We all know that Bridget Jones is a fairytale and nowhere is that clearer than in the latest instalment, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, where, as a fiftysomething widow, she finds herself besieged by lovers and in thrall to the manifest delights of Leo Woodall (you’ll remember him as the cad in One Day series) – a younger man she meets in a park.
And it’s not just love where Bridget’s life is definitely more fiction than fact. Throughout her career she has an incredible capacity to fail upwards. Charm, luck and a kind of inherent sweetness win the day (even when she is clearly falling short or just falling – disastrous job interviews and fire engine scene, anyone?)
Unfortunately, the rest of us midlife women don’t have is so easy. Particularly when it comes to jobs.
Gendered ageism bites in the hiring process, with algorithms screening out CVs of older applicants. And unlike Bridget, we’re often so well suited to jobs that many of us are being rejected for being “overqualified” (I really hate that – what does it even mean? That we couldn’t do a job well because it’s too much within our capabilities?).
One Queenager admitted to me that she’d taken her qualification as a solicitor OFF her CV because she was trying to get a local retail job she could fit around caring for her mother. They kept turning her down because she was “over-qualified”.
Well, I may not be able to promise you Mr Darcy – but here at NOON, we can help on the jobs front, because our NOON Jobs Board, powered by our friends at 55/Redefined, only feature openings in companies which are consciously and intentionally seeking more experienced – yes, that is a euphemism – older workers. Women just like YOU.
This week we’re featuring 3 companies – but there are many more jobs from age-friendly organisations on the Jobs Board HERE.
So, what kind of company do you want to work for?
Amazon
Would you like to work for the world’s biggest company?
There are more than 80 global women at Amazon affinity groups, all focussed on gender diversity. They provide professional and personal support to all employees, with a big mission to make Amazon the best place for women to work in the UK.
We have a selection of 945 jobs on the Jobs Board – nationwide, across tech, professional services, customer support, accounting, PA & EA roles … and more. Amazon is also an age-inclusive employer which means that they could be a serious contender on your “employers worthy of me” research list. They also run an incredible apprenticeship scheme (read more about that here on NOON), which can allow Queenagers to switch careers or learn new skills AND get paid. Woohoo!
Perhaps BAE systems hasn’t been top of your list, but this aerospace and defense industry giant is also an age-inclusive employer with a focus on increasing female representation to 50% at executive level and 30% across their workforce. With 595 roles going, located from Scotland to Surrey, the are definitely worth a look!
Most importantly, in their list of benefits, the company stresses that it’s open to flexible working, job share, compressed hours and hybrid working. Great boons for Queenagers for whom we know from our NOON research that flexibility is 16 times more important than status.
Barclays
If you’re in Glasgow and want an interesting role that is also manageable around your home life, then why not opt for a customer service job? After training, you can work 2 days in their rather fabulous complex that fosters a great community, and three days at home, with flexible shifts.
Good luck and remember: Don’t give up – you’re not done yet! There really is #muchmoretocome. NOON (@uponnoon) and 55/Redefined (@life_redefineduk) are here to help.
Just don’t channel your inner Bridget!
Xx
Eleanor
