Did you graduate a few years ago? Did you start your degree a little later in life? Are you older than the usual 21-year-old grads that are fresh-faced and fresh out of university?
When you have a degree you have it for life, but that doesn’t stop many graduates from wondering whether they are too old to apply for an entry-level graduate job. Well, the answer is that you are never too old to apply!
Why you’re not too old for a graduate job
If you’re prepared to start from the bottom and work your way up, then a graduate job is for you. For more mature graduates with a lot of life and work experience, it’s understandable that you may not want to start at the bottom again. If this is the case, then a graduate job wouldn’t be for you. But remember, your degree is never a waste of time. If you’re going for more senior roles, employers will still value it!
If you’ve been out of university for a number of years, but just haven’t felt like you have found an opportunity that will allow you to develop and progress your career, a graduate job could still be a great option. Employers will really value the additional skills and experience you have gained, but be prepared to talk about why things haven’t worked out so far and the steps you are taking now to build your career.
We see plenty of fantastic candidates who have been out of university for a few years already. As sales and management specialists, Bridgewater Graduates hear stories about sales jobs that weren’t what was promised and management schemes where progression became limited very quickly.
TIP: If you’re looking for a graduate job in sales check out our article on how to decode the good from the bad opportunities.
Many of the older graduates that we’ve worked with have successfully secured a graduate job with one of our clients. Why? Because our clients appreciate the experience they have and can see that they have already developed good commercial awareness. In fact, many of these graduates have gone on to progress much quicker than their younger counterparts as they have been ready to hit the ground running and make an impact more quickly.
How you can use your age to your advantage
What you can do is use your age as a unique selling point that will help you to stand out over other graduates. As we already mentioned, employers like graduates with better commercial awareness and some experience already.
Don’t try to hide your age or when you graduated, be open and honest about it in your covering letter explaining your circumstances and what you are looking for now.
Don’t let your age hold you back from applying for graduate jobs, it’s just a number! Securing a graduate role is never easy, but your future career prospects are worth the time and effort that it takes to reach your end goal of a graduate job offer.
If you’re looking for a graduate job, be sure to check out the fantastic opportunities we have available on our Graduates Portal.
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