Mature job seekers and the value of experience

The recent 60 Minutes Australia report on AI and ageism features experienced job seekers describing repeated applications, limited responses and the personal cost of struggling to find work. It raises questions about the interaction between employer assumptions and recruitment technology.

As a mature job seeker building Barrett Career Brand, I recognise the frustration of trying to communicate a working life through an application. A CV can list qualifications and positions, but conveying judgement, relationships and practical problem solving takes care. Experience can remain valuable as work changes. The question is how clearly we explain its relevance to the employer’s current needs, and whether the employer is willing to consider that evidence.

AI has become part of my own learning and business development. I use it to explore ideas, organise information and develop content. I remain responsible for checking the result and deciding whether it reflects what I actually know and can do.

That is the opportunity I see for mature workers: combining useful technology with knowledge developed through lived experience. Familiarity with a new tool is something we can build. It need not erase what we already bring.

The report includes concerns that automated recruitment can reinforce bias. It also presents allegations against Workday, which the company denies. A rejected application alone cannot establish that age discrimination occurred or identify which software feature influenced the outcome.

Through BCB, I want to support people to recognise their strengths, communicate them clearly and consider different paths forward. That can include refreshing an application, learning something new or exploring a business idea. Source: 60 Minutes Australia report on AI and ageism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA_IhG1ZFl4