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3 Methods To Age-Proof Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile


Are you involved about age discrimination? Whereas most job seekers concern discrimination by hiring managers, the reality is that you just’re extra prone to be discriminated in opposition to by a pc.


Most 50-something or older job seekers don’t understand that the expertise they leverage to use for jobs could also be screening them out of consideration. Sadly, this is without doubt one of the most typical causes that job seekers don’t get the interviews they need and deserve.

Right here’s the important thing factor you might want to know. The databases, or applicant monitoring techniques (ATS), that employers, recruiters, and job boards use to parse, retailer, and analyze incoming resumes are able to estimating how a lot expertise you possess. When recruiters or hiring executives search these databases for candidates with a specific amount of expertise—let’s say 12-15 years—the ATS will display screen out candidates who possess something aside from 12, 13, 14, or 15 years. Because of this, your resume or LinkedIn profile won’t be listed within the ensuing candidate search. This eliminates your candidacy earlier than a human even sees your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Please observe that whereas job boards, corporations, and recruiters don’t intend to discriminate, the expertise they’re utilizing to prepare the flood of resumes they obtain is doing so inadvertently. Because of this each time your resume is entered right into a job board system, firm web site, or recruiter web site, the expertise filtering described above might happen. It additionally signifies that your LinkedIn profile might be subjected to this similar filtering course of any time an organization or recruiter searches for candidates such as you with a certain amount of expertise in thoughts.

If you happen to’re presently in or plan to launch a part-time or full-time seek for a brand new function, take time to age-proof your resume and LinkedIn profile. Three easy adjustments will increase your candidacy, allow you to entice extra alternatives, and win you extra job interviews.

How Do You Age-Proof Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile?

To age-proof your resume and LinkedIn profile, you must replace your LinkedIn profile image, eradicate dates out of your training listings, and take away pre-2000 employment dates out of your work historical past.

Do you might want to put your age in your resume?

No, you shouldn’t put your age or any data that may reveal your age to an employer in your resume. Doing so may make you extra prone to expertise age discrimination within the hiring course of, limiting your job alternatives.

1. Revamp Your LinkedIn Profile Image

Whereas we strongly advocate knowledgeable headshot to your LinkedIn profile image (you will get one in most markets for $100-$200), an beginner photographer may work if you understand one who takes good portrait photographs. The secret’s a horny pose that makes essentially the most of your facial traits and character whereas minimizing any age-related deficits.

In case you have silver hair, for instance, think about using a darkish background or black and white picture to scale back the danger of a washed-out look. Choose a pose that conveys power and vitality and hints on the knowledge youth merely can’t replicate. Use a full-face smile to undertaking power with the picture and ensure you costume in interview-ready apparel. You wish to appear skilled but approachable.

2. Eradicate Dates From Your Training Listings On Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile

Woman logs in to LinkedInBigstock

It’s customary lately for most people over 30 to omit training dates from resumes and their LinkedIn profile. That is straightforward sufficient to do on your resume the place it’s also possible to omit dates of coaching, certifications, licensure, or affiliations.

In brief, omit any date previous to 2000, since most recruiters solely wish to see the final 10-15 years of your expertise in your resume or LinkedIn profile. To realize this on LinkedIn, go to your profile after which edit your “Training” part. Choose the “—“possibility within the drop-down field to your begin and end dates. Eradicate dates from different sections as effectively.

3. Take away Pre-2000 Dates From Your Work Historical past Sections On Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile

Man holds his resume while working on laptopBigstock

This is a bit more complicated however effectively value doing. In your resume, record your post-2000 work expertise in your “Work Historical past” part and separate your pre-2000 expertise into an “Further Expertise” part. To your pre-2000 jobs, omit your dates of employment and record the quantities as a substitute. For instance, when you labored at GE from 1992-2000, report that as “8 years.”

LinkedIn doesn’t enable members to omit dates from employment so your solely alternative is to eradicate pre-2000 jobs altogether. Attempt embedding a brief model of older jobs in your first post-2000 itemizing or briefly noting related older roles in your LinkedIn abstract. Both tactic will allow you to win extra LinkedIn profile views.

Whereas we don’t advocate utilizing on-line job boards as a key element in an efficient job search at nearly any age (there are different extra highly effective and sooner methods to create and pursue profession alternatives for your self), the reality is that these techniques inadvertently “discriminate” in opposition to candidates with greater than 15 years of labor expertise. Sadly, this similar potential exists on LinkedIn and firm/recruiter web sites anytime a hiring supervisor or recruiter conducts a candidate search based mostly on the quantity of expertise job seekers possess.

The excellent news is that just a few easy methods can shield your resume and LinkedIn profile from age discrimination and provide you with higher entry to the profession alternatives you need and deserve.

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