Do Women Over 45 Have Difficulty Finding Work?

Many adult women find it difficult to find a job after the age of 45. For example, an Adecco study revealed that only 2 out of 10 jobs are for people over that age.

80% of searches on job sites filter out "up to 40/45 years old." They don't always give reasons why this happens, but it is possible to find out. Generally, these ideas stem from prejudices that do not allow older women to enter the labor market.

Mainly because women, at that age, still have between 20 and 30 years of productive life. That is, they are not people who are going through the last stage of work. Do you want to know the reasons why this bias may occur? Here we explain what you can do to solve it.

Lack of Skills

This fact is something that happens to many women over the age of 45. It has a simple explanation: the revolution of technology. For example, many tasks that were done several years ago have changed so much that some people don't have the necessary skills.

This is the case for many women who performed administrative tasks in the 1990s or 2000s. At that time, computers had basic functions and many people even did their work with paper. Now, everything is digitized, something that allows for greater work efficiency.

The problem is that many women don't have those skills. For example, they don't know how to use Office products or they don't know how files work in Drive. Thus, you can update all your knowledge. In this way, you will benefit from your experience in the field and you will know how to manage in this new era.

Also read: HOW WILL THE RETURN OF WOMEN TO FACE-TO-FACE WORK IMPACT FAMILIES?

Not Having Enough Experience

Here the problem is not having enough experience for basic jobs. This is what happens with women who have had informal jobs all their lives. The same applies to those who have not worked. For example, it happens with those who started or completed a university degree, but did not work to "take care of the family."

When they decide to enter the world of work, whether out of desire or necessity, they find that companies do not want to take them because of their high age and lack of experience. However, this does not mean that there are no ways to get a job with little work experience.

If you have a university degree, courses, or skills, you can highlight them in an original CV. Likewise, since you have no experience, you will probably be offered a lower salary. That is, the company might want to hire you, as they will pay you less than others because of your inexperience. Show your willingness to work and you will see that, in time, you could get something.  

Wanting Relevant Positions in the New Job

Here we are referring to the possibility of moving up in a company. This fact usually happens in 45-year-old women who left the company where they worked all their lives. Therefore, they want to have a similar role in the new company. 

In these cases, what happens is that the woman does not have the necessary experience within the company. Here it is not so much her CV that matters, but her expectations about her new job. For example, she may have been in charge of a department. However, in the new job, she is just another employee.

Here the advice is to look for a job that you might like, especially if you have experience and knowledge. You probably won't be offered an important position, such as an area manager, but you can get it over time. After all, 45 doesn't mean you're at the end of your career, you still have a lot to learn and improve!

In short, 45-year-old women do not get jobs easily. However, it is not impossible to get a job at that age. We hope we have helped you!