John felt that his age was a barrier to work. After numerous job applications and repeated rejections, he felt demoralised. Fair Start Scotland supported him during this difficult period in his life.
Why John joined Fair Start Scotland
John joined the service after being made redundant. He is 65 and feels that his age puts him at a disadvantage when compared with younger candidates. John has problems with his physical health which results in him walking with a limp, and he feels employers discriminate against him by judging him unfit to work. He lacks IT skills and prefers phone calls, which he has found challenging as the majority of job applications are online.
How Fair Start Scotland helped
John received weekly calls with his personal adviser, and these were mostly for emotional support. His PA coached and encouraged him to keep up his confidence and believe in himself. His PA never gave up hope that John would find a job, despite how frustrated he had become. His PA informed him about equality and diversity and explained that employers are not able to discriminate someone because of their age, which was one of John’s main concerns. After discussing John’s financial concerns, his PA helped him sign up to the Warm Home Discount, which relieved some of the pressure during this difficult period in his life.
Getting the job
John landed his first interview in over a year in October 2021, and he was subsequently offered the role. John was absolutely delighted. However, after two days into the role, working 12-hour shifts, he was exhausted. He decided the job wasn’t for him and felt extremely disappointed in himself. His PA discussed seasonal roles based in Aberdeen that are less physically demanding. Due to his PA’s support, John has had three job offers in the space of a week. These include – a job at Dobbies, and two separate forklift driver roles. John is now feeling much less stressed about his finances and no longer believes that his age is a barrier to work.
What’s next?
John’s long-term goal is to remain in work for as long as he can. He wants to delay his retirement, as he feels fit for work and he enjoys being kept busy. He is also keen to have more money to make things easier on him. He has accepted the job in Dobbies and is looking forward to starting his new role.