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How hard is it really to find an HR job in London / South East as an older person at the moment?

Karen Carpenter

Hello! I'm after some thoughts please and any practical experience of members. I've been offered an exit package by my current employer and I don't know whether taking it would be an epic mistake in the current jobs climate. All I hear is how impossible everyone, but specifically over 50s are finding things, but I don't know how fair a reflection that is of the jobs market as a whole and would really appreciate people's views and experience.

I'm 53, will be 54 at the date of exit if I decide to take it. I need and want to work, I'm not interested in retiring even if I could afford to. The exit package would give me some breathing space between jobs if needed, I could certainly manage for 6 months if I absolutely had to, but I'm hoping to use the money to clear debts, do some essential maintenance on the house, help to support kids at university and ideally pay a bit off the mortgage. I don't drive, but I live in the South East and can easily commute to London - currently hybrid working but would commute each day if that was necessary.

I hold CIPD level 7 and am currently preparing for upgrade to Chartered Membership (fingers crossed). I've got 20+ years experience in a range of HR roles, most recently in talent development and employee experience. All in the public sector (civil service). I feel I have a lot of great and relatively senior experience, but hearing so many tales of woe in the job market of late (not specifically HR) is making me wonder if I'm incredibly naïve / stupid to even consider it.

I'd really welcome any thoughts - thank you :-)

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  • Karen, you have some great replies already and it's always hard to work out whether to take redundancy at any age because there are risks attached to it. I would say the market is particularly tough at both the junior end and the more experienced end. I've friends who've left and spent almost a year trying to find a new role. I am professional interim - so I work on short term projects- and the market is harder than I've seen it for a while for all sorts of reasons connected to the current political and economic situation in the UK and global macro economic conditions. We can't control those things and there are also people who can point to getting hired quicker. I think it will depend on your experience, your network, your skills - if you've invested in those over the years to keep them current then that helps -, your location and the market there and your area of practice. 

    I'd suggest preparing and planning for a longer wait to find a new role and then if you find it earlier it will be a bonus. I'd also network now with agencies, people you have worked with before and new connections so you are investing ahead of the time you need their support. 

    Be prepared for longer processes, longer decision making, more competition and companies being very specific because they think and know they are in a candidate heavy market. I would also be prepared to counter covert ageism and be on the front foot explaining how you are up to date, current and think innovatively especially around technology. There are a lot of people, even in HR, who think above a certain age and you don't know much about tech or AI. 

    Good luck. I truly hope you get a break and buck any negative trends in the market. 

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  • Karen, you have some great replies already and it's always hard to work out whether to take redundancy at any age because there are risks attached to it. I would say the market is particularly tough at both the junior end and the more experienced end. I've friends who've left and spent almost a year trying to find a new role. I am professional interim - so I work on short term projects- and the market is harder than I've seen it for a while for all sorts of reasons connected to the current political and economic situation in the UK and global macro economic conditions. We can't control those things and there are also people who can point to getting hired quicker. I think it will depend on your experience, your network, your skills - if you've invested in those over the years to keep them current then that helps -, your location and the market there and your area of practice. 

    I'd suggest preparing and planning for a longer wait to find a new role and then if you find it earlier it will be a bonus. I'd also network now with agencies, people you have worked with before and new connections so you are investing ahead of the time you need their support. 

    Be prepared for longer processes, longer decision making, more competition and companies being very specific because they think and know they are in a candidate heavy market. I would also be prepared to counter covert ageism and be on the front foot explaining how you are up to date, current and think innovatively especially around technology. There are a lot of people, even in HR, who think above a certain age and you don't know much about tech or AI. 

    Good luck. I truly hope you get a break and buck any negative trends in the market. 

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