6 tips to staying in the workforce as you age

It is a sad reality that older Australians experience age discrimination when looking for a job, so here we explore how you can improve your chances of finding your next job.

What does the research say?

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australians are increasingly working to an older age. People are living longer and often need to keep working to meet their financial commitments – but some older people are either working less than they would like to or are looking for work.

What’s going on?

The National Prevalence Survey into Age Discrimination in the Workplace 2015 found that over a quarter of Australians aged 50+ said they had experienced some form of age discrimination in the two years leading up to the survey’s publication. Attitudes towards older people and their value to society often underpins this discrimination. It’s an issue that’s taken very seriously by the government and that’s reflected in workforce legislation. Age Matters is working with the Australian Human Rights Commission to increase mature workforce participation as well as with the Every Age Counts campaign to tackle ageism. Age Matters is an initiative of IRT, which tackles homelessness, ageism and social isolation head on.

You might be interested to know that an Age Matters Mature Workforce Roundtable discussion revealed that:

• Jobs that had a strong customer focus, such as retail, tourism, and hospitality, were identified as roles where older workers excelled.
• Industries with flexible work hours, such as transport and retail, were also identified as being suitable for older people.
• The professional sector values skills and experience, and these roles are kinder on the ageing body.
• Some banking and insurance companies are increasing their engagement of mature age workers.
• Occupations offering opportunities for mentoring and leadership, especially where specialised or technical skills are required, were also mentioned.