Every week, I speak to top candidates who can’t figure out what is holding them back from landing interviews.
In many cases, they’re inadvertently HIGHLIGHTING their age on their resumes and LinkedIn Profiles.
If you think you might be screened out of the running for choice jobs due to your age, read on for some common scenarios that are easily prevented with a few changes:
Cut to the chase on your career history.
Will any employer really care what you did 25 years ago?
Most hiring managers want to see fresh experience, and consider achievements from the past 10-15 years to be most relevant. There are ways to show career progression, but the best focus will be on what you’ve achieved lately.
If you just can’t let go of that Bank President title from the 90’s, add it (without dates) in a one-liner at the end of your professional history – and do the same for your LinkedIn Profile.
Are numbers hurting your chances?
They will if you use a resume or LinkedIn summary touting “over 30 years of experience.”
Your strongest qualifications are better demonstrated by describing achievements that generated profits, cut bottom-line costs, or retained customers — instead of focusing on longetivity.
If you’re not sure what else to use in your summary, see Over 50? How to Write a Winning Resume and How Your Resume Should Look in 2021.
Don’t make employers read a book.
If your update strategy includes dusting off your old resume to add your latest job, it’s time to stop. See Quit Using Your College Resume for Your Executive Job Search.
Hiring authorities don’t have the time to wade through pages of your career to find out the relevance to their needs. Summarize your credentials up front, and then chop (ruthlessly!) from the back, until you’ve narrowed it to 2 or 3 pages. See How Long Should Your Executive Resume Be?
Everything else has changed… so should your resume format.
It’s a good idea to step away from Times New Roman and other outdated resume trends. A compelling resume is actually a marketing document, NOT a career obituary.
Presentation and strategy are EVERYTHING in an effective resume. To be considered for a leadership role, use an attractive, well-formatted document reflective of your value proposition, plus the results you can deliver.
Compare your document to samples of interview-winning executive resumes in order to get an idea of current trends.
Employers are in constant need of industry knowledge, consistent results, and flexibility from their employees, especially in today’s culture of constant change and economic turmoil.
Market your qualifications, NOT your age, as you advance your career to the next level.
