Resume

3 Anti-Aging Secrets For Your Resume

3 Anti-Aging Secrets For Your Resume

One of the biggest concerns for job seekers over a certain age is age discrimination. While some employers do discriminate, it's often because they fear that candidates over 50 won't be up-to-date with their skills or familiar with not-so-new things like social media. While there is no anti-aging cream for your resume, there are steps you can take so your resume doesn't make you look old. Here are three.


College Days

Drop those dates from your days in college. That includes dates of attendance and the year you graduated. And make sure your education is listed at the bottom of your resume. There's no need to advertise that you graduated 15+ years ago. Note: that this doesn't apply if you've just finished completing your MBA.

Old-Fashioned Email

Nothing screams old more than a @aol email address. Yes, “back in the day" it showed you were an early adopter, but those days are long gone. Keep your old email address for friends or family who already know your age. Opt for a @gmail account for your job search and choose an address that's business appropriate. Either your name or a variation of your name works best. Note: if you are conducting a confidential job search choose an email address that will not be easily identified with you.

Be On LinkedIn

No, this article is not about LinkedIn, you know you need to be there. But, make sure your profile link is on your resume as well. First, this lets recruiters and employers know that you are familiar with current job-search techniques. Second, it makes it easier for them to find your profile, which is particularly important if you have a fairly common name like me. Just be sure that when the reader gets there you have something beyond job titles and the standard headline. Note: your current job title is LinkedIn's default headline, come up with something more creative than that. While some employers do discriminate based on age, many appreciate the skills and knowledge of seasoned employees. Just make sure that you are up-to-date with your skills and that your resume doesn't scream I may be thinking about retirement. When you do get an interview, arrive with a positive attitude. That and a smile will go a long way.

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About the author

Annette Richmond is a Certified Advanced Resume Writer (CARW) and former recruiter. She has written articles for career-intelligence and other sites including TalentCulture, 85Broads, LinkedIn and Forbes Woman. Her career management advice has been featured in many media outlets including Business Insider, Vault.com, Monster.com, and The Wall Street Journal. Annette also regularly contributes to a number of weekly career-related chats on Twitter. Check out her resume writing and career services here.Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
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