Highly qualified, skilled and experienced engineers direct questions such as, “…But, will they think I’m too old?” towards me frequently. It is as though, at some (unspecified) part of their life, a jobseeker’s experience and skill set are counteracted by something from which none of us can escape…age!
What is especially surprising about this popular opinion among those who have been working for, say, 35 years, is that it exists within an industry in which suitably qualified personnel are in short supply - organisations face fierce competition for the best candidates…and even more obscure is that this perception does not reflect the way in which hiring managers view their prospective employees.
It is important that all qualified chemical engineers focus on their strengths when applying for a new role that, for older job seekers, is likely to include a wealth of industry experience gained within a variety of different roles and organisations. The importance of such experience cannot be stressed enough, with managers placing considerable value on previous responsibilities.
If you have reached a point in your career where the wealth of experience that you have gained does not accurately match the responsibilities you have been given, and your age is something that you feel might affect the success of a job application, there are a number of factors you must consider when conducting your job search.
This article has been composed through the collation of advice and information that I given to the engineers who I have worked with in the past. After spending a lot of time discussing issues that become increasingly significant to engineers as they progress throughout their career, I wanted to share my own understanding on a wider scale.
Age discrimination legislation
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, which came into force in the UK in October 2006, are of considerable significance to any jobseeker of any age and are especially noteworthy to the engineers I speak with, whose concerns relate to the possibility that they may be regarded as ‘too old’ for a particular role. These regulations were put in place to protect workers from age discrimination and make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees, trainees or job seekers because of their age.
What this legislations means for you is that you are not obliged to disclose details of your age or date of birth on your CV or during any interview. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaching these laws; employers should be familiar with them, or face serious consequences for breaching them. The important thing to remember here is that the regulations have been established to protect you, so ‘too old’ is not an option when it comes to reasons for rejecting your application.
The removal of once popular terms such as, “Minimum five year’s experience…” from vacancy adverts to protect recent graduates from age discrimination has been mirrored by NES through the elimination of age or date of birth from any of its CVs. This ensures compliance during the recruitment process from both ends of the spectrum and, of course, anywhere in between.
The Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) which aims to create a positive appreciation of the role, responsibilities and value of its members, issued guidelines for recruitment companies when the regulations came into effect. Perhaps the most significant point is that, with age discrimination damages being uncapped and not requiring 12 months service, companies risk huge financial settlements if they are found guilty of age discrimination. This illustrates the importance to companies of making sure that you are treated fairly. Recruitment agencies have been advised by ATSCo to formulate non-discriminatory policies with their clients to ensure that they adhere to new legislation.
Conducting your job search
As your CV is such a significant part of your job search, it is important that you document clearly and concisely within it, all of the relevant experience that you have gained throughout your career. The number of years gained in each role is of less value than the type of experience itself, so describe each relevant position (with more emphasis on the last ten years) to convince potential employers that your previous experience makes you the best applicant for the role.
A CV that successfully achieves a balance between reflecting the diversity of your previous experience and highlighting the most relevant responsibilities is actually very easy to create. NES always advises jobseekers to tailor their CVs towards each role and this doesn’t involve starting with a blank screen each time you apply for a job – a few tweaks here and there might be all it takes.
The best way to do this is to analyse the job specification and, point by point, ensure that your CV contains evidence that you satisfy every requirement. Be specific about the last ten years experience and place less emphasis on experience gained before then.
If you are looking for a more experienced type of role, your job search should reflect this. Experienced engineering positions are often listed in the quality national press - whereas these would generally be less suitable to recent graduates in their job search. The TCE Today website is a good source – as are reputable recruitment agencies such as those approved by the IChemE. Take advantage of those that provide additional services such as career management advice.
Networking
Another advantage you are likely to have over other applicants is that your network of contacts within the industry is likely to be extensive. With the engineering industry being more like a collection of small industries than one large one, if you have implemented an effective networking strategy, your achievements will have been noted by the right people. What could be a better advertisement for your expertise than the colleague of your interviewer, upon learning of your interest in the role, commenting personally on his admiration for your previous work?
For the majority of people, it is considerably less daunting to utilise a network of existing contacts than to attempt to establish a new one, so you should be positioned well for success at this stage in your career. Consider all avenues when seeking a new role. Speak to the people you work with, the people you have worked with and, if possible, the people you would like to work with.
Don’t forget that your recruitment agency can also be used as an effective networking element. They have well-established relationships with client companies that enable them to market prospective candidates and, if you have used the same agency over a number of years to secure work, they will have gained a good understanding of the type of role that interests you. By keeping in regular contact with your recruitment agency, you can make sure that you are given first refusal of relevant jobs and keep track of employment trends.
Training and Continuing Professional Development
By demonstrating that you have worked as a Chartered professional throughout much of your career, you will enhance your appeal at any stage. Chartership is an internationally recognised accreditation that instantly tells employers about your competencies and is perhaps one of the most efficient ways of showing your commitment to professional development through continually updating your understanding of industry developments.
While Chartership and CPD assist hugely with the enhancement of your technical competencies, it is also important that you are able to use confidently any software that you might need as part of your work. Familiarise yourself with the latest software packages - Microsoft Office as well as Hysis and Aspen and more industry-specific applications - and ensure that you can demonstrate your level of competency when required to do so. If applications you were using early on in your career have been replaced with newer, more efficient versions, it is your responsibility to become accustomed to them. If this means enrolling on a course, then do so.
An ageing workforce
Further considerations if you are concerned that you age could inhibit your chances at securing work involve the ageing workforce: with fewer students opting for scientific and engineering courses and therefore fewer graduates entering the market, demand for highly skilled workers has increased, creating an ageing population of engineers. While this is something that the industry is addressing, it is also something that you can benefit from in the short term. Show these companies that you have the skills and expertise that they require.
To address the skills shortage within the industry, organisations that employ chemical engineers are seeking to prevent them from opting for early retirement or leaving for other sectors by offering attractive rates and benefits as well as flexible working hours. This is yet another way in which highly skilled chemical engineers can cash in on the condition of the current marketplace. Not only are your skills highly sought after within the industry, their retention is also of great value.
If you are an engineer that has opted for contract work as you have entered the latter stages of your career, it is important to remember the legislation that has been put in place to protect you. It is no longer acceptable for companies to reject an application for permanent work based on your age. If you would favour working on a permanent basis, bear in mind that, in addition to the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, you also have the advantage of a current marketplace in which the contract market has boomed, leaving permanent positions more difficult to fill. A notable shift in demand for permanent workers by hiring companies (particularly within the oil & gas sector) is reflective of the challenges that currently exist in attracting suitably qualified personnel to permanent roles.
Where now?
If you think that your age is something that could affect career opportunities that are open to you, then I hope this article has given you food for thought. Your own perceptions about how potential employers will view your age and their actual perceptions might not necessarily match, so instead of seeing your age as a hindrance, concentrate on the experience that you have gained and work on self-promotion - how can you demonstrate to companies of interest that you have the skills they want?
