While blatant age discrimination is unlawful, older applicants for jobs sometimes find that they are turned down for jobs because they are “over-qualified,” “too expensive,” or some other benign-sounding platitude that can sometimes mask an age-related reason for not being given a position for which they are otherwise qualified. However, an applicant should not lose hope just because they have a few more years under their belt than the other applicants. Here are a few tips that applicants can bear in mind to overcome any concerns about age during their job search.

First, it is important to never apologize for being the age that you are. Having more years of life experience can be an advantage, so an applicant should not believe that it is something to be ashamed of. For this reason, phrases such as “I know I am much older than the other employees in your office, but…” should never be used in an interview or in a cover letter. Instead, older applicants should remind themselves of their superior experience, and emphasize their excellent work experience as much as possible. The positive attitude can be contagious!

Along these same lines, applicants should not deliberately attempt to hide their age from a hiring manager in a resume or cover letter. Some applicants even try the inadvisable trick of leaving their graduation date off of their resume. This might work for the short term, but when you appear for an interview, the deception will be apparent, and no one likes to be lied to. Additionally, hiding the date of your graduation can eliminate you from consideration from the very beginning, because it will prevent the hiring manager from verifying your education history when considering whether to call you for an interview.

Your work history is another matter. Usually, work history in a resume goes back about ten years, although older experience can be included if it is highly relevant. With changing industry trends, older work experience may not be relevant to your current industry and may “date” you unnecessarily, making it seem as if you are not familiar with current trends in your industry. However, do not hesitate to include older work history if you believe it is still relevant to the job you are pursuing and you believe it will be a benefit to your chances of landing an interview.

If a hiring manager is particularly young, applicants should be especially cognizant not to appear domineering to the hiring manager. This is especially a concern in very small offices, where the hiring manager may also have other work responsibilities and would expect to work closely with the applicant. Based on age alone, a hiring manager may feel a bit intimidated if the applicant is significantly older than the hiring manager, and the applicant’s attempts to appear energetic and ambitious may come across in a way the hiring manager finds threatening. This can be addressed by careful attention to your demeanor during interviews, to avoid sounding aggressive or condescending. Additionally, your resume and cover letter should be drafted carefully to make it clear that you worked well with others and respected existing hierarchies in your previous jobs.

One of the concerns that hiring managers may have is to assume that older applicants are going to move at a slower pace and will be unable to perform all necessary job duties. These false assumptions can be overcome by making it clear, both in the resume and cover letter as well as in person during an interview, that you have been trusted with multiple job duties at the previous job, and demonstrated an ability to multitask.

Another concern potential employers may have is whether older applicants are sufficiently familiar with the latest software applications and industry standards. Your resume should show any recent coursework you have undergone to stay current in the industry, and should list the relevant current software with which you are familiar. This can be further emphasized in your cover letter.

Even if a potential employer is not overtly discriminating because of age, they may still allow age to influence their decision in small ways unless the applicant takes overt steps to ward off any age-related concerns the potential employer may have. By remembering to emphasize the benefit of their experience and addressing potential concerns, applicants can go a long way in making sure that their age is seen as a benefit to a potential employer, rather than a drawback.



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