Best Part Time Jobs for the Over 50s

Finding part time jobs for the over 50s is fortunately not the challenge that it once was. Most employers today recognise the value of maturity, experience and loyalty – all things that the over 50s are well known for.

There are also more part time roles than ever, as people increasingly seek a good work-life balance or need to juggle caring for relatives with work.

What are the best part time jobs for the over 50s?

The best part time job for you will depend on your lifestyle, your past work experience, your personality and your preferences. Your age shouldn’t be relevant in the jobs you apply for, as it’s illegal for companies to discriminate against any candidates because of their age.

Search part time jobs here >>

So in seeking top jobs for the over 50s you need to think about what will suit you best.

What are the most common jobs for the 50 plus age group?

There are lots of sectors where people in their 50s and above are happily employed. Retail is a good example, representing all forms of part-time working so it’s usually easy to find a shift pattern that works for you. If you have customer handling experience you will be a good candidate for many retail roles.

Administrative and secretarial positions are also great opportunities for more mature people. Common sense, good organisation skills and attention to detail are important in admin roles. You will also need to have decent IT skills across email, Word, Excel and other systems.

Teaching and training is another area where experience and maturity are highly valued. Opportunities are available in all kinds of areas from corporate learning and development, to becoming a driving instructor, to retraining as a teacher.

There will be lots more opportunities depending on your skills. The National Careers Service is a good way to decide how your work and life skills might best be applied in your next job.

Finding good 50 plus jobs in the UK

The internet makes it easy to narrow down your search to jobs that are part time. Any good jobs board will let you search for part-time roles in your local area.

You might find that the best paid part time jobs are for shift work – and many people over 50 find that working a few evenings a week pays as much as a full time day job.

Part-time over 50s jobs where you are self employed

When working part time in your 50s you might like the idea of working for yourself. There are many self employed opportunities you could consider – and if you align them with your interests it might not feel like work at all. If you like animals and the outdoors, perhaps you could be a dog walker, for example.

There are also various work from home jobs for the over 50s you might like to consider. Remote admin work is becoming very commonplace, as is remote customer contact – where you set your own hours and work from home on a self employed basis.

Landing top jobs for over 50s

Once you’ve found some suitable roles to apply for, there are a few ways you can improve your chances of getting an interview. First, make sure you send a tailored application for each role – ideally with a cover letter that brings out how you are a good fit for the job.

Second, don’t state your age on your CV, don’t go back more than 20 years on your job history and avoid stating dates of your qualifications. Although age discrimination is illegal, unfortunately some recruiters might make unfounded assumptions based on the length of your work history.

Once you’ve secured an interview, be confident and make sure you get across how your skills match the job description.

There are plenty of jobs for the 50 plus age group available – it’s a question of finding the right role for your skills. Even the most experienced and skilled people will need to apply for a few jobs before they find the right match, so patience and persistence are required.

See also:

• How to avoid age discrimination on your CV
• Back to work toolkit
• Returning to work after a career break

Search flexible jobs here >>

• Vote  
• 0
• 0
• You already voted!