CDM

I was just reading another thread in which it was 'suggested' that recruitment agencies discrimminate against age - specifically if you're over 40.

As someone that is 41, this concerns me a little, as I'm an IT contractor and would typically expect to locate contract work through an agency.

Should I be concerned?

- CDM

Cheetah7

Im nearly 41 and didnt have any problems getting on with my agency, I dont know if it depends on the agency or what type of work you do - I would hope you would be OK - no way is 41 old - although I don't want to be 41.

philnorris

Hi Mate,

I am an IT contractor too heading to Perth very shortly, simply because I cant believe the amount of IT work there at the moment. I honestly dont think you will have any problems, in IT with age comes experience, which to me counts more than almost anything else.

Good luck .

JenniGee

You do worry, don't you CDM

OH is going to be 41 too by the time we get there. As the other guy quite rightly said, there are roles out there that you will be ideal for - age brings experience, remember?

Best of luck

daddyofthree

I hope your wrong mate. I'm 43 in October and by the time we get across I'll be 44 - 45. In the Uk I would be extremely fortunate to pick up a PE teaching job at this age so, following lots of advice, I'm believe and hope the attitude in Aus is different. I understand, like my wife, they prefer experience!!

Dorothy

That's the most ridiculous thing I've seen here in a long time. I was 43 when we got here and started work through an agency 4 days after we landed. I've only ever been out of work because I chose to be home for a few months when we moved interstate. For the most part I've noticed that age is seen as a measure of experience, which is a good thing.

quoll

It certainly does get harder once you are 50 but in the 40s it should be fine. However, with unemployment at an all time low you would have to have little to recommend you if you were to pick up nothing at all - it may just not be in exactly the area you are expecting. I was offered a job last year in my late 50s in the non gov sector, it wouldnt have happened in the government sector, not in a billion years, corporate knowledge and experience are anathema in the govt.

Teaching, I hate to say, is a bit of a different ballgame. With self managing schools as happens in some states plus the parlous state of government funding, education departments tend to go for the cheap option ie kids out of training college. Their rationale is that they need to grow the new crop of teachers to take the place of the dinsosaurs who will be retiring in a few years time. The actuality is a tad different - experience costs them more and so they get more bang for their buck by putting in a newbie than someone with experience - basically as long as the class is covered they dont give two hoots. I have several "venerable" and highly competent friends who are finding it hard to pick up a contract down in Victoria and I know that the same is true for ACT so expect it is likely to be a national phenomenon.

The Bloke

From what I've heard, if your young, female, great bod, it doesn't really matter what you know, it can sometimes be how much you make the male staff drool.

hoofie2002

No - if you've got buckets of good experience then you will be fine. All of the contractors I've worked with here have been at least 35+ and I'm 41 now. There are guys a good bit older also who have been working in and out of Perth for years as well - a lot of it is the contacts you make over the years.