Why older workers can be ‘too qualified’ to get a new job

There’s a strange place in your career you might find yourself in one day, whether you like it or not. It’s not a destination many would choose to visit, but you usually have no choice.

The place I’m referring to is ‘executive wasteland’, the name that’s given when senior professionals, regardless of how much experience they have, can’t find their next role.

Research suggests there’s been a stark shift in employer perceptions recently.Credit: Jessica Shapiro

It’s a sadly common phenomenon, multiplied by the simple maths that the higher you climb up the corporate ladder, complete with larger salaries and expectations, the fewer jobs there are.

Competition for these positions can become fierce, until one day you might find yourself leaving a business, voluntarily or not, and searching for work with a long resume.

Increasing advancements in technology, a culture of cost-cutting and changes in hiring policies means too many of us will find ourselves spending some time on these sidelines.

According to research from the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Australian Human Rights Commission that was released last week, there’s been a stark shift in employer perceptions recently.

The primary barrier to hiring older workers? They have “too much” experience.

In 2023, 10 per cent of HR professionals classified workers aged 51 to 55 as ‘older’, but when the same question was asked this year, a quarter of them now classified these workers in the same category, despite them being a decade and a half away from retirement age.

Just 56 per cent of employers surveyed said they were open to hiring workers aged 50 to 64 ‘to a large extent’, with that number dropping to 28 per cent for those 65 and over. The primary barrier to hiring older workers? They have “too much” experience.

There are a few warning signs that you’re on the road to ‘executive wasteland’ that mid to late-career workers should look out for. These include relying too heavily on past glories and performances, falling deep into a narrow expertise and not keeping up with changing shifts in technology, trends and your industry that could see you out of a job.

If you ever do find yourself in this position, there are several things you can do. The most important is to talk about it. This is a growing issue that is as much a problem with society as it is personal, and there are always more people in a similar position to you than you realise.

Recognise the reality that it’s going to take longer to find a job the more senior you are, so try to plan ahead by saving as much you can in advance. A worst-case scenario might be up to 18 months without a full-time job.

Meanwhile, stay as visible as possible throughout the whole process, keeping yourself busy with contract work, part-time roles and even mentoring to share some of your knowledge with others.

Continue to network (even if that word makes you cringe) by going to events and participating in relevant conversations within your industry, whether in person or on social media.

With all the extra time in your calendar, brush up on new trends, using some of your time off to upskill in areas through short courses, education and experimentation. Lastly, surround yourself with family, friends and new routines, as it can be lonely and dispiriting.

No one willingly visits ‘executive wasteland’, but if you ever find yourself in that position, sometimes the first step towards navigating out is knowing exactly where you are.

Tim Duggan is author of Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better. He writes a regular newsletter at timduggan.substack.com

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