Job adverts asking for young.

... people.

Is this allowed?

For example

"Young dymanic software engineer wanted" well what happens if you're 50 and you have loads of experience? I thought companies were not allowed to discriminate against age.

I am only 22 but I don't want to be going into an industry where 30 is considered old.

 

By "young, dynamic" they mean "impressionable and mouldable to our requirements". In my experience 50yo engineers of all sorts are set in their ways and regard "company culture" and so on as spin. They just want to get to retirement with a good wodge in their pension fund. Also, a 23 year old is employable for £20k with few benefits, whilst a 50 year old is going to want more money, healthcare, etc.

(No offence to any 50yo engineers here... they're not all like that... just that's why the job app says that).

 

As far as I'm aware age discrimination is not a criminal offence - yet at least.

There are plenty of ads like these, and when you've spent some time unemployed in your late 30's, (as I have in the past), you start to get very suspicious that most companies couldn't give a fig about experience they just want a cheap labour force which equates to young and inexperienced.


GTM

 

There's also an element of 'past success filtering' built into this approach. If as an employer I have a budget of say 20K for a developer position, then I'll question why an applicant over a certain age isn't earning more if they are any good and hasn't moved on to do something else (ie you suspect lack of drive etc). When you're young and relatively inexperienced you get the benefit of the doubt - so make the most of that luxury!

 

Chaps

Age discrimination will be illegal in job adverts in 2006. Of course the culture of finished at 50 could still prevail.

I took early retirement last year and to be honest, need never work again. I have elected to work 4-6 months a year and have no shortage of offers.

At my last temporary assignment, I was paid twice the going rate because I could prove that I could mince up salesmen and spit them out for breakfast. That is due to experience with a good local reputation.

Basically once you are over 50, you can expect to earn higher than average but it likely that you will be on a temporary contract.

My last role was to train a young guy in my mould and I left just when I was starting to become bored, so for me, the situation is good.

Regards

Mick........aged 56

 

sevral reason, i took a step down the carear ladder 18 months ago,less money,less responsiblaty.= less stress,better qulaty of life and best of all,hardly any paper work