Nearing Retirement but Seeking a Job? Avoid Age Discrimination!

Are you an older worker who was recently laid off? We here at Revision Resume have been working with more and more clients who were recently let go after 30+ years of service. Unfortunately, jobs are being outsourced, and workers with longevity are being cast aside.

For so many, these are such unfair circumstances. In many cases, these clients do not have a resume to update. They were hired decades ago and whatever resume they used is long gone.

Take it from us: although starting from scratch may seem overwhelming, it is doable.

However, you will want to take precautions to avoid age discrimination, as that is an issue in the hiring industry. Here are 5 key tips as you draft your resume.

1) Review your contact information. Current resume standards include listing your name, phone number, and email address. A home address is no longer needed in 2025. If you feel compelled to include an address, only list the city and state. For privacy reasons, it is best not to list your actual location. In addition, make sure your email address doesn't give away your age. AOL and Hotmail are considered outdated. Instead, create a new Gmail address for your job search.

2) Only include 10-15 years. A resume does not have to include every job you ever held. In fact, current standards are for the resume to only go back 10-15 years, even if you have been working for over 30. If you feel it is important to list older roles, consider creating a new section titled "Previous Relevant Experience" or "Previous Career Success," and just quickly summarize each one with job title, company name, and a 1-line description. Do not list the dates of employment in this section.

3) Drop education dates. If you list an education date in the 1980s or 1990s, your age will be instantly apparent. Dates are only listed in the education section if the education was completed within the last 5 years. If your education is before that window, just list the degree name and the college at which you obtained the degree.

4) Match your years of work experience to what they are seeking. Listing 30 or 40 years of work experience in your executive summary won't be helpful. While there is no doubt that your extensive experience is valuable, hiring managers do not see it that way. They are looking for a succinct resume that aligns with the role they are trying to fill. So, help them out by matching what they are seeking to your resume. If they want someone with 10+ years of experience, you can list that you have 10+ years of experience in your executive summary. Or you can use the phrase "extensive experience" without putting a number on it.

5) Avoid outdated or basic skills. When you create your skills section, avoid listing skills that will show your age. Did you use a software package 20 years ago that no longer exists? Don't include it on your resume. Instead, only list current or recent computer skills. Also, avoid listing something that applicable to most people. For example, "Internet Search" would not be a skill worth listing, as it is assumed all applicants can conduct an Internet search.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, you are seeking to show your recent skills and experiences on your resume. What results have you achieved in your more recent roles? Do you have any new skills? Can you show adaptability to market changes or new technology? Is it possible to highlight strengths you have that a younger candidate doesn't, like leadership?

Your resume is a forward-looking document, so show what kind of employee you will be moving forward, not what you did 30 years ago. Keeping this in mind as you craft your resume will help you elevate yourself as a job candidate.

Need help crafting a new resume or updating an existing one. That's what we do! Contact Revision Resume today at info@revisionresume.com.