Finding work at 50+ – Garry’s story

Garry joined Better Working Futures after a long period of unemployment following redundancy. Garry was worried that being over 50 would limit the types of jobs he could get, which affected his confidence when looking and applying for jobs. Garry told us that he struggled to get past the interview stage.

He discussed future job goals with his Employment Adviser, Emma, who reassured him about the opportunities that were available to him and that his age wasn’t necessarily a barrier to finding work. Garry also disclosed that he had high blood pressure and diabetes and was looking for a job that gave him flexibility around managing his health and attending hospital appointments.

To give Garry a confidence boost, Emma suggested he join several of our in-house courses which are designed to help people build on their self-esteem and feel confident and prepared to start working. These courses offer practical advice to support jobseekers at each stage of their journey, including interview practice, IT skills, and working with others. Garry particularly enjoyed our 'Supporting 50+' course, which is specifically designed to help our older participants, and our 'Digital Inclusion' course which helped him with digital applications and email correspondence.

Emma told us: “Garry wanted to pursue a role in the cleaning sector, as he felt comfortable cleaning for work with his health conditions. Garry would find suitable job roles independently and then come into the office for guidance with his applications and to discuss travel routes for these roles.

“During each appointment we would practice job applications and then apply for jobs, using the computer and his phone, as this was his preferred method of applying for jobs. We reviewed his CV and updated this to showcase his transferable skills.

“Garry was a pleasure to work with and would always find the positive out of any situation.”

Garry was offered a job in cleaning, following a trial shift and interview. He now works for a cleaning company, which is an ideal commute for him to travel and who provide support for his health conditions.

Garry shared: “I am happy that I have started my new cleaning role and I hope to eventually increase my hours soon. I was hugely supported by Emma and Chris at Better Working Futures - the programme can help anyone who wants the support.”