FREE 4+ Resume Tips to Combat Age Discrimination [ Tips, Guides, and Samples ]

They say that “with age comes wisdom.”  However, if you are a person of age and are looking to transfer to what seems to be a better employment opportunity, age can be a big factor. Though it may not seem like it, ageism—or plainly age discrimination—is a thing. Despite the fact that whatever type of discrimination is not acceptable in the workplace, resumes of more aged applicants just seem to end up in the trash bin.

We want to eradicate discrimination by all means. In this article, we will give a few hints about how you can subtly bypass discrimination and have a great opportunity of proving yourself worthy of the position. We’ll also give you tips on what to put in your resume and what not to include when you are writing a resume. Read up!

Top Resume Mistakes

Resume Tips

Sample Senior Resume

Senior Resume Sample

The Problem and the Fix

Everyone wants to maintain competitiveness in the job market. It does not matter how much experiences an individual has and how old he/she is. We will give you four of the most common problems and tips on how you can fix each of these problems.

Problem # 1: Including Significant Dates
It is common practice for job applicants to include graduation dates, birthdays, and other dates that may actually give away what your age is. This is one of the most common resume mistakes that you can make, especially if you do not want hiring managers to blow you off because of your age.

How to fix this problem? It is actually very easy! You just have to omit including these dates in your resume. Make sure you review your resume and remove any dates that may give away your age.

Problem # 2: Review Your Professional Work Experience
If you have a lot of work experience, you may have had experiences that come from an era that is unfamiliar to the hiring manager. We already talked about omitting significant dates on your resume. So what should you do to make it seem like you are a fresh and upbeat job applicant?

Focus on your most recent job experiences. Think about the last 5 to 10 years and these should be the ones you should include in your resume. Do not forget to dress up these work experiences and emphasize the learnings you have gathered from the jobs you’ve had during these years.

Problem # 3: Be in the NOW
Ever wondered what is the first step that hiring managers do during a background check? They actually look for information about you through Google. No matter how “private” your accounts may seem, they will definitely be able to check you out through the Internet. The first few things that may appear are some of your social media profiles and professional profiles. How to look youthful on social media? Let us say, we’ll cheat just a little bit by posting a younger-looking photo of you, especially on your professional profile (i.e. LinkedIn). Don’t have a professional profile online? It’s high time you make one.

Problem # 4: Update Your Certifications
Got that typing skill certification in the ’80s? When was the last time you attended a training? You have to update all of your certifications. How to keep your skills updated? By taking recent certifications and pieces of training. Some of these are already available online and can be taken without any payment. You should totally take advantage of this.

Sample Senior Level Resume

Human Resources Executive Resume Sample

Sample Senior Accountant

Senior Vice President Resume Sample

There you have it! You now know a few tips for writing effective resumes despite being more mature than your competition. You can even download the sample free executive resumes and guide documents that we have included as these will serve as great references for you.