Here we go again...

[monty]

I never put my age on CVs as in my opinion it is irrelevant.................especially for us old timers....

[BAJR]

There is always a reasonable explanation for anything... best not jump to conclusions.

[Dinosaur]

I never put my age on CVs as in my opinion it is irrelevant.................especially for us old timers....

Surely they need to know how many years shovelling we still have left in us? [not too many in my case, methinks] :face-stir:

[kevin wooldridge]

Surely they need to know how many years shovelling we still have left in us? [not too many in my case, methinks] :face-stir:

So you know of a company that is offering contracts that run to years rather than weeks? I think that's an unsubstantiated rumour Dinosaur and you should be ashamed for frightening the children and the horses in such a fashion!! :face-approve:

[deadlylampshade]

Did you get a response to your inquiry why you didn't get the job Rich?

[chiz]

...seems more likely is that due to my academic record, skills in and out of archaeology and experience I could be perceived as a threat to someone's job....I thought this would be a gimme

I honestly understand and sympathise with your disappointment at not getting a job for which you applied and felt yourself totally suitable for, but I do think you might come to regret the way you voiced your feelings. You do come across as a touch petulant.

May I ask why you thought this would be a 'gimme'? You obviously stand yourself in high regard as you feel others may be threatened by your wealth of skills. Of course I don't know what kind of job you applied for, but bear in mind there are huge numbers of well qualified applicants for every job going these days and I assume you didn't expect the company to hold the job open for you from last year?

I was talking with a former colleague earlier who had similarly been rejected for a job that he was, fundamentally, totally over-qualified for. It didn't mean he didn't want the job/any job, but it didn't make him the right person for the job. Some companies do not want to employ say Project Officer level staff at digger level, not because they feel 'threatened' by them, but because they want to give staff at the bottom of the ladder a chance and they want a structured workforce of staff at all levels of career. Plus if they exclusively hired ex-POs at digger rates they would be accused of exploitation! If you hire over-qualified staff they have a tendancy to disappear when they find a more suitable job for their level of experience. Many companies already have ex-employees who are local who they have just had to lay off or who have worked for them recently, they may only have to advertise due to eg council rules or to see who is out there, or just to 'show off' that they are recruiting.

On a wider note it is well worth taking time to make sure that your covering letter/application/cv is as good as possible, and that it is in the format that the employer wants. Have a read of the article in the latest Diggers' Forum newsletter for some pointers on preparing CVs. Don't assume that other people can read between the lines of your CV, make it clear what skills you have, and try and tailor your application to their specific job description and skills requirements.