Age is no barrier: Turning experience into an advantage

After a long and successful career in supply chain management, Steve, 58, found himself out of work when his employer announced that they were closing. Having been with the company for just 18 months, he was not eligible for redundancy pay, and to make matters worse, his partner also faced job uncertainty.

Steve had been trying to secure work on his own, thinking his experience would make it easy to find a new role quickly. Unfortunately, the jobs market was rough, and despite applying for a range of roles, he repeatedly heard the same feedback—he was seen as overqualified or “too experienced.” The months of job searching became increasingly frustrating, and with limited financial support, the pressure to find work quickly grew.

That’s when Steve joined the Restart Scheme with Fedcap. Initially sceptical, having bad experiences with other employment support services, he quickly realised this was different from his previous job search support. His Employment Adviser, Leigh, took the time to understand his situation, identify the challenges he was facing, and put together a tailored plan to strengthen his applications and interview approach.

Together, they reworked his CV to help showcase his skills, and Steve attended workshops to refine his interview techniques, and most importantly, reframed his experience as an asset rather than a barrier. Leigh encouraged Steve to focus on how he has watched his industry modernise over the 35 years and helped implement IT systems and the use of AI with previous employers.

With his new mindset towards his experience, he was ready to start interviewing again, and when he did, he was sure to say that his age was one of his strengths. This new, bold approach worked and Steve was offered a role as a Purchasing Manager with a power company.

As Steve had been unemployed for a while, we funded new work clothes and covered travel costs for his first month of employment. Speaking to Steve about his journey, he said:

“Whilst my Fedcap journey was relatively short, it was definitely beneficial. A genuine, heartfelt “thank you” to Leigh and the Fedcap organisation for everything”.