Is Your Resume Showing Your Age?

Nancy Anderson
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Like it or not, age does matter in the workplace environment, with many organizations being reluctant to hire older workers, despite their experience. If your resume shows your age, you may need to tweak it in order to improve your chances of getting an interview. Here's what you should and shouldn't do.

Don't List All Your Jobs

When you list all your jobs, you show exactly when you entered the workforce, and this can indicate how old you are. In addition, older workers tend to have experience that is no longer relevant to modern jobs, so most of these jobs are not pertinent anyway. Similarly, most of the skills you gained early in your career are usually covered by your later jobs, so listing early employment is simply redundant.

Don't List Dates

When talking about education, many older workers indicate what year they graduated. Unfortunately, a little bit of math indicates how old they are. Instead, simply state that you graduated and in what field. GPA scores are not normally relevant, and you don't need to show what modules you took. Always use the modern name of the institution rather than the name that it had when you graduated.

Do Be Brief with Your Interests

Your interests may indicate that you're an older worker, so unless your hobbies are highly relevant to the position, be very brief. Don't mention grandchildren or the ages of your children, as this may lead to assumptions about how old you are. Sporting activities may also brand you as a mature person.

Don't Include Obsolete Qualifications

Sometimes, your qualifications may mark you out as someone who is an older contender for a vacant position. For example, in the programming field, it's unusual for young workers to know certain programming languages, such as COBOL. Therefore, stating that you know COBOL may make you stand out as an older worker. Of course, if the job involves COBOL programming, you want to include it.

Exceptions

Naturally, there are some times when you want to be identified as an older worker. Some organizations prioritize hiring veterans, so in this case, you want to be identified as a mature worker. Similarly, with age comes experience, and some businesses prefer middle-aged candidates as accountants, lawyers and administrators as these are people with the most experience. In these cases, it's often important to identify yourself as an older person in order to get the interview.

Getting an interview often means tweaking your resume to match the needs of the company. While more mature applicants have lots to offer, including experience, they may experience some bias at the application review stage. If you are an older worker, take a good look at your resume to make sure it shows you in the best light.


Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @JB B thanks for your comment. Totally agree but these companies always find a way around it. Most applications require you to include the year you graduated from High School. There is no way around that one even if it is not legal to ask it. If you don't fill in the year, you can't proceed with the application. So even though we agree that asking for an applicant's age is illegal, they do it and get away with it. As much as I hate to say it - again - not much you can do except not apply to that company. As others have indicated, most job apps require that date in order to complete it. What do you do then?

  • JB B.
    JB B. •

    Good article, Nancy. However, I MUST challenge these comments posted in the comments section: "Sadly age discrimination is rampant in our society... "It is unfortunate that companies do that since it is technically illegal as it allows a company to know your age. Not much you can do to get around that one." Would you say that if the company was asking the applicants race, or religion? The FACT of the matter is that companies are prohibited against asking ANY question regarding age and, likewise, are prohibited from using 'work-around' questions to 'get around' the illegality. It is illegal for a company to inquire, in any manner, about age just the SAME as it is race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Since year of high school graduation indicates age, a company may NOT legally ask that question, in person or via application process. Period.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Margaret as far as the secret shopper goes - some are actually legitimate. Check it out. Take the email address that they used and try a google search on it. Or the company name if they gave it. If it's a scam, you will probably see that in the first ten results. If not, ask around. See if anyone else you know has dealt with the company. And always read the small print. And one last thing, NEVER give them any money at all. Many of these places will tell you that in order to get started with them, you have to buy their training manual or some other such nonsense like paying for your own background check. Wrong! If they want you, they will pay for the background check and they will supply all training materials. Best of luck.

  • Margaret (aka Marj) J.
    Margaret (aka Marj) J. •

    What about Secret Shoppers. Is there Any That are not Scams on computer?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Anna thanks for your comment. It is unfortunate that companies do that since it is technically illegal as it allows a company to know your age. Not much you can do to get around that one. @Kimberly age is one of those things that a company is not technically allowed to ask. It's covered under the same protection law as race, sex, national origin, etc. But companies always find a way around the laws - simply by asking what year did you graduate from high school.

  • Anna K.
    Anna K. •

    Thanks for the article. One note- Year you graduated is usually a mandatory field on the application which you have to submit along with your resume when applying for a position

  • Kimberly R. H.
    Kimberly R. H. •

    I have seen many posts that do not mention age in their EO statement. ____ is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Nothing about age. Is mention of age a requirement?

  • Zdzislaw K.
    Zdzislaw K. •

    Being an older worker, this shines some light on why my long experience can hurt my employment chances. Great article.

  • Barbara P.
    Barbara P. •

    Very helpful, thank you

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Kimberly it was shock and awe for me, too. It used to be that if you were 60 or older you were considered to be "old". But today, 40 is the new "old". So many job seekers contact us with fear and frustration because they feel that they are being discriminated against due to their age and a large percentage of them are in their 40's. The world as we knew it has changed.

  • Kimberly R. H.
    Kimberly R. H. •

    @Nancy Anderson, Your comment "Typically anyone over the age of 40 falls into the class. Surprised? I know I was!" hit the nail on the head for me. Shock and Aw.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Mia thanks for your comment and question. I think it would depend upon the job. Most companies aren't interested in your personal interests and I wouldn't include them, either. But I have seen job postings where they ask that you include your hobbies and interests when you apply. Maybe they don't want to hire a fitness buff when they have coffee and donuts every morning. Wouldn't be a good fit!

  • Mia Greenwood
    Mia Greenwood •

    A lot of this seems like good advice for job searchers of any age. I know I tend to want to throw everything I can think of on a resume just to see if any of it sparks interest. That includes software that no one uses anymore! I'm surprised at the mention of interests. Unless one is just out of school with no experience, or has an interest tied directly to the job, is that ever relevant on a resume?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Kristen you might be surprised to know how many of the older generation have mbas and phds. Speaking from the older generation, most of us went to college or trade school and then continued our education later in life. It's not education that's keeping companies from hiring the more mature workers. It truly is reluctance on the part of employers to hire the older workers. Not sure why, though, as they come with maturity, experience and a different work ethic. @Abbey most places will tell you that they only want to see the past ten years. It's not that the job seeker is trying to deceive anyone. It's just that companies feel that anything older than ten years is obsolete and has no bearing on their hiring decision. So I don't think that the hiring manager would be less willing to hire. And besides, prior to even contacting the job seeker for the first interview, that hiring manager or HR have done a check on you - mainly on social media sites. They already have a pretty good idea how old you are based upon your social media.

  • Abbey Boyd
    Abbey Boyd •

    I understand that older workers have a harder time finding work due to the reluctance of employers to hire them, and I like the tips included in this article. However, I have to wonder at what point the line is drawn when leaving things out of your resume. At what point does this go from being harmless and unimportant to deceptive? I feel that if you aren't careful, there could be repercussions associated with omitting some of this information. Would this backfire when invited for an interview? Would the hiring manager view you as a deceptive person and therefore be less willing to hire you?

  • Confidential U.
    Confidential U. •

    I'm over 40 and my employment experience is mostly in general labor, unfortunately I graduted from College during a time when getting hired in the field of my degree was nearly impossible.

  • Kristen Jedrosko
    Kristen Jedrosko •

    There are definitely pros and cons for all age groups when it comes to preparing a resume and trying to obtain a job. Though the older generation may have much more to offer in terms of experience, the younger generation has much more to offer in terms of education. Both groups often face a lot of bias whether it is shown on their resume or it is seen in the job interview. Companies often always seem to look at the cover of the book first, before looking into the book itself no matter which age group. In today's job market it is definitely best to be someone with 10 or so years in the workforce that has an education, but that is why it is so difficult for the older and younger generations.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. Sadly age discrimination is rampant in our society. What is the "age" you ask? Typically anyone over the age of 40 falls into the class. Surprised? I know I was! Sadly, also, companies today don't really seem to care that an older worker is a better buy because, in most cases, they have already raised their families and can give their all to the company. In addition, they do have that work ethic and will be very loyal to their company as this was the way they were raised. They more than likely won't jump ship at the first opportunity they get. If they do, the company needs to dig into and find out why. The older generation was raised in a society where you work for the same company all your life and then you retire from it. The younger generation seems to be all about "me, me, me". Not the case across the board though. Don't want to offend here. It's just the difference in the values and morals of the different age groups. There are pro's and con's to all age groups.

  • CATHERINE S.
    CATHERINE S. •

    It's very unfortunate that an older age seems like a detriment on a job application in this day and age. All of these tips are good, but they are all aimed at hiding an important part of yourself- that you have more experience and perhaps wisdom than younger candidates. I have the same question as some of the other commenters. At what point are applicants "too old" in the minds of the employer? You've listed a few industries where age is considered an advantage, but I feel like there are many more out there. Can anyone think of more examples?

  • Melanie E.
    Melanie E. •

    When worried about dating your resume, you should also avoid using phrases such as, “35 years’ experience.” This automatically clues the reader in on your possible age frame. I tend to agree with a few other comments on this page, though. I am starting to see a trend in the way hiring managers look at applicants and their age. As a hiring manager, I look for those with a more extensive work history. I find that older employees, for the most part, have a more mature attitude and a better work ethic. They are often looking for stability and have families that rely on them. Younger employees are less likely to show loyalty to a company and are much quicker to “jump ship” when another opportunity comes along or if they are having trouble complying with company requirements.

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer •

    This is a classic "don't judge a book by its cover" scenario, isn't it. We shouldn't do it, but to some degree, we probably all do at times. On the whole, if I make my age less obvious on my resume, I stand a much better chance of getting to interview. That seems like a good enough reason to be a little obscure!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @William it is true that resumes have changed throughout the years but the basic concept is the same. Formatting is a personal choice. The biggest thing in today's resume - keywords and keyword phrases. @Jacob you would like to think that workers over 40 are federally protected but not so much today. There really is no particular age group that is being dismissed due to age. We hear from people who just turned 40 who can't get a job for anything and we hear from people in their 60's who just started a new career. We use the word "mature" instead of saying old!

  • William Browning
    William Browning •

    I applied for part-time work two years ago, and I automatically thought to include my high school graduation, even though I have a college degree. I went on to keep my "Objective" section at the top instead of making a "Career Summary" of the past 20 years of work. After reading a lot of information on contemporary resumes, I need to get out of the 1990s and into the 2010s.

  • Jacob T.
    Jacob T. •

    Where is the line drawn to becoming a "mature worker"? This article makes mention of grandchildren as a flag, but aren't workers over 40 federally protected? Is there a particular age group (say, 55 and older) that is especially prone to having an age-announcing resume dismissed?

  • Katharine M.
    Katharine M. •

    I agree that in these situations you have to do everything you can to increase your chances, and paying attention to the way you come across on your resume is one example. This article also demonstrates, yet again, why it's so important to tweak your resume for every job- as you say, some industries might prefer a more mature or experienced worker, while others may pass over that worker's resume.

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