Ageism Won't Win: Tools That Work
Anna Stepura
Career Counselor & Master Resume Writer?? | Powerful Resumes for Executives ??| My Clients Land Top Jobs?
Despite the declared efforts to combat ageism in hiring, these phenomena remain problematic for many mature job seekers.
This is the most wonderful category of clients I've enjoyed working with. They combine professional experience, wisdom, and intuition—valuable assets for many employers. And, unfortunately, despite having all this in their arsenal, these excellent candidates often find themselves out of work.
Ageism is part of the problem, but it's not the whole story. ?The inability to present oneself effectively, from writing an impactful resume to negotiating salary, is also a significant factor.
However, there are solutions to overcome this problem, and in my practice, there have been many cases where clients over 50 have successfully landed jobs in top companies.
The success was achieved through an "ageless resume" and a tailored job search strategy.
Let's consider these two components and several techniques that can significantly increase the chances of getting an interview.
The Ageless Resume
?The main task of mature candidates is to make their resume modern, informative, and concise. So when reading it, the recruiter cannot say how old its owner is. To create such a resume, I recommend to adhere to the following techniques:
This is not about infographics and intricate design. The template should be concise and easy to read, in a neutral color scheme. No photo. A unified style and clear structure are important. It should include sections such as "Summary" (we'll talk about it later) and "Professional Skills" in the beginning. Also, don't forget about the volume—try to fit in 2-2.5 pages. How to do this? See the next 2 points.
No matter how much you want to describe your career path in detail (and there were undoubtedly many interesting things there!), focus on the last 15 years of experience. Brief information about previous experience is placed in the "Additional Experience" section after the description of the main experience. Remove dates in this section, and leave only the names of companies from the most relevant industries and positions.?
Also, work with the "Education" section: remove the graduation dates of the university, leave only the name of the university and specialty; if you have several diplomas, indicate the newest and most relevant ones; courses and training—only for the last 5 years.
The most common mistake of many candidates is a long list of job duties and almost a complete absence of achievements. Briefly describe your area of responsibility (2-3 lines of solid text). Then list "Achievements"/"Results"/Accomplishments". Don't forget that this block requires the inclusion of quantitative and comparative indicators, as well as a description of the scale of your area of responsibility (number of employees, departments, regions, dealers, stores, "top-3 in the industry", etc.)
If the vacancy requires specific skills and tools (especially technical ones), and you are a happy owner of them, be sure to include them in the "Skills" block. Avoid listing technical skills from 20 years ago—MS Word 2003, Internet, Fax, etc.
This is not about using a large number of adjectives like "strong leader, results-oriented and focused on long-term cooperation", but about demonstrating these qualities through numbers and facts. For example, the same phrase can be packaged as follows: "Leader with over 10 years of experience managing a sales department of 30+ people; increased sales X3, developed a dealer network of 8 major dealers from scratch in 2 years, implemented a new KPI system that increased department productivity by 50%."
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Add a list of messengers you use to your phone number. Recruiters often get in touch via WhatsApp, Facebook, or Telegram messengers. Don't forget about the photo in your messenger profile: it should be presentable and, of course, it should be you in the photo?? If you are not sure about the quality of the image, delete it.
How often do recruiters see ridiculous, funny email addresses, and moreover, on outdated web platforms? Please update your email if needed. Take care of a presentable name in a format like [email protected] ?and a modern web-based email account.
Job Search Strategy
Most candidates use job boards as the only platform for posting resumes and searching for vacancies, ignoring a wide range of other, more effective channels for searching and responding.
The most effective way to get noticed is to send your "ageless resume" directly to the employer. And for this, it is worth considering the following channels:
Contacts of recruitment managers from large companies can be found on LinkedIn, in job descriptions, in media publications, in thematic groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, and on the corporate websites of companies you are interested in.
Not all candidates go this route (again, betting on job boards), thereby increasing your chances of interesting the employer. Important: respond only to those vacancies that match your experience and grade. Today, the flow of candidates is so intense that recruiters don't have time to sort through irrelevant resumes.
As a rule, these are small companies that approach the search and selection of candidates more specifically. If you haven't found a suitable vacancy on the agency's website at the moment, still send your resume to one of the recruitment consultants: usually, the contacts can be found on LinkedIn or the agency's websites. Once in the database, your profile can be considered for future vacancies.
This search channel is simply irreplaceable for mature job seekers. If you have acquaintances in the company you are interested in who could give a reference and send your resume to the recruiter or hiring manager, do not hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity. In most cases, recommended candidates are invited for interviews. If there are no direct contacts, try to find mutual ones —such can certainly be found among your former colleagues and business partners.
Don't be shy about letting people know that you are looking for work at a friend's party or a business lunch—luck can wait in the most unexpected places. If you adhere to this strategy and consistently work with your network, the results will make themselves known.
Conclusion
Overcoming ageism in resume selection is quite a feasible task. It requires perseverance and consistency. As well as a high level of energy. If you do not believe in your success, you fall into discouragement after every refusal and feel awkward about the status of a job seeker, this will be read by others, and it will affect your employment opportunities. ?
If such destructive emotions come over you, remember your professional achievements and victories, praise and awards, diplomas and certificates—all this speaks of your professionalism, perseverance, involvement, and effectiveness. All these qualities are incredibly in demand in the labor market. You have a wealth of experience and unique skills. Show the employers what you're capable of!