9 Tips to Avoid Age Discrimination on Your Resume

9 Tips to Avoid Age Discrimination on Your Resume Spread the loveIn a perfect world, employers would recognize the very real value that a seasoned employee can bring to their organizations. Alas, this is not a perfect world. The reality is that all too many hiring managers and business owners subconsciously discriminate against older workers. And that discrimination is only becoming more pronounced in the emerging digital age. Today’s hiring managers often assume that older workers just can’t keep pace with today’s ever-evolving technology and business paradigms. As a result, many will simply dismiss a seasoned candidate’s resume without a second thought. Fortunately, we have 9 tips that can help you create a resume that protects you from that obvious age discrimination.The Interview is Key to Preventing Age DiscriminationFirst, though, it’s important to recognize that most employers are not consciously biased against older workers. In most instances, they truly do want the best candidate for the job regardless of that ca ndidate’s age. Unfortunately, several potential factors might give them pause and prevent them from interviewing you:Some may worry that your salary demands will be more than they can meet.Others may wonder how you can fit in with their younger workforce.Most will be concerned about your familiarity with new technologies.In most instances, the only way to overcome that unintended age discrimination is in an interview setting. Once you land an interview, you can demonstrate your potential value to the employer. You can highlight your broad experience working with teams of all ages. And you can allay any salary requirement fears and talk about how you’ve adapted to changing technology.Obviously, the interview is key to avoiding age discrimination, so your resume needs to be designed to remove any obstacles to that interview.Remember that you do not need to include your age on a resume.The 9 Tips that Can Help You Avoid Age Discrimination and Land an InterviewTo craft a resume that minimizes the risk of age discrimination while maximizing your chances of landing an interview, follow these tips:Modify Your Education SectionFirst things first. If you want to avoid age discrimination, get rid of those graduation dates in your education section. They’re a clear “tell” that quickly reveal your approximate age to anyone who can do simple math. Simply list the schools, course of study, and any achievements or awards.Be Selective About Your ExperienceSeasoned employees always have a lengthy history of job experience. That experience can be a disadvantage, however, if you insist on including everything in your resume.If you’re been working for thirty or forty years, you really shouldn’t include your earliest jobs. After all, they require employment dates that will help to reveal your age. How many years of experience should you include on a resume?10 15 YearsIf you have relevant experience from before that time, consider covering it in your skills or qualif ications section where no dates are needed.Get a LinkedIn AccountThese days, employers always check social media. You should have a LinkedIn profile page, with a professional photograph and a more personalized story about your career. Then include a link to that page on your resume.Cultivate a Young Social Media PersonaWhile you’re at it, you can also avoid age discrimination by choosing the right photos of yourself for social media. Try to find photos that reveal your more youthful side. The last thing you want is for an employer to Google you and see an unflattering, unenergetic photo.Emphasize technology in Your ResumeTo allay the technological doubts that often fuel age discrimination, emphasize your familiarity with new tech. Find places in your resume to include details about your use of various programs, machines, and tools. That’s a great way to highlight the fact that you’re more than ready to keep pace with any challenge.Remember that most companies use ATS (Applican t Tracking Systems) to automatically scan your resume. Include skills found in the job description to increase your chances of getting past an ATS.ATS Resume Test  You can see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review:Free Resume ReviewMake Sure You Know that TechnologyOf course, that age discrimination will rear its ugly head in the interview if you don’t really understand the tech you mention in your resume. To avoid that, do your homework. Want to mention your familiarity with any piece of software? Make sure you get familiar with it first. That will enable you to honestly claim that knowledge.Highlight Desirable Skills in Your ResumeWhile your experience is useful, it’s just as important to highlight skills. Figure out which skills are needed for the job and focus on them throughout your resume. Remember, the goal is to convince the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for the job. Doing that will alleviate any potential for age di scrimination.Focus on ValueWhat do employers want? Obviously, they want value. They need a team filled with people who can add value to their companies. You should emphasize your value-added prospects by highlighting specific accomplishments you’ve had in other jobs. Moreover, link those achievements to real numbers that demonstrate the value you brought to your jobs.Be Flexible on SalaryFinally, prepare to be flexible on salary. Even if the job offering asks you to include salary expectations, be sure to leave it open to negotiation. Allow the employer the opportunity to discover your potential value first, and everything else will fall into place.The good news is that it is possible to avoid age discrimination. Just follow these simple tips and focus on creating a value-added resume that any employer will love. If you can achieve that goal, you can land more interviews and secure the employment you deserve 9 Tips to Avoid Age Discrimination on Your Resume Spread the loveIn a perfect world, employers would recognize the very real value that a seasoned employee can bring to their organizations. Alas, this is not a perfect world. The reality is that all too many hiring managers and business owners subconsciously discriminate against older workers. And that discrimination is only becoming more pronounced in the emerging digital age. Today’s hiring managers often assume that older workers just can’t keep pace with today’s ever-evolving technology and business paradigms. As a result, many will simply dismiss a seasoned candidate’s resume without a second thought. Fortunately, we have 9 tips that can help you create a resume that protects you from that obvious age discrimination.The Interview is Key to Preventing Age DiscriminationFirst, though, it’s important to recognize that most employers are not consciously biased against older workers. In most instances, they truly do want the best candidate for the job regardless of that ca ndidate’s age. Unfortunately, several potential factors might give them pause and prevent them from interviewing you:Some may worry that your salary demands will be more than they can meet.Others may wonder how you can fit in with their younger workforce.Most will be concerned about your familiarity with new technologies.In most instances, the only way to overcome that unintended age discrimination is in an interview setting. Once you land an interview, you can demonstrate your potential value to the employer. You can highlight your broad experience working with teams of all ages. And you can allay any salary requirement fears and talk about how you’ve adapted to changing technology.Obviously, the interview is key to avoiding age discrimination, so your resume needs to be designed to remove any obstacles to that interview.Remember that you do not need to include your age on a resume.The 9 Tips that Can Help You Avoid Age Discrimination and Land an InterviewTo craft a resume that minimizes the risk of age discrimination while maximizing your chances of landing an interview, follow these tips:Modify Your Education SectionFirst things first. If you want to avoid age discrimination, get rid of those graduation dates in your education section. They’re a clear “tell” that quickly reveal your approximate age to anyone who can do simple math. Simply list the schools, course of study, and any achievements or awards.Be Selective About Your ExperienceSeasoned employees always have a lengthy history of job experience. That experience can be a disadvantage, however, if you insist on including everything in your resume.If you’re been working for thirty or forty years, you really shouldn’t include your earliest jobs. After all, they require employment dates that will help to reveal your age. How many years of experience should you include on a resume?10 15 YearsIf you have relevant experience from before that time, consider covering it in your skills or qualif ications section where no dates are needed.Get a LinkedIn AccountThese days, employers always check social media. You should have a LinkedIn profile page, with a professional photograph and a more personalized story about your career. Then include a link to that page on your resume.Cultivate a Young Social Media PersonaWhile you’re at it, you can also avoid age discrimination by choosing the right photos of yourself for social media. Try to find photos that reveal your more youthful side. The last thing you want is for an employer to Google you and see an unflattering, unenergetic photo.Emphasize technology in Your ResumeTo allay the technological doubts that often fuel age discrimination, emphasize your familiarity with new tech. Find places in your resume to include details about your use of various programs, machines, and tools. That’s a great way to highlight the fact that you’re more than ready to keep pace with any challenge.Remember that most companies use ATS (Applican t Tracking Systems) to automatically scan your resume. Include skills found in the job description to increase your chances of getting past an ATS.ATS Resume Test  You can see how your resume performs in an actual ATS scan with our Free Resume Review:Free Resume ReviewMake Sure You Know that TechnologyOf course, that age discrimination will rear its ugly head in the interview if you don’t really understand the tech you mention in your resume. To avoid that, do your homework. Want to mention your familiarity with any piece of software? Make sure you get familiar with it first. That will enable you to honestly claim that knowledge.Highlight Desirable Skills in Your ResumeWhile your experience is useful, it’s just as important to highlight skills. Figure out which skills are needed for the job and focus on them throughout your resume. Remember, the goal is to convince the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for the job. Doing that will alleviate any potential for age di scrimination.Focus on ValueWhat do employers want? Obviously, they want value. They need a team filled with people who can add value to their companies. You should emphasize your value-added prospects by highlighting specific accomplishments you’ve had in other jobs. Moreover, link those achievements to real numbers that demonstrate the value you brought to your jobs.Be Flexible on SalaryFinally, prepare to be flexible on salary. Even if the job offering asks you to include salary expectations, be sure to leave it open to negotiation. Allow the employer the opportunity to discover your potential value first, and everything else will fall into place.The good news is that it is possible to avoid age discrimination. Just follow these simple tips and focus on creating a value-added resume that any employer will love. If you can achieve that goal, you can land more interviews and secure the employment you deserve