The JobSync Blog
Ageism and Your Job Application
September 23, 2011
If you think ageism is only a problem for older jobseekers, guess again. Younger job hunters also face biases stemming from their age, with some companies feeling they lack the maturity and mettle to succeed in a brutal economy.
Recently, FINS Finance discussed ways to combat ageism for both older and younger workers alike. What’s important to remember is that many recruiters and hiring managers are more concerned if someone is on top of trends in technology and language than they are with someone’s age. To help keep you in the game while they discover this about you, age-proof your job application by following these four easy steps:
1. Provide the right kind of contact information: Never list a fax number on your resume – this immediately exposes someone as being older and out of touch with technology. List your cell phone number as your only contact number. A gmail account with your actual name is going to score far more points than yourhighschoolnickname81@aol.com. And younger applicants should exercise discretion with their Twitter handles – less is definitely more with traditional companies in this regard.
2. Choose your resume’s dates and position other content carefully: You may want to consider leaving out jobs from more than 15 years ago, but leaving out junior positions that demonstrate a progression in your career could hurt you more. Younger jobseekers should also keep their education background near the end of their resume.
3. Highlight achievements on your resume, but with a clear, polished, and current-sounding balance. Older workers tend to be more wordy, while younger workers of the texting generation tend to be too abrupt. Be straightforward, but detail your accomplishments with eloquent brevity. Avoid old-fashioned phrases and use buzzwords to keep you sounding current.
4. Don’t overcompensate: Older workers should not try too hard to sound young, and younger workers should not try too hard to sound seasoned when they are not. Recruiters and hiring managers will invariably discover the truth, so don’t waste their time or yours.
Whether you’re young or old, by following these steps, this can finally be your time.
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