Specific information for mature students

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Who is a mature student?

Issues and strategies

Age and employer attitudes

Resources to help mature students

Useful links

Who is a mature student?

People embark on a university course for a variety of reasons. A mature student may be someone whose education was disrupted or curtailed. Some mature students pursue a course of study because they have a particular vocational focus or because they seek a fresh intellectual challenge to enhance their professional or personal life. For many, however, there is a general belief that further study will improve their career opportunities. Broad careers advice applies equally to all students:

Start your career planning early.
Be clear about what you have to offer (your skills, interests, values and personal qualities)
Explore your options
Make decisions in good time
Try to gain useful work experience in your chosen career area
Learn how to convey a positive image through application forms, CVs and at interviews.

To explore these issues in more depth, read the advice for students, especially the career planning section of this site.

Issues and strategies

Everyone has a unique set of career aspirations and concerns and it would be wrong to band students together, either by degree discipline or age. There are, however, certain issues which often concern mature students and certain strategies which they can adopt.

Age and employer attitudes

In October 2006, new laws were introduced to protect workers from age discrimination. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations make it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees, trainees or job seekers because of their age.(see Age Positive).

“avoid using age limits or age ranges in job adverts……think carefully about language used in adverts; avoid phrases which imply age restrictions, such as ‘young graduates’ or ‘mature person’”.

The Careers Service has published a policy on age discrimination and hopefully more employers will follow suit. The public and voluntary sectors have, generally speaking, shown a more positive approach to older graduates than the private sector.

Certain career areas positively favour matures (e.g. social welfare, counselling) whilst certain career areas are seen as traditionally the preserve of the young (e.g. marketing, advertising).

You can research occupational information via Prospects Web where you will find information about possible age limits for certain careers. But assume nothing. If you are very keen on a specific area of work, you owe it to yourself to apply, providing evidence of your suitability and displaying your enthusiasm.

Accentuate the positive

Many employers know a good thing when they see it! Older graduates often demonstrate valuable characteristics such as:

Flexibility
Stability
Good at managing many things at once
Balanced
Determined
Able to cope with pressure
Possessing useful work experience

Thinking about yourself positively but objectively can greatly influence how others perceive you and can prove to be a very useful approach when it comes to filling in application forms and attending interviews.

Eliminate the negative

Some employers, however, are not keen on recruiting older graduates. Their worries, whether you agree with them or not, may include issues such as:

Low mobility
High salary expectations
Poor return on training investment
Slow learning curve
Lack of flexibility or adaptability.

Some of these concerns may be justified, others may be rigid prejudices. We suggest that you can take pre-emptive action to counter these views by thinking of evidence from your academic and work life to challenge these assumptions and use it effectively in applications and interviews.

Take the initiative

If you are concerned that your CV or application form will pale into insignificance beside all the other applicants, try a more proactive approach. Remember that many jobs are never advertised so send out speculative applications. Ask local contacts or your own network of friends, acquaintances, former work colleagues about possible openings or opportunities. Undertake work shadowing or voluntary work to increase your insights, increase your experience and get yourself known. It’s neither unorthodox or heretical - just a different strategy!

Resources to help mature students:

Prospects Web – section entitled "Handling Discrimination" (formerly known as A Level Playing Field) gives guidance on a wide range of areas of discrimination.
"Managing the Job Search – Resources for Mature Students", contained in the red Job Seeking Strategies folder.
"The Mature Students' Directory", found in the yellow Further Study section of the Careers Service.

Useful links:

Real World Magazine - Advantage aims to help you build a career based on your merits rather than your date of birth. It also intends to amplify the advantages of age diversity and good practice to employers. Contains interesting articles and case studies. hard copies of the magazine available in the Careers Service.

Age Positive - part of the Department for Work & Pensions which provides advice and information on age related issues in the workplace.

Campaign Against Age Discrimination in Employment - campaign to end age discrimination and have a website which is full of information and advice.

Employers Forum on Age - is a network of employers whose website provides information and advice on age-related issues.

Saga - site has an useful page on employment and work for mature people with links to many other organisations.

The Student Room - offers help and information for mature students interested in working in a particular area. Also offers opportunities to share experiences and ideas.

Third Age Employment Network - is made up of member organisations who have a shared objective of ensuring better opportunities for mature people.

University of Westminster - the University's Careers and Student Employment service offers resources to assist mature students to develop their careers more effectively.