Much is often made of challenges face by mature age workers, but what about mature age students? Heidi Holmes, MD of Adage.com.au, a leading job board for mature workers explores this emerging, neglected audience.
Allan Stewart. Worlds oldest university graduate aged 97 years. Southern Cross University graduation photo 4th May 2012
Over the past 12 months, mature age workers have regularly featured in media, research and Government policy. The recent announcement of the Government’s $1000 cash bonus for employers of jobseekers over 50 as part of their Jobs Bonus Scheme, has brought further attention to this issue. While the merits of this initiative are yet to be determined, there is no denying it has roused interest from some employers.
Through my work with Adage, I have become well aware of the challenges facing mature jobseekers and also some of the barriers they may face in obtaining employment.
However in recent weeks I have had an increase in enquiries from outside my usual ‘jobseeker’ – the mature age worker – to now include mature age students.
In this context a mature age student could be someone completing an under graduate degree at 32 or even post graduate at 62. Basically, anyone completing studies outside what is seen as the typical ‘graduate’ years – 20 to 30.
Graduate recruiting season for 2013 is coming to a close, with many organisations closing applications in mid April. The nature of these programs are particularly competitive as it is seen as one of the best ways to start your career and employers are keen to find the best and brightest new talent.
Obviously not everyone can be successful, but for mature age students, the task appears to be even more challenging, with employers having a fairly strong preconceived idea of the traditional ‘graduate’ they desire.
This is evident in the youth focused campaign accounting firm Ernst & Young ran this year for their graduate program. Playing on the ‘Young’ reference in their name, their campaign spruiks youthful looking graduates holding placards saying “Energetic and Young” and “Adventurous and Young”.
I’m not inferring this is a deliberate attempt at being cleverly ageist, I more so form the opinion it is just misguided and out of touch with how the graduate landscape now appears.
Helen Farrell, a mature age student herself, is President of the Mature Age Student Network in Australia. A group which has grown from a grass roots level, to gain significant momentum in a small amount of time. From her experience as both a graduate jobseeker and champion for this group, she believes this attitude to youth is engrained in the graduate recruitment landscape.
‘It is time to start deconstructing the ageist mindset of Australian society, especially in regards to employment. With more and more people entering higher education as “mature age”, these gradates must be seen to be valuable future employees. The misconceptions of employers that mature age graduates either won’t fit in or adjust to a younger work place, are set in their ways, or are inflexible are fallacies. These future employees have just spent a number of years at institutions where they have worked and socialized with younger peers and have had had to adapt, with many juggling work and/or family commitments. Life experience cannot be undervalued and Age should not be a barrier.’
When so much emphasis is placed on investing in your education, it is hard to recommend to people they should re-train or consider a new degree if in fact it will not improve their chances of finding employment.
A letter I received recently touched on this point:
What I wanted to ask is that I am 37 and just graduated from Deakin University with a bac. of management ( Human Resource Management). At my age I feel like no one wants to give me a go, it’s getting me down; I’ve applied for over 50 jobs and no luck. Any advice would be appreciated. I have 15 years experience in retail, but no experience in hr. Regards, Hayden Walker
Just as mature age qualified jobseekers bring many benefits to organisations through their work and life experience, mature age students can to. All they need is an opportunity to be considered. The rest from there should be based on merit.
Job Search Tips for Mature Age Students and Graduates
Anticipate questions that you may be asked at an interview that target your age, think about how you will respond to:
- How will you fit in with younger colleagues?
- How would you cope with having a younger boss?
- How you would juggle the competing demands of a job and family commitments,
- Would you be satisfied with an entry level salary?
- Are you prepared to relocate, travel? etc,
