Sometimes you need to ensure that your job application has the ‘goods’ so it is put in front of the ‘right person’.
In an ideal world age would never be a barrier to success in the workplace. But whether you are Gen Z, a Millennial, Gen X, a Baby Boomer, part of the Silent Generation, or even one of the many micro-generations, age discrimination can affect anyone at any age.
From snide comments about skill level, being passed over for opportunities, isolation and even losing your job without merit, there are a multitude of negative age-related experiences in the workplace.
But a common one is that often your CV doesn’t even get you to that point, as AI, recruiters and employers may disregard your application based on out-dated ideals. So, how can you age-proof your CV so you get the chance to showcase your skills in person?
Modern format
The best way to avoid early discrimination based on age is to make sure your CV is standardised and up to date. It should be roughly two pages, no shorter and no longer unless specified, as a brief CV can make you look inexperienced and one that is too lengthy can make it seem as though you are inflating your achievements.
Don’t shy away from contemporary fonts, but make sure that it isn’t too quirky or original. A clean and simple layout can help avoid unintentional or even purposeful bias on the part of the recruiter, AI or otherwise.
In the past people often included information that wasn’t wholly relevant to the role, for example their home address, relationship status, an email address that contained a year, or their date of birth. All of which can be used to exclude you unfairly. So, rule of thumb, unless it is for a job that requires specific confirmation that you are of a certain age, don’t include it.
Relevant experience
In that vein of keeping it relevant, whether you graduated school or college 40 or four years ago, there is no need to date your educational experience. Instead, showcase your ability by detailing your up to date skills in areas such as technology and modern day soft skills, such as negotiation, leadership and self-regulation.
Erase any reference to technologies or systems that are no longer in use and if your only previous experience is in an unrelated field, don’t include it as it only serves to trivialise your application.
Whether you are younger or more mature, don’t downplay your skills or buy into age-related stereotypes, as that might be all an AI recruiter or indeed HR team needs to disqualify you.
Make it ATS friendly
Whether we like it or not the AI-age is certainly here and it is showing no signs of slowing down. With that in mind AI recruitment has become a popular hiring method among employers and organisations. To ensure that your CV makes it past the non-human element of the hiring process, it’s a good idea to make it ATS compliant.
Applicant tracking systems are used to streamline hiring by quickly extracting details such as your skills, job titles and certifications. By staying in line with the other tips on this list and keeping your CV clear, concise, relevant and up to date, as well as removing any unnecessary graphics or details that would unintentionally expose your age, you will be ATS compliant and reduce your risk of being rejected due to system bias.
Be selective
If you are a career starter or at a more advanced stage of your professional life, you may feel that you should mass apply to improve your chances of securing a good position. While mass applications can workout for people, sometimes it helps to be selective. It can be useful to investigate whether the organisation you want to work for has a history of biased hiring.
For example websites that review companies and their culture can be a great way of determining whether there is a history of discrimination. Additionally, if you perform a cursory search of a company’s own website, it can give you a rough outline of age demographics and how they might hire.
Furthermore, if a job advertisement uses certain buzzwords that directly suggest an age bias, such as digital native, recent graduate or traditional skills, it is possible that the role might not suit you, nor should you sacrifice your time to a process or company that would likely be a bad fit.
So there you have it, if you are looking for a new role but are concerned about age-related discrimination just remember that you have the tools to ensure a solid, well thought out and compelling CV, after that it is all about convincing the employer or recruiter that you are the person for the job.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
