9
Tips to Age-Proof Your Resume and Get Interviews By Deanna Poehlman
Author and Former Career Transition Coach
De-aging your résumé. Although it is against the law to discriminate against a protected age group (over 50), it is unfortunately still practiced. Keep in mind, the résumé’s only purpose is to advertise for an interview. When we gain the interview, we will win them over with our value, confidence, and relevance. Here are some ways your résumé may make you look older:
1. Including a middle initial or your middle name. Or, displaying your complete address, just include the city and state. Leaving off your complete address is not only recommended simply for your safety but also the potential of economic profiling
2. Including more contact numbers than your mobile number. If you are uncomfortable placing your cell number, then obtain a Google Voice number as your mobile number. It can be set-up so that it will ring on multiple phones and can be configured to transcribe the message, which can then be emailed and/or texted to you 3. Using an email address that is either Hotmail, aol.com, or has a reference to a cable company. Obtain a Gmail email address with your name or a forwarded email address from an alumni association or a professional society or association
4. Including the year you graduated college. Let’s leave that off. In some cases, it may be before the hiring manager was born. If you are, however, a recent graduate, then certainly include the year
5. Double-spacing after a period. I’ll be honest; I had to go back through this article and delete a couple of extra spaces! It is a sure give-away we are “Over 50” when displayed throughout your résumé. Seventy-five percent of all online applications will never be seen by human eyes thanks to the hiring bots, which are software programs known as an applicant tracking system (ATS). They can be programmed to look for double-spacing after a period 6. Including an objective statement. An objective statement is all about you and what you want, not 18 April | May 2021
typically what value you bring to an organization. It reminds me of a quote from Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, who said, “We don’t hire you because you need a job; we hire you because we need you.”
7. If you can help it, try not to go back more than 10-15 years of professional experience. Most certainly, do not list the jobs you held back in the 80s or 90s. If you find that your past experiences, or significant achievements, bring tremendous value to the targeted position you are applying for, I would recommend you summarize “additional experience” and leave off the pertinent dates associated with those experiences. One exception would be if you served in the military. Frame your service on your résumé, not the tenure. (i.e., served in the U.S Army for four years (not from 1980-1984)
8. Don’t list skills like M.S. Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. It makes it look as if you’ve just gotten on board with those programs. The fact that you know how to use Microsoft Office is no longer noteworthy (unless your role requires advanced excel skills, then include your excel certification)
9. Join LinkedIn and provide a great profile. LinkedIn is a valuable platform for connecting with others in your industry and uncovering new job opportunities. Add the URL to your LinkedIn profile to the top of your résumé. More than 90% of employers admit to reviewing candidates’ social network profilesregardless of whether the candidates provide that information Since your résumé will get about a 10-20 second initial look by someone before they decide to read further, you do not want to be eliminated due to “old school” ways. Additional tips are available in the book Over 50 Starting Over, with a complete action plan.
