Is there any disadvantages for more than 5 years' working experiences?

Could well be, but we CANNOT generalise.

What's your experience, if you are changing direction in career you are gonna have to explain that in detail and convince them..

I don't think it is a disadvantage - from your work experience you should have more examples of competencies

and the fact that people get into grad programs in big4 etc. years after they graduate shows they do value older people aswell

mmmmh i dont know, i got rejected from a graduate programme because i was too old and have more than 1 yr post graduate work...

sometimes i dont know what these graduate recruiters want. do they want a professional or some snotty nosed clueless child?

it really depends on luck sometimes... just apply anyway and then call up the recruiter to make a good impression and demonstrate your hunger for the job. thats how they will remember your name!

The possible disadvantages are lack of career focus (why you didn't want to work in the field you are applying to before) and the fact that many internships are designated for young people without (or with very little) work experience, because they are untouched (unwarped) by any company's culture/methods and thus accomodate and learn faster. These might be pretty substantial reasons, but except of them I don't see any.

Hi, doing an internship is a necessary part of your Masters and there should be no reasons for you to worry about having five years experience. Your previous work experience will give you a head start over others and there will always be ample opportunity for you to impress and test your skills. I did my MBA straight after my 1st degree. The average age for an MBA professional is well into their 30’s, so it is common for people with work experience to enter masters programmes later in life and complete some form of placement or work experience.

Basically, if you market yourself effectively and are right for the job, the recruiter will hire you regardless of other factors. The fact that you and your friends are receiving rejections is perhaps more of a sign of the uncertain times because in normal years you expect more internships floating around. If you are very concerned about this, an alternative approach would be to contact the recruiter in question and discuss your issues directly with them.

If the internship is an important part of your masters, your tutors should do what they can to help. Always ask their advice because they may have experienced similar situations with students before.

The other thing is age. Some companies may indirectly place an upper age limit on people joining graduate schemes and internships, though if they think they are getting the right person this can be overlooked (generally speaking there should be no discrimination in terms of age, gender, nationality, etc).

Nonetheless, your skills and work experience are valued and this will help differentiate you away from other candidates with less proven experience. I hope this helps.

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