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Finding work at 50 plus – what are the options?

Are you over 50 and find yourself out of work? Or you are thinking about finding a new role more suited to your lifestyle or caring responsibilities? There are a range of options you could consider. Here is some information and advice to help get you started.

Take a mid-life MOT 

  • A Midlife MOT (external website) is a great way to help you weigh up your work and retirement options. Whatever your situation, it’s important to plan for your later life and think about your health, your work and your money so you can make choices that will ensure the future retirement you want.

 Flexible working  

  • If you aren’t able to work full time, it doesn’t mean that you can’t work at all.
  • Many employers offer flexible working which includes job sharing and part time hours, so you can still be working and earning in a way that suits you. They may also offer the opportunity to work from home or in a location that’s convenient for you.
  • Find out more about the types of flexible arrangements available and how they may help you on our flexible working page.

Develop your skills   

The skills and experience you’ve built up through your working life could be of huge value to employers. But you may want to refresh or build on some of those skills, or maybe try something completely new. Here are some options that are available for people of all ages.

  • The Skills for Life (external website) website can help you find new learning opportunities and qualifications to improve your chances of finding work. This covers all sorts of learning, from short refreshers to Skills Bootcamps for specific sectors, to apprenticeships where you learn while doing a real job.
  • If you are claiming Universal Credit, your Work Coach can offer you tailored employment and skills support as part of 50 PLUS: Choices (external website).
  • Find out more about opportunities that allow you to work whilst training on our Skills and work-based training page.

Getting back to work

  • If you’re not sure where to start with your job search, follow our four easy steps to improve your chances of finding work. These cover how to find out what you’re good at, to writing your CV and onto applying for jobs.
  • Need to update your CV or create a new one? Our CVs and covering letters page can help.
  • Some industries are currently recruiting and have more jobs available than others. You can read more about these on our sectors pages. There’s also information to help you get started in an industry you haven’t worked in before.
  • Use the Find a Job (external website). With Find a Job you can create a profile, upload your CV and receive email alerts about new and existing jobs in a sector that works for you.
  • There are plenty of other job sites available too. Try searching for ‘jobs’ in Google or make your search more specific to find the right vacancies for you, like ‘retail jobs in Leeds’.

 Think about voluntary work