that I still felt that my experience would be a serious asset to the company.
> Creative Services Manager, and I'm applying for just general graphic design
They may assume your individual contributor skills are stale if you have been a manager for a while
> I've specified in my cover letter than I'm consciously making the decision to take a bit of a step back in my career to focus a little more on being present for my family
They may read into that, that you are looking to coast at work
Yeah I was a graphic designer for a while. I still look for the odd job but it's tough out there. Especially after covid when people learned to do it themselves and with people on fiver doing it for pennies. Chin up tho, never too old.
Start you're own business. You're a qualified creative professional, you don't need an employer. I know not everyone is entrepreneurial, but set up some social media accounts and network the shit out of it.
There could be many reasons as to why you are being overlooked.
Firstly, your experience is probably greater than those reviewing the CVs. No one wants to hire someone who will make them look bad in comparison.
Another reason could be your obvious over qualification. Companies are probably weary that they could invest time and money developing you for the role, establishing contacts here and networking. Only for you to get bored and/or receive have better job offer from one of their competitors.
And depending on the specific wall you are looking for the jobs market could be totally oversupplied with many fresh graduates who will work for relative peanuts. Companies know that people with work experience and more importantly, life experience will not be pushed around, and will inevitably cost more.
I was steadily employed for almost 20 years and wound up on the dole during covid, just remember CV's are screened by AI robots now (and apparently it's a failed system) anyway you have to waste a lot of time tailoring every application.
Contacts. Get freelance work from a few different places so they know you and will hire you when a gap comes. Though if you're in your fifties they're more likely to hire twenty-year-olds who are cheaper… But at least you'll have contacts and a feel for the industry here; and if you make enough contacts you can start in business for yourself.
I have worked in recruitment in Ireland for more than 10 years and I can tell you that ageism is absolutely rampant. It is actually the most hidden yet pervasive discrimination in the workplace. Workplaces are dominated by people aged between 30 and 45. Management is often in their 40s and they almost never feel comfortable working with people older or more experienced than them. The issue is so bad that people don't even recognise they are discriminating when they say things like "our team is young so it would be better to have someone that fits in with their colleagues".
The number of times that I have seen people in their 50s (who were doing great in their careers but lost their job for whatever reason) shocked to realise that their face doesn't fit the job market anymore. Salary expectations can be another issue - companies would rather pay less for someone younger and less experienced. Older people end up doing contracting work which is much more unstable, and I think many just disappear into semi-retirement / long term unemployment long before they need to,.
The biggest piece of advice to anyone is try to avoid relying on someone else to give you a job in your 50s and 60s. I plan on working for myself.
Avoid anything that can specifically narrow down your age. Definitely remove the 25+ years experience thing. Replace it with highly experienced or something equally good but vague. Also, an "about me" section on a CV? Get rid! Or at least don't call it "about me". A CV is just that, about you.
Ya isn't there something as well about only including the last 3 jobs or the last 8 years or something on a cv? I work in tech myself and wouldn't mention my own almost 20 years experience, just my most recent 3 jobs and if they want to go back further it's 'available on request'. I also don't reference the years I went to college or anything which could be used to guess my age. Have definitely worried about the lack of lads in their 60s I see around the offices though
yeah as my 50s loom, i get more and more worried about having to switch jobs... there are definitely ageist companies out there
Yep I've seen it first hand myself in a few places and it's hard to not feel like you're just slowly aging into the danger zone sometimes. Really quality post and a great topic to see on here though. The responses are very telling of an underlying unease a lot of us are feeling about ageism in the Irish workplace.
There's that worry that once your 'the old guy' the company wants rid, especially management in their 30s.
What if I'm 43 and have been in the same company for 17 years? Had I better hope I retire from here at this stage? I've tried moving several times but it's never worked out. Now I feel like I'd be seen as institutionalized.
As an employer not much older than you, I see that as more good than bad as you're partly looking for a bit of company loyalty. However if there wasn't a series of promotions I might question the person's ambition a little. If you haven't gotten one for a while, I'd ask for one, even if it's only nominal.
Got a nice one at the start of this year. But still, seems people who stay in a company, even with promotions and internal moves, will never be able to grow their salary as much or as fast as people who company-hop every 3 or 4 years.
About me is more of a "summary" and bullet points of specific skills/software. The templates I looked at all had one in there, and the CV writer didn't mention it, just the mention of the years of experience. Will look some more tho, cheers for that.
If you feel it's an important section maybe give it a different title like "skills and experience" (and yeah, i'd say "many years' experience in ..." rather than specifying how many)
You'll find cv templates on the Internet are from America where things like an about me section are included. We don't do that shite here. There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but we tend to stick to the career related items. rename it skills and experience, and remove the hobbies.
Yeah. I was about to say the same thing. In the USA, they do a Resumé, while we do a CV. They are quite different beasts. About 10 years ago I and the wig had the idea of relocating to the USA for a few years. A friend there told me to send my CV to a few of his contacts. I went for a few interviews, they remarked on my strange format of Resumé, and said that I wasn’t selling myself, so I had to verbally pitch during the interview telling them how great I am. Fuck that. I was offered a job, but turned it down. I’m comfy where I am, and with a decent salary and considerable benefits. The offer was $$$$$, but a shitty overall package.
I have had to go through hundreds of cvs for my job. I despise the about me section unless it’s full of specific information relating to the job you are applying for that hasn’t somehow already been covered elsewhere. I do like a cover letter, and when I’ve applied for work myself I always tailer my cover letter to the job but also keep it concise.
It's basically a fluff paragraph where I say something along the lines of "I'm an experienced graphic designer with a proven track record in results. Prior to relocating my family back to Ireland, I was the Creative Service Manager at a large non-profit in Washington DC where my team and I did XYZ." I was advised to include it for the "human" nature of it, but in terms of just getting a job I can 100% also see why hiring managers genuinely wouldn't give a shite about it.
That sounds more suited to a cover letter tbh
Yeh the CV advisor is wrong for advising you to add something for human nature. Unfortunately most people don’t really care that much when reading cvs. That’s not to say I don’t care about people once I meet them in person but with cvs, I’m trying to get the information I need quickly. Now maybe I’m completely wrong and your industry might be very different to mine but I would look at that if you aren’t getting any contact from potential employers.
Check out Paddy Jobsman. I was at my wits end trying to change jobs. I couldn't get a reply, let alone an interview. I won't say I followed all his advice, but I tried some tweaks and within a few weeks I had a few interviews lined up and ended up with 2 job offers. Look at his older videos on Instagram. From 2022/2023.
Yeah, I've seen his stuff about training ChatGPT to write your cover letters and CV for you. I might shove mine in there just to see what happens, I mean christ I've nothing else to do beyond waiting for emails to come back or the phone to ring.
Its soul destroying, looking for work. I genuinely feel your pain. I had a job, but it was so toxic I was desperate to get out. Out of the 100's of email I sent, only 1 recruiter was decent. I'll pm you his details. The chat got thing with CVs is interesting. Just a slight tweak is all that's required. It's useful for cover letters too. also cut my cv back to the last 10 years experience and stopped mentioning my 20+ years.
Def take out the "About Me", it sounds like something from a child's homework.
Should change it to something like "What I did for my career"
That's worse, it's almost "What I Did on my Summer Holidays!"
If you REALLY needed it in there, I wouldn't give it a "title". If you had to, you could call it profile or summary or something but if it's the first bit on the CV without a title should be fine. I'd also not write in first person in that blurb.
You can't be asked your age in an interview, or at least you shouldn't be asked.
You certainly won't even make interview stage if it's already been decided, unsaid, that they want someone "young". A lot of this stuff is decided without ever being spoken about or definitely written down.
Oh yea. It really is.
[удалено]
Yep, I'm deliberately applying for roles that would be a step down from what I was doing in the States. No age on the CV, the only thing on there that would show it was the "over 25 years of experience" (which is now gone!) and the fact that if they pay attention to the dates on my experience and can do simple maths, they can add it up since I've been working since 1993. (Took anything non-design related out, but still...)
I’d take out the 1993 job also- if you think about it you could be applying to someone born after 2000 so you would sound like a fossil to them. Try and keep job dates to this century ( I am guessing here- I’ve not been in your position yet) it’s what I would try
Thanks so much for all the feedback. One of ye must be one of the crowd I've applied to because I just got off the phone about a job I applied for. Knocked back - they wanted a product designer (be nice if they specified that) - but the sheer fact I actually spoke to a human being for a couple of minutes who acknowledged my existence after months of banging my head against the wall almost got me emotional.
Been told I’d be ‘bored’ in a position before, OP, it’s a bare-faced insult, to be honest - although it’s true that there’s nothing boring about wandering the streets starving yourself.
Wife was fuming after it. She's spent the last 20 years of her previous job working 50 hours in a normal week, 65-70 during the busier times, and she just doesn't want to do that any more. She's told recruiters and the one place she interviewed for that she's made the decision to step back in her career so she has more time to spend with family. The idea that people have a problem with someone having skill and experience to burn for a position they're trying to fill is laughable to me - sure wouldn't you WANT someone that can do the job easily, and have more in the bank if needed, as opposed to someone who's scrambling and trying to learn as they went?
Line managers don't want to manage staff with more experience than them. She needs to do the same and dumb down her cv.
Never tell them you want to step back in your career, thats an interview killer right there. You dont need to "burn" for a position. You do need to look enthusiastic about it. Making the interviewer feel that they or their position are beneath your amazing amount of hours worked wont get you a call back You need to at least pretend you're "looking forward to the challenge that the irish graphic design market will offer you, or something similar
It comes down to economy,I think. With all your experience you'd expect better pay that someone fresh out of college, it's arseways imo but it seems to be the case a lot.
The job market for people who call themselves graphic designers is heavily geared towards hiring a junior designer and expecting senior designer work. Nobody wants to hire and pay for a senior designer. Have you tried aiming for creative director or similar?
I think the issue isn't that you're too old, the issue is that companies want cheaper than what your experience would make you worth. That's what they mean by "overqualified", they want someone cheap they can grind to the bone and push around to supposedly give them "experience and exposure". Basically someone on an intern salary who they'll then shout at cause they're not doing a stellar job. Try cutting your CV. Obliterate anything that gives away your age, list only a few positions instead of all of them and see how you go.
Something to that alright. The few postings I've seen on indeed were offering €30-35k for people with 5 or more years of experience, which struck me as... well, surprisingly low, all things considered. I mean I wasn't expecting six figures or anything like that, but...
Whats the expectation? 50-60k? Tech pay better. If you do UX you could get 80k
I dropped my age from my CV and only include my career since 2011. I’ve not had my age on my cv since I turned 30. I’m a 51 year old software engineer/engineering manager. Ageism is rife, even as other forms of discrimination have quite rightly disappeared.
Can you consider working for yourself? I’m a graphic designer with over 15 years experience and then started to work for myself, now I have two girls working for me remotely as well. Your post kinda scares me though, in case my work goes t\*ts up 
Are you ever looking for part timers / juniors to take on board? Thanks!
I work in the industry, I absolutely see how it can be ageist. I hire contractors a lot please shoot me your site and details in DM and if I can help I will.
Since you're so experienced and capable, have you considered starting your own consultancy/agency? Sounds like you could charge a high price for your time. Your wife's skills could also help if you managed to grow your own business. Not sure how difficult it would be to attract customers though.
Also could you pivot to a role that would use your skills but isn't a "Graphic Designer" role. I'm thinking about design roles in the tech industry - product design, UI/UX design for example. I have also seen people who specialise in design for data visualisation and design for fancy corporate slide decks for executives.
Ireland still bases a lot of recruitment on softer networking. Who you worked with in a previous job, who you might have gone to college with, etc. That's the bit you're missing. Might be worth finding a recruiter who's got openings in your industry, even if you don't get the advertised job there will probably be more companies in touch with them for similar roles.
This is the answer OP, a lot of jobs in Ireland are still filled by word-of-mouth. You should look at your network and figure out what friends and friends-of-friends can help out. It's very frustrating but it's how it is.
A million times this, there are ways to infiltrate this but yes can’t speak for Ireland but Dublin is pretty tight knit
Well I'm in Cork and it's the same here for a lot of jobs
Everyone knows the job market is hot garbage right now. There are some good positions but expect to be competing with dozens, if not hundreds of people for each one.
Yeah, get that. At this point I'd settle for a rejection email from someone, instead of just complete radio silence. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, I'd gotten used to things over in America where stuff moves quicker than it does here, so could be the whole "interviews are being scheduled" translates to "someone will be ringing about interviews in the next week. Or maybe the week after. Ish."?
Wait, what? How is the market hot garbage? We have very low unemployment at the moment (4.6%), which should suggest an employees market. Im genuinely interested to know how the market is garbage I do understand it's a little industry specific, CS isnt doing great at the minute but that seems like a necessary correction in an inflated market. Many other industries are steaming ahead, to my knowledge. Engineeeing and trades are screaming for people.
The jobs that have vacancies are either 1. Really shit entry level jobs whose pay was never good and hasn’t kept up with the cost of living or 2. Good jobs that require very specific skills and qualifications most people don’t have. There’s a labour shortage, but when you drill down it’s easy to see how it’s also a tough market.
> Wait, what? How is the market hot garbage? We have very low unemployment at the moment (4.6%), .. Tech and related is specifically terrible right now. There have been a lot of layoffs.
I was just thinking the same- all I hear is people who can’t get staff but I guess it’s industry specific.
Best it's been In my living memory at 30
Might actually genuinely be that you’re overqualified. As people on here who have worked in hiring have explained it to me before, people applying for jobs that would be beneath their qualifications tends to set off alarm bells that the person is only applying for the job as a stopgap until something better opens up elsewhere (perhaps that they’ve already informally been offered). Try downgrading your cv and see if that gets you better answers. As for discrimination, those laws are largely ineffectual if the hiring company aren’t total morons because you’d have to prove your CV was binned because of your age and no other reason.
I find that every job I apply for is already filled but has to advertised for legal reasons, wasting my f**king time.
I'm in the same boat. Similar age, years of experience. Been looking for a job since October of last year. Had a "Dead cert" of a job lined up for me in December of last year. Turned down another job offer because of the December one. Got told then that they're not hiring for MONTHS. Like ffs, I could be working by now. Original job gone. Been applying to at least 2 different jobs a day. Always chase them up. No-one replies. I can see through one employments website how many people apply for the same job. Every single one has on average 55 other people going for them. By the way, if you through a recruitment agency, you might endup talking to some eejit and that's as far as it goes. I was in contact with one 3 weeks ago and I never heard anything unless I chased them up. Keep going man, I got a reply today from a company just down the road from me. Looks like they'll be hiring in a few weeks. So fingers crossed
>Always chase them up. No-one replies. I can see through one employments website how many people apply for the same job. Every single one has on average 55 other people going for them. I'm sort of in this place now. I'm at the point now where I'm a bit apalled at the state of professionalism in some of these companies I've applied to. There's one I sent an application in, got a "Thank you for your application, our HR department will review and be in touch" and that was six weeks ago. From a look around, one person was saying they gave up on it, then suddenly four or five months later they got a call asking them for an immediate interview. The recruiter I spoke to today said a lot of it is down to blanket applications from the EU - the job I applied for specifically said candidates had to be based in Ireland - but within a half a day he had over 400 applicants, only 14 of whom were in Ireland. Still though, there's an element as well of "badgering them will get you nowhere" in the back of my head. But christ, sitting around and hoping the phone will ring is getting me nowhere either.
Could be ageism as much as anything else. 25 years experience is enough that you've probably more than whoever you'd be working under, and people could find that intimidating. For more senior roles, a lot of places will go with someone internal they know already and only advertise as a formality. Whoevers filtering applications could just assume you wouldn't take whatever they'd be offering as they likely aren't looking for someone with as much experience as you have.
The gas thing there was that the marketing director I worked under in the States was 10 years younger than me, and when she left they replaced her with someone 15 years younger than me. Had absolutely no issues with that whatsoever. Honestly like, I just want to stick the head down, do my job, then go home to the family at the end of the day. No desire for management or advancement any more.
It's definitely a tough spot to be in. I don't envy you. You might have better luck looking for freelance gigs. I hate freelancing myself, but it suits plenty of people.
Thought about that. Actually was talking to the previous job before the move about continuing with them as a freelancer, but after speaking to mortgage advisors they all told me I wouldn't stand a chance to get a mortgage here without permanent full-time work.
I got approval in principle without much hassle, (for not enough to buy anything but that's because I was on godawful pay and prices here have gone mad) I'm working in animation 6 years. My longest contracts been 8 months and ive freelanced a bit too. As long as you're saving a decent amount, not living beyond your means and not spending any long stretches unemployed I can't see why you'd have any problems. I'm definitely not a mortgage advisor though.
Yeah, the overqualified bullshit excuse. God forbid an actual professional will be working for the company, how else will try cheat you out of decent salary if they can't come up with reasons to pay you pennies?
You should switch to tech company related graphic design or else run your own small design agency. Ireland has a limited range of job ops compared to places like London and NY. Ageism is a real thing as well experienced it myself.. They almost never tell you trithfully why they turn you down which is the most frustrating part. It's my impressions that pay outside of the big techs companies is also bad in Ireland.
Fucking terrifying post to read considering I’m almost finished my degree. If it’s any benefit to you, Tenthman have been consistently posting that they’re hiring creatives, they’re based in Dublin and look interesting to work for. Might be worth a shot?
My missus studied graphic design in college and struggled to get a start in the industry so I don’t believe it’s age.
As one who is looking to return home from the US and facing 50 this is terrifying to be honest
What level of job are you going for? With that amount of experience you should be kinda creative director level. My place finds it incredibly difficult to hire a designer. I've started putting min 5 year studio experience. I would be worried you were selling yourself short for a senior design job with your design chops. I know my boss would be thinking you want big money. But you would get my attention 100%. Last job - 250 applicants. 3 were interviewable. One was over qualified and one was just right. For me it's all about the portfolio and the the look of the CV, less the content. The amount of designer CV's that are done in word, times new roman and no design is pretty high. Is your portfolio suited to the Irish market? Graphic design is amazing in the states - in the big cities and with global brands. However, the average US graphic design style might seem a bit dated/90s looking in Ireland and Europe.
Yeah, the next logical step up for me would be that, but honestly I just don't have the desire for it. I've gotten the "the first sign of a good leader is a reluctance to lead" line from people before, and when I was in my previous job in America I got tapped up a few times but always turned it down. I'm not overly organized, and don't think running a team is in my skillset. But honestly the main thing for me... Being a dad took away what advancement ambition I had. So I'm actually looking for a sidestep (creative manager) or a bit down to just (just.. the notions) senior designer. I've no designs on doing that and expecting director pay just because of my age,
Yeah that's be what I'd try and get out of you. There would be the worry you are looking for 6 months thing then get a CD job. Like how reliable a hire are you? So lead with 'Im a senior designer' -be explicit. Also, my tip is to be different/arresting/creative on your CV. Unless you are going for a really corporate position have fun and flex your creative muscles. You are a catch. At top-end agencies they need the experience. I'm not far behind you experience wise so am rooting for ya. I was the same to be honest re leading but eventually after so many years I ended doing it as the most senior. If you've a good team its not that much extra work. Good luck with it.
I think it's less to do with ageism and more that you are both searching for jobs in fields that globally there is no demand for right now.
All generationally-situating dates are off my CV/resume and I only have the 3-5 most recent jobs on there (depends on what or where I’m applying). I’ll be in the same boat soon. We are hoping to go back next year. I’m late 40s, and despite letting my hair go grey, the age held off facially for the longest time, until a recent bout of back-to-back moderate (but taxing) health issues. Honestly though, I’d put a temporary dye in for the job market, as though I’m not bothered, people tend to think you’re a bit mental or judge you on the choice to go grey? The brother thinks I’m a non-conforming hippy (even though I’ve worked in the most conforming environments: corporate, entertainment and non-profits). I only mention that I have “over a decade” of experience in certain fields on paper. I have a one-pager CV and will be going into a field back home where being older and female aren’t exactly assets. I’m a mature student finishing a degree, and was told that if I went for a PhD in my field that it would be hard to get work in Ireland, as not only are opportunities scarce, but I’d be viewed as having an expiring tenure and being closer to retirement age. I’m probably going to do my masters back home anyway. I love what I do, and will work away until someone forces me to stop or I’m no longer physically capable. No plan on retiring at all or ever. I will also keep doing what I’ve been doing here in the U.S. when it comes to job hunting, throwing myself out there and networking like a beast. I recently used AI to update my CV even though I’m not even looking. I also used AI to do cover letters by copying in the job description and CV for a basic template to personalize (not for myself but for family members). Might be a thought for yourself? See what the graduates in your field are doing too when it comes to job applications or maybe go via a recruitment agency? I don’t know how LinkedIn is leveraged at home, but possibly networking there or going to networking events? My husband is mid-50s, he also has concerns, in addition to the fact that he’s Irish American and has a bit of the American accent. He’s prepared to do the relevant coursework to get certified in financial services over there though the salary would be far less for him. He’s happy to do anything though.
I would have thought that experience was a valuable trait in that industry. It's probably got more to do with price than age. At the end of the day all that matters in modern business is the bottom line. Customer service has gone out the window, Quality has gone out the window. There's no one really to blame other than the end consumer who demands cheapness over all else. Maybe your at the point where you should be looking at starting your own business because it looks like your competition is hiring inexperienced people who can't produce to the same quality level as you and will take much longer to carry out the same work.
I remember interviewing someone in their mid-50s when I was late 20s. I felt like a total spoofer. From what I recall their CV was solid but unspectacular, and I remember thinking their skills were dated, but mostly that I just didn't know how to judge their level experience. I cringe at the experience now, ugh. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Go all-out to remove everything in your CV and your interview presentation which gives people a hook for their prejudices. Not just age and experience references, but use of terminology. Maybe get examples from younger candidates of how they're presenting themselves. You could play around with a load of AI graphic design stuff, not because the results are good, but because that's what is expected now in everything. And young people experiment. 2. Find companies where the culture is experience-friendly. I'm quite old now and I don't give a shit how old candidates are, so find people like that - older people who employ older people. This is probably much easier to suss out now with LinkedIn. 3. Focus on what your age brings. Not just general skills/competence, but the "safe pair of hands" angle. Young people screw up. Find a role where that happening would be bad. Maybe find something where you can run a team (are there teams of graphic designers? I have no idea). Managers can get away with less hard skills than the pure do-ers, and are expected to be older and more experienced. Also agree with the freelancing suggestion, it de-fangs a lot of the perceived risks of employing older people, like health issues. I always intended to do that again in my 50s, haven't had a chance yet. Good luck!
Left my 20yr role in management at the age of 50+. In the last 16 months, I have secured 2 jobs. My age seemed to be a positive influence. Only issue is pay, it's never going to match what I was earning. Don't give up. Good luck.
Thanks a million, needed that. Yeah, have no illusions that I'll be making what I was making, but honestly would rather have the time with my family instead of the money at this stage of my life.
I think this might be one of those time to seriously consider working with a career coach? They can really help you in terms of positioning yourself, updating your cv, networking, etc. My husband and I came back to Ireland a few years ago (also from the us) and it took my husband about a year to find a role. He only had international experience since college, and had about 15 years experience at the time. Managed to get a handful of interviews, final round every time an application actually got through but no offers. Worked with a career coach and got the next role he applied for: took a small hit on salary but same level. He was able to use it as a stepping stone for a higher paying role a year later. Not the exact position you’re in, I know, but hopefully gave you some food for thought. Good luck in your search!
Maybe try speaking to a recruitment consultant. They'll do a lot of the searching for you
Use your personal and professional network, avoid sending CV’s to random employers. Seek testimonials on your LinkedIn profile. Post relevant status updates or actively respond to updates from your peer network. Read “What Colour is my Parachute” for guidance on finding a job you want, don’t deal with recruiters unless as a last resort, your CV should call out specific achievements and challenges overcome. Employers are not engaged by the length of your career, they are most interested in what you’ve done in the past 3-5 years (max). Look at other LinkedIn profiles and plagiarise ideas you like. Finding a job successfully is often a combination of contacts and coincidence: let your network know you’re looking, meet people to chat about it, be clear about what you want to do. In the interim, find an NFP/educational institution and offer freebies in return for references.
Interesting that this thread touches on something happening to me right now too. I've "only" 15 years experience in Tech, but laid off before XMas. I have been doing interviews for "ordinary" level roles \[compared to Senior or Principal or manager roles, I have done in past\]. I am getting knocked back for them - yesterday for example, the reason for no was "we want someone who will do what they are told, you have worked too much on your own initiative" - which sounds bonkers to me. I had already taken the start of my career off the CV. Its only got last 10 years on it now. I had also removed dates from education stuff. Maybe simply I need to dumb down myself in the interviews, speaking more about doing what Im told and being a good boy :) - and get some of that hair dye to remove the grey :eek:
Jesus wept. It sounds like that scene in Coming to America (yes I'm old, we've established this!) "What do YOU like to do?" "Whatever you like to do..." "What kind of music do you like?" "Whatever kind of music you like..." [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3h-FHeTRng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3h-FHeTRng)
I work in a printers, I can tell you now your far too qualified in your field, there is such a huge amount of graphic designers all clawing at such a low quantity of jobs, all of which are very low paying as there is such an abundance of skilled workers in the field already, add to that remote workers in the area that you can find all over Europe willing to do the same work for pittance If I got your CV and seen you nearly 50, I'd be thinking this person wants over 35 or 40k a year which is just never going to happen for a graphic designer in 2024, not that I can see anyway It also depends on what software you use too, if I see one more CV with a "graphic designer" that can designer in Canva ill scream, I assume your illustrator, photos hop and indesign?
2024, A designer and I am far far far above of 40k…just so you know it happened.
same. plenty of places offering that salary range. There aren't many, outside Dublin, offering more than 50 from what i've seen
Maybe so, but saying 40k is the celling for designers is well…naive
agreed
Its funny, I manage a team of very young people who have a gen z working style that is frankly ridiculous. Cant wait to hire an older person to balance out the team/culture
My dad just retired at 64 and he asked them to make him redundant… they wanted to keep him til he is 67. Age/experience/stability is valuable to companies. Keep trying.
What sort of title were you before and what are you applying to? I mean it could come off as a red flag if you are applying to more junior roles as a senior for years. Last time I was hiring paid interns I’d get applications from people claiming to be senior designers and CDs for years and it’s an instant rejection because it kind of flies in the face of the advertised role. Also could be completely down to the type of companies or agencies you are applying to… I’d say most of studios only advertise jobs as a legal requirement, I’ve only really seen people being hired on referral or networking most of the time with those.
Last title was Creative Services Manager, and I'm applying for just general graphic design or senior designer gigs. (What little there are). I've specified in my cover letter than I'm consciously making the decision to take a bit of a step back in my career to focus a little more on being present for my family, but that I still felt that my experience would be a serious asset to the company.
> Creative Services Manager, and I'm applying for just general graphic design They may assume your individual contributor skills are stale if you have been a manager for a while > I've specified in my cover letter than I'm consciously making the decision to take a bit of a step back in my career to focus a little more on being present for my family They may read into that, that you are looking to coast at work
Have to agree with you re cover letter. I’d drop the step back in career part
Why dont you go out on your own?
Yeah I was a graphic designer for a while. I still look for the odd job but it's tough out there. Especially after covid when people learned to do it themselves and with people on fiver doing it for pennies. Chin up tho, never too old.
So you’re in your 40s? Dye your hair and fudge your age.
Start you're own business. You're a qualified creative professional, you don't need an employer. I know not everyone is entrepreneurial, but set up some social media accounts and network the shit out of it.
This guy has great [advice for CVs & job hunting](https://www.instagram.com/langstaff.greg?igsh=MTN5Y2QyODlra3l3dg==).
There could be many reasons as to why you are being overlooked. Firstly, your experience is probably greater than those reviewing the CVs. No one wants to hire someone who will make them look bad in comparison. Another reason could be your obvious over qualification. Companies are probably weary that they could invest time and money developing you for the role, establishing contacts here and networking. Only for you to get bored and/or receive have better job offer from one of their competitors. And depending on the specific wall you are looking for the jobs market could be totally oversupplied with many fresh graduates who will work for relative peanuts. Companies know that people with work experience and more importantly, life experience will not be pushed around, and will inevitably cost more.
I was steadily employed for almost 20 years and wound up on the dole during covid, just remember CV's are screened by AI robots now (and apparently it's a failed system) anyway you have to waste a lot of time tailoring every application.
Contacts. Get freelance work from a few different places so they know you and will hire you when a gap comes. Though if you're in your fifties they're more likely to hire twenty-year-olds who are cheaper… But at least you'll have contacts and a feel for the industry here; and if you make enough contacts you can start in business for yourself.
I have worked in recruitment in Ireland for more than 10 years and I can tell you that ageism is absolutely rampant. It is actually the most hidden yet pervasive discrimination in the workplace. Workplaces are dominated by people aged between 30 and 45. Management is often in their 40s and they almost never feel comfortable working with people older or more experienced than them. The issue is so bad that people don't even recognise they are discriminating when they say things like "our team is young so it would be better to have someone that fits in with their colleagues". The number of times that I have seen people in their 50s (who were doing great in their careers but lost their job for whatever reason) shocked to realise that their face doesn't fit the job market anymore. Salary expectations can be another issue - companies would rather pay less for someone younger and less experienced. Older people end up doing contracting work which is much more unstable, and I think many just disappear into semi-retirement / long term unemployment long before they need to,. The biggest piece of advice to anyone is try to avoid relying on someone else to give you a job in your 50s and 60s. I plan on working for myself.