5 Ways to Age-Proof Your Resume

5 Ways to Age-Proof Your Resume5 Ways to Age-Proof Your ResumeWhile no one will admit it, hiring managers sometimes have biases when it comes to reviewing job applications and hiring potential candidates. One of the biggest biases is ageism, where your age may be held against you and even cost you a much-coveted job. Age-proof your resume by being aware of the five ways employers can tell how old you are.Here are five ways to age-proof your resume.When you graduated.The most obvious way a potential employer can tell how old you are is if you tell him. If you list the university you graduated from and then write your graduation date too, youve basically told the hiring manager your age. Write down the school you graduated from, along with your degree earned- no dates required.Your vocabulary. A study once found that a prospective boss might take six seconds to read a resume. During those precious moments, hes looking for things that make your resume stand out, such as exemplary skills and previous companies youve worked for. However, old-fashioned words and expressions can also quickly catch a hiring managers eye- and get your application tossed into the trash. Be sure that you are using the most current vocabulary necessary to describe your skills and experiences.Your skills. Among the many things you wrote under the skills section, did you include something like, proficient in word processing? In order to shine among the many other job candidates youre up against, your skills- and the language you use to describe them- must be as up to date as possible. In revamping your resume, you may discover that your skills could use a little polishing. So take the time to take a class or a webinar in order to make your skills as current as they can be.Your work experience. Youve listed several companies under the work experience section of your resume. But if any of them have been out of business for a while, that might set off alarms. A boss-to-be can tell how old you a re by the companies youve worked for and when you worked for them. Thats why its good to be selective when listing your previous positions. Start with the most current ones, and go back no more than 10 years or so. (You can use freelance jobs and volunteer work to cover any resume gaps.) Any positions older than that will be considered outdated anyway, no matter how old you are.Your first name.Certain names are more popular during different time periods than others. And while vintage names are now seeing a resurgence, your first name may tip off a potential boss as to what decade you were born in. If you have a name that might be perceived as being old fashioned, you may want to try listing a nickname (for example, Ady instead of Adelaide, or Maggie instead of Margaret) on your resume instead.Although its illegal to be discriminated against because of your age, sadly, its a common occurrence in the ever-competitive job market. Ensure that your resume is given the consideration it de serves and age-proof it so that you can get hired for the job you want- and deserve.Readers, what have you done, if anything, to age-proof your resume? Have you been discriminated against because of your age? Let us know in the comments section below