Overcome Age Discrimination on Your Resume

Overcome Age Discrimination on Your ResumeOvercome Age Discrimination on Your ResumeWhen youre searching for a new job, you would think that extensive experience would always be a plus but, as many experienced job seekers can attest, sometimes employers are wary of hiring more experienced individuals. To be clear, age discrimination is illegal and we, in no way condone not hiring employees on the basis of their age or any other any discriminatory basis. But unfortunately, age discrimination is a reality with which more experienced job seekers need to be knowledgeable about so they can effectively manage their job search and resume materials.So what can you do to overcome age discrimination on your resume? Here are some tips to help youFocus on the past 10 to 15 years.If you have a 40-year career, then your resume is going to be lengthy. Not only do hiring managers tend to focus on your most recent position(s), but its unlikely that youre going to attain a role based experience from 25-40 years ago.Including your entire hintergrund will also tip-off hiring managers to your age. For those reasons, we recommend focusing on the most recent 10-15 years. Keep in mind that your resume is a marketing document, not an autobiography. You are not required to keep every role from earlier in your career on your resume.Create a Gmail account.If you have an AOL, Yahoo or Hotmail account, it can immediately age you. There is nothing inherently wrong with those email providers, but theyre less common among younger workers. Instead, we recommend creating a Gmail account for your job search. When you do, make sure you dont include your birth year, such as mmi52il. Stick to something simple and straightforward with your name in it. Beyond that, also avoid dated referenced to old technologies or buzzwords.Skip graduation dates.While its important to include dates in your employment history, you dont need to include the year you earned your degree. If you do, hiring managers can q uickly determine your age. Instead, leave that information off and simply include the name of the university you went to and the degree you earned, as well as any minors or special honors.Get rid of the objective.In the past, it was standard to include an objective on your resume. But todays hiring managers know that youre looking for a job, so it simply wastes space. Instead, to avoid age discrimination on your resume, use that area to list a summary of qualifications most pertinent to the position youre applying for. Highlight key accomplishments, as well as tasks and responsibilities.Create a LinkedIn profile.In todays world, hiring managers expect you to have a profile on social media especially LinkedIn thats complete and compelling. If you dont, make sure you create one now, before you begin your job search.Are you looking for a new job and suspect youre suffering from age discrimination on your resume? Let the team at ResumeSpice help. We can help you create a resume that g ets noticed for all the right reasons and avoids the pitfalls of age discrimination on it. Get started or learn more today by calling 832.930.7378.