What Dates are Important on a Resume This Year

How to Fight Ageism During Your Job Search

Age is a protected class for a reason, and while we would all like to think that potential employers won’t discriminate based on age, it can happen. There are a number of steps that you can take to lower the chance that ageism will impact your job search. Here are some of the most effective:

• Update your education section

  Show evidence of ongoing education and learning to prove that your knowledge base is up to date. This will be even more effective if your recent academic education is relevant to the job description you are applying for.

• Showcase your technological and digital literacy

  Some potential employers have inherent biases towards older employees because of the belief that they have poor digital skills. If you show that you are proficient with social media platforms, commonly-used software (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel), and the Internet, you can offset this.

• Limit your work history

  Generally speaking, you should only include your last ten years of experience on any resume, but some job postings may request more than this. If they do, then you should provide only the amount of experience that they ask for, or perhaps a few years more if you want to distinguish yourself. Remember to provide your work experience in reverse chronological order.

• Do not include your graduation date

  Whatever academic achievements you include in your resume, you should not list your graduation date, as this will make it easier for people to guess your age.

If you want to ensure that your professional resume and cover letter are as good as they can be, consider using the ResumeNerd online resume and cover letter building tools. These tools will ensure that your documents are perfectly formatted and help you to determine where exact dates are needed.