10 Genius Ways To 'Age-Proof' Your Resume
Age discrimination is unfortunately a part of the game, but there are ways to sneak around it.
OPOLJA | Shutterstock Finding a job in today's market is grueling, no matter who you are or what you do. But if you're an older worker, it can be even tougher. As an acquaintance in HR once bluntly told me, "The older the worker, the more we're going to have to agree to pay them." In today's insanely stingy job market, that's the last thing employers want to do.
So what are you supposed to do if you're a seasoned professional of a certain age? Experts say it all comes down to how you finagle and leverage a few key resume features.
Here are 10 genius ways to 'age-proof' your resume according to experts.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 1 in 4 American workers is over the age of 55, a nearly 74% increase over 20 years ago. Nevertheless, age discrimination in hiring and the workplace is rampant. A 2024 study by AARP found that 6 in 10 workers over age 50 have witnessed or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. It's starting to go in the other direction as well, with Gen Z'ers reporting they are frequently being discriminated against, too.
Meanwhile, the proportion of Gen Xers and Boomers looking for jobs seems to be growing. Online searches for "jobs for over 50" have reportedly soared 140% in recent months, which puts people over 50 in quite a conundrum.
So, what to do? Well, for starters, learn the red flags that an organization wants young workers only. Phrases like "3-5 years of experience," "young team," or "recent graduates" are fairly obvious clues, but so are more subtle buzzwords like "digital native" or "rockstar." The latter especially signifies they want someone young and hungry, not adept and seasoned.
But there are also tricks you can use in your resume to "age-proof" yourself. Job search site JobLeads compiled a list of 10 such tips that help ensure your resume reflects your value and expertise rather than the date on your birth certificate.
1. Keep your resume concise.
Unless the job asks for detailed documentation or a full CV, keep things succinct and stick to a two-page format at most. Especially since older generations are used to people having longer attention spans, an excessive resume is a dead giveaway that a worker is older. Also, be sure to omit subtle clues like an email address with a birth year or details that reveal marital or parental status.
2. Stick to contemporary fonts and modern formatting.
Times New Roman, long the standard, has fallen out of favor and makes a resume look old-fashioned. Another huge giveaway of age is two spaces after a period between sentences, which is an old typewriter convention that stopped being standard ages ago.
3. Use ATS-friendly templates.
It can be hard to remember, especially for older people, that a human being is almost never going to be the first pair of "eyes" on your resume. It's going to be an applicant tracking system or, increasingly, an AI function, so your resume has to be formatted for those circumstances.
There are tons of templates available online if you search "ATS-friendly resume templates," but the general rules of thumb are no text boxes, no graphics, and a single-column layout with clear section headings. All those bits of flair that used to make for an attractive resume a decade or two ago now make your resume dead on arrival, so keep it simple.
4. Tailor career history to recent achievements.
Keep your resume most heavily focused on the past 5 years of your career so that you showcase recent experience and achievements that best align with the job description and modern skills. That's not to say that you should ignore the rest of your career, but keep those details brief and relevant to the present when you do include them.
5. Modernize job titles and remove graduation dates.
Data Entry Clerks no longer exist — they're called Data Specialists now. Same with Secretaries. Those are Administrative or Executive Assistants these days. Using the "wrong" titles, even if they were the title you were given back in the day, is a dead giveaway that you're older than most applicants. So, of course, are graduation dates, so delete them unless they're specifically requested.
6. Customize keywords and highlight relevant skills.
Just like with titles, your skills need to be brought into alignment with the modern era, too. It's highly likely that the average hiring manager today doesn't even know what WordPerfect is, for example! Swap these outdated skills for modern and in-demand ones, and then tailor the rest of your resume's language to align with modern job descriptions and company culture as well.
7. Prove your cultural fit.
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It used to be that qualifications were everything, but these days, most companies want to know that you'll "fit in" with their company culture, too. Hobbies or interests that are current, unique, and relevant to the role you're applying for are great ways to indicate this, and including things like "emerging technologies" and "sustainability" can indicate your interests are in line with modern trends.
8. Replace objective statements with a professional summary.
Resumes used to be all about the objective statement, but that's long fallen out of favor, and having one is an indicator you're on the older side. These days, a professional summary that highlights your expertise and key accomplishments is the opening salvo that's expected, and it's an opportunity to cast yourself in a modern light.
9. Omit references and certifications.
This is another old convention that's long fallen out of favor: If an employer wants references, they'll ask for them later. No need to take up valuable resume real estate with those names and contact details!
Many experts say the same is true of certifications. You should still include them, but it's best these days to work them into the relevant experiences and skills descriptions listed in your resume, rather than give them their own section.
10. Leverage new technologies.
This is perhaps the most important tip of all, and it works in two key ways. One, using AI tools and features like LinkedIn's "How You Match" function and "Skills" section can identify key skills and keywords in both your experience and job descriptions. The more matches you have, the better suited you are to the jobs you're looking for.
These tools can also help identify places where your resume or your actual experience are lacking by modern standards. If the jobs you're looking for are all calling for a certain skill you don't yet have, there may be an online training and certification program you can leverage, for example. This can be a great way to not only modernize but also set you apart from other applicants, regardless of age.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
