Choosing a Recruitment Agency When You're Over 50 Kendal

Whether you’re out of work or want or need to change jobs you have to adopt a proactive and resilient attitude to finding work when you’re aged 50 or over.

Frankly, finding employment at any age is never that simple, but once you’re older you have to recognise that unfortunately, your age does tend to count against you.

That said, a good route forward is to find a recruitment agency which recognises that age should not be a barrier in your search for a good job and an organisation’s search for the best candidates.

How to go about finding a good recruitment agency

Following these few tips will help you:

• Decide on the geographic area within which you are prepared to work. Are you prepared to travel, live away from home part of the time, or even move if the right job comes along? Deciding this will help you find a recruitment agency which covers this location.

• What sort of job are you looking for? If it’s specialist or professional, you may need to find a recruitment agency that specialises in that line of work. If you’re looking for, or prepared to accept something more general, then a more local agency could help.

• Compile or update your CV. A recruitment agency may suggest subsequently that you rewrite your CV but you need an initial summary of who you are and what you’ve done to be able to give to them at the outset.

• Search on the internet or in your local Yellow Pages for a selection of appropriate recruitment agencies, then telephone them – explaining what you are looking for. Your aim should be to make an appointment to visit them so that you can explain in person what you are looking for and what you believe you have to offer an employer.

• Be upbeat and energetic. You may be feeling despondent about your job search but don’t reveal this in your voice, manner, or what you say. Treat prospective recruitment agencies in the same way you would prospective employers. You have to persuade them of your positivity, strengths and value if they are to promote you to prospective employers.

• Assuming you have managed to make an appointment with an agency, go armed with all the information you might need (in terms of certificates, documents, etc) and of course, a copy of your CV. Be prepared to sell yourself, but also prepare a list of questions to ask them. For example, what is their experience of placing older candidates? Have they found any particular barriers? Are there any particular jobs or industries which are age-friendly?

• A good way forward can be to indicate that you are willing to take on temporary, interim or part-time assignments in order to get into the workplace if you are currently unemployed. Employers are far more likely to employ you on a permanent basis once they know you and can see what you can achieve.

• It’s important that you like and trust the consultants at the recruitment agency and that you feel you have some sort of rapport with them. This may take a little while to establish, but without it, it is unlikely that they are going to be proactive on your behalf.

• Be clear about your expectations. Recruitment consultants should work harder on your behalf if they know they are the only agency you have registered with, but you also need to make it clear that you will have to look elsewhere if they aren’t able to get you a reasonable number of interviews.

Ultimately no recruitment agency can find a job for you, but a good one will give you a better chance of success by putting you forward for the best possible range of vacancies for which you are realistically suited.

Click here to access more useful information for the over 50s from in my prime.