Career Article 176:
Résumé Strategies for Candidates Age 45 and Over

By Tamara Dowling, CPRW

Many clients will say, "Why should I disguise my age on a résumé? Age discrimination is illegal." Yes, it may be illegal. However, that does not mean you are not missing many great opportunities because you are showing information on your résumé that is no longer relevant. In some cases, you may be screened out of the process because of a perception associated with your age.

Here is a quick list of things to consider when preparing your résumé.

1. Present only work history going back 10-15 years. Like Janet Jackson once sang (now I am dating myself), "What have you done for me lately?" That's what employers want to know. What have you done in today's work environment? What are your recent accomplishments? Tell them the latest and the greatest.
2. Do not show a date for degrees or certifications if the dates are older than 15 years.
3. Avoid statements referring to your extensive experience or a tally of years in various categories. You may seem over-qualified and if the number of years is older than the screener, it may not help you get in the door.
4. Omit statements referring to the launch of products and services that are now obsolete.
5. Replace words like "seasoned" and "veteran" with "versatile" and "change agent."
6. Illustrate your technical proficiency. Employers may have concerns that you may not be able to communicate electronically and operate standard software applications. Gone are the days when senior managers never typed a letter. Executives today are connected nearly 24/7 and they email, text, and manage documents electronically. At all levels, a professional needs these skills.
7. Speaking of technology... weed out old, out-dated hardware and software when listing your proficiencies on your résumé.
8. Use a résumé that follows the current trends of professional résumé writing.