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I appreciate your coverage on the upcoming age discrimination laws, as I feel the HR profession has a few things to learn and apply to its own recruitment practices.
When I was 30, I had no trouble getting interviews. When I was 40, it became noticeably more difficult. Now I am 50, it seems almost impossible.
In the past 18 months, I have sent out about 250 CVs to recruiters, about 50 direct to employers, and have applied for more than 150 advertised jobs.
CVs to agencies have resulted in a 60% acknowledgement rate, but have only resulted in about five meetings. CVs to companies have a similar response rate, but I have not been invited for interview for any of the jobs I have applied for. The replies are predictable: "We have had an overwhelming response to our advertisement and there are other candidates who more closely match our requirements."
About a week ago, I received a reply saying: "Unfortunately, X is not in a position to help you with your job search at this stage of your career."
There are about three recruiters who contact me on a regular basis, but it's clear that HR is one of the worst professions when it comes to discrimination.
Geoff Evans
HR professional
