Retrenched at 45, struggling to even get interviews. Is it my age?
Got retrenched three months ago after 15 years at one company. I've sent out dozens of applications and barely any callbacks. I can't help feeling it's my age and salary expectations. For those who bounced back after 45, what actually worked?
Anonymous asker·Asked on 20 days ago·146 views·3 answers
TTechie Jun HaoBeginnerFirst-hand experienceSoftware engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
Retrenched at 47, bounced back in five months, so it's possible but the game is different at our age. What actually moved the needle: networking, not applying. Roughly 80% of my callbacks came from ex-colleagues, former vendors and industry contacts, not job portals where I was one CV in 400. I messaged everyone I'd worked with, honestly said I was in the market, and asked for coffee, not favours. Second, I reframed 15 years at one company as depth and reliability, not being stuck, and I cut the CV to achievements and outcomes, not a 15-year duty log. Third, I was flexible on the entry salary for the right platform, betting on catching up within two years, which I did. Fourth, I brushed up current tools so I didn't look dated in interviews. The market does have age bias, denying it doesn't help, but experience plus a warm intro beats it more often than you'd think. Keep your network warm and don't take the silence personally.
TTiger Mum SereneBeginnerFirst-hand experienceTwo kids in primary school, survived PSLE once already, can share tuition and DSA strategy without the stress.
Speaking as someone who screens CVs, a 15-year single-company CV often reads as either loyal or rigid, and the difference is how you frame it. Show progression, new scope, projects that changed within those 15 years. And tailor each application, a generic blast gets auto-filtered. Fewer, sharper applications to roles you genuinely fit beat spraying dozens. Quality over volume, especially now.
Look into the government reskilling and career support programmes, the ones through Workforce Singapore and the career matching services. A friend used a Career Conversion Programme to pivot into a growing sector at our age with employer subsidy softening the risk for the company hiring him. It also signals you're adaptable, which fights the age narrative. Don't job-hunt purely solo, use the support that exists.