Make sure your résumé fits the newer formats: Tip #2

[Susan]

Greetings and thank you for joining! For the following tip, I tapped into the expertise of AARP Work & Jobs Editor Kenneth Terrell. Let’s get started!

Make sure your résumé fits the newer formats: Tip #2

You likely already know not to include your college or high school graduation dates on your CV because that information effectively tells employers your age. But there are some less obvious age-related details you may not know to remove from your résumé.

As younger workers enter the job market and employers try to home in on applicants with the best skills for the position, résumé formats are constantly shifting in small ways that can make a big difference in who gets an interview. For example, if your résumé still includes your street address or an objective statement, those details may give hiring managers clues that you are an older applicant. Even your email address can potentially reveal your age. When hiring managers see an AOL or Yahoo address, they may assume you’re older and opt for an applicant whose .edu account suggests they’re a recent college graduate.

For advice on how to age-proof your resume, click here or here.

About: Kenneth Terrell covers employment, age discrimination, work and jobs, careers and the federal government for AARP.

[ElizabethK121229]

I'm an older adult who opted to return to school to learn new technology that was not available during my former schooling because as we all know too well, everything changes in the blink of an eye. After finishing the limited courses available in my area & with the pandemic closing things for a while, I did not reenroll in other courses. Suddenly, my school closed the .edu email accounts they told us would always be there for us to use. So a hiring manager would no longer see my .edu email because it would be futile to include it now that I can no longer access it without reenrolling as a current student. This puts many of us to a disadvantage. Why were our .edu emails closed? Because school was informed by Microsoft it would no longer be a free service. Our .edu emails were connected via Microsoft 365 usage - free to students, but not free to graduates and others.

[PatrickR720159]

Good work!  Sadly, many applications hasn't been upgraded to today's standards.  Many still require the year of graduating from high school which I find to be pretty stupid.  It's their way of making you disclose your age.  

[2Papa]

I’m really not interested in searching for a job.  I’ve done my time!

[BobH266411]

But then when you show up, what a surprise if they were expecting a younger worker.  Just tell the truth!

[Susan]

Please join us January 6-13 for Ask the Expert: Jumpstart Your Job Search in the New Year. Stay tuned for more details!

[EllenM871550]

Are you sending emails to people interested in these webinars? 

[AARPLynne]

Hi, @EllenM871550, thank you for your interest! We aren't sending email reminders. Please join us beginning tomorrow by following this link: https://community.aarp.org/t5/Work-Jobs/Ask-the-Expert-How-to-Stand-Out-in-Your-Job-Search/m-p/24369.... Thank you!