Age Prejudice

Perception is reality. This ageless maxim makes many job-seekers worried about their credentials. Fear of looking too young or too old are common. The number one way you can counteract this fear (old and young) is by highlighting skills rather than age. Some overarching tips for both mature candidates and younger workers is to consider removing your graduation date from your resume, dressing differently, or avoiding references to world events that betray your age.

For Older Candidates:

• Eliminate items on your resume that are more than 15 years old as well as graduation dates
• Highlight technological skills to counteract the assumption that older workers are not comfortable with technology
• Avoid mentioning companies whose names disappeared many moons ago
• Do not refer to world and business events that happened a long time ago

For Younger Candidates:

• Try to avoid youth-specific small-talk topics such as cool hip clubs with great drink specials
• Eliminate slang such as "like" and "you know" from your speech
• Come to meetings prepared, it helps to prepare thoughts before meetings and to anticipate questions and develop mature, articulate responses
• List education credentials at the bottom of the resume, while emphasizing work experience