Am I too old for today’s workplace?
With Lucy Standing, co-founder of Brave Starts
If you’re 45–65 and wondering whether work still wants you, this episode is a must-listen. We sat down with Lucy Standing, chartered psychologist and co-founder of Brave Starts, a UK nonprofit helping mid- and later-career professionals navigate change with confidence and purpose.
The big question (and why it’s not in your head)
Plenty of people in their late 40s and 50s are quietly asking, “Am I too old for today’s workplace?” The anxiety isn’t imagined. In the UK, a third of over-50s jobseekers worry about age discrimination, and age-discrimination payouts jumped 600% in 2024. Meanwhile, most organisations are still built around a three-stage life (education → one long career → retirement) that no longer fits how we live and work.
“More than 80% of organisations aren’t even planning for an ageing workforce.” — Lucy
The context shift: longer lives, shorter stints
We’re living longer, switching roles more often, and many of us will still be earning in our 70s or even 80s. Yet hiring systems haven’t caught up. Lucy’s take: if you’re waiting for a job ad, you’re probably already late. The process is flooded, outsourced, and too often age-blind in all the wrong ways.
What Brave Starts actually does
Brave Starts isn’t a recruiter. It’s a clarity engine:
Reality-check the goal (including status/salary expectations).
Map where demand is growing (think care, health, ageing-services, tech support… not just the “sexy” sectors).
Build peer momentum so you stop feeling alone and start taking focused action.
Move from scattergun to strategy: conversations → shadowing/volunteering → skills gaps → targeted moves.
“When you’re clear, actions line up. When you’re unclear, you do a bit of everything and get nowhere.”
Don’t chase ads. Build demand.
Lucy’s playbook for late-career job moves:
Pick five target organisations. Learn their customers, problems, price points, and pay bands.
Find real humans. Meet employees where they are (events, communities, alumni).
Show evidence. Publish, volunteer, prototype—prove you understand (and can already solve) their problems.
Signal fit and flexibility. Many older candidates will trade salary for meaning, balance, and impact—say it plainly.
Be an ally, not a threat. Especially with younger hiring managers: make your experience a lift, not a shadow.
Myth-busting: five things younger managers often get wrong
“They’ll be too expensive.” Most 50-somethings are more flexible on salary than you think.
“They don’t learn new tech.” In real jobs, learning, judgment, and people skills matter more than a timed logic test.
“Performance declines with age.” Job performance improves into the mid-40s and levels off—hardly a cliff.
“They’ll be unreliable.” Older workers often bring stability, follow-through, and calm under pressure.
“They only want full-time.” Many prefer fractional/portfolio setups—which can be a strategic advantage.
The future is fractional (and it’s already here)
Fractional titles have exploded on LinkedIn in just a few years. More people are freelancing, side-hustling, and mixing paid/volunteer work. It’s not for every role, but diverse talent supply (experienced people on flexible terms) can outperform one rigid headcount line.
Rethinking retirement: purpose is a health strategy
Lucy’s book-in-progress digs into the data: people with purposeful work (paid or not) score better on cognitive health, physical health, and life satisfaction. Translation: the old “work hard then stop” storyline is outdated. We didn’t evolve to retire from contribution.
If you’re 45–65 and itching for change: a 90-day plan
Month 1: Conversation stack. 10 informational chats in two target sectors. Write what surprised you each time.
Month 2: Low-risk experience. Shadow two roles; volunteer in one. Capture the tasks, pace, people, and energy.
Month 3: Proof of fit. Publish a short piece or mini-project that solves a real problem in your chosen niche.
Throughout: prune your asks (title, salary, hours) to widen options and speed momentum.
If you run a business: two moves that would change everything
Launch a 45+ cohort pathway. Make it explicit. Hire for capability; offer rotations and shadowing like a grad scheme—just for experienced people.
Fix what’s actually broken. CVs correlate almost not at all with future performance. Swap “years in seat” for work samples, structured interviews, and personality/ability screens geared to the job. And build a volunteer/intern-style on-ramp in high-need areas (hello, NHS).
“Nothing is worse than a CV. If you’re worried about AI interviews—embrace them. They’re fairer than the pile of PDFs.”
Where people think they want to go vs. where they land
Top stated pivots Brave Starts sees: planet (sustainability), people (wellbeing/charity/health), and creative. Many adjust course after real-world exposure. Clarity beats fantasy—fast.
The takeaway
You’re not “too old.” You’re too valuable to be processed by systems built for a different era. Step out of the ad queue, get proximate to problems, and design a path that fits your next decade—not your last one.
Want more from Lucy and Brave Starts? Explore their approach and community at bravestarts.com. And if you loved this conversation, queue up the full episode of Work Is Weird Now—then send it to a friend who needs the nudge.
