Woman finally receives job application response 48 years later

For most job applicants, the agony of waiting for a response lasts a few weeks, but for 70-year-old Tizi Hodson from Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire, it took 48 years. In an extraordinary twist of fate, the long-lost letter she sent in 1976, applying for a job as a motorcycle stunt rider, finally made its way back to her in 2024.

The letter had been stuck behind a drawer at a Staines post office for nearly five decades, unbeknownst to anyone. When it was finally discovered, the letter was accompanied by a handwritten note that read, “Late delivery by Staines Post Office. Found behind a draw [sic]. Only about 50 years late.” Despite the delayed response, the letter’s return was described by Hodson as “amazing.”

Life Full of Adventure

Although the motorcycle stunt rider job didn’t pan out for Hodson, it didn’t stop her from leading an adventurous life. Over the years, she built an impressive career filled with daring pursuits. From working as a snake handler and a horse whisperer to becoming an aerobatic pilot and flying instructor, Hodson traveled the world, following her passion for high-adrenaline jobs.

Reflecting on the time she applied for the stunt rider job, Hodson admitted she had concealed her gender from the recruiters, knowing it might hinder her chances. “I was very careful not to let people know I was female, or I thought I wouldn’t even get an interview,” she told the BBC. “I even stupidly told them I didn’t mind how many bones I might break.”

While the job never materialized, Hodson continued to carve out an extraordinary career, and today, she has no regrets. “If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her to go and do everything I’ve done,” she said. “I’ve had such a wonderful time in life, even if I have broken a few bones.”

An Unsolved Mystery

Aside from the surprise of finally receiving her long-lost letter, Hodson was baffled by how it managed to find her after nearly five decades. “How they found me when I’ve moved house 50-odd times, and even moved countries four or five times, is a mystery,” she said.

Hodson recalled the excitement and disappointment she felt as a young woman in 1976, waiting for a response to her job application that never came. “I remember very clearly sitting in my flat in London typing the letter,” she shared. “Every day I looked for my post, but there was nothing there, and I was so disappointed because I really wanted to be a stunt rider on a motorcycle.”

Now, nearly half a century later, the return of her letter brings a sense of closure to that chapter of her life. “It means so much to me to get it back after all this time,” Hodson remarked.

Looking back, Hodson is at peace with the path her life has taken, even without the stunt rider job she had once dreamed of. “I would do it all again,” she reflected. “I’ve had an incredible life, filled with adventure and excitement.”