“I have completed all objectives as an executive for 37 years and was just laid off due to an industry downturn.”
To some people that says you were just laid off because you are an old retirement aged clock watcher, and they wanted to bring in some young blood. They wanted someone with energy who will work harder. You have just said, “Please discriminate against me because of age.”
In my experience age discrimination is much more common than discrimination based on race, sex, religion or any other factor. That’s reality. No one wants to hire someone who is marking time until retirement. They want an energetic go-getter. Whether you are old or young you need to prove on your resume that you are not just a place holder. List in bullets what got done only because you were at your last job. Show your energy and enthusiasm.
The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. (Lucille Ball)
Don’t lie about your age, disguise it
Your resume has one function, to get you an interview. That’s all. If you were 37 years in one job and don’t want it to show, break up that job into the positions you held. List each position or division you worked for as a separate job entry with its own dates of service. That way you can get the older dates off the first page of your resume.
Age discrimination isn’t nice, but it is a factor to consider. Make your resume an effective advertisement for what you can contribute. Avoid showing how old you are unless you are sure it will help you get the interview.
Are there other things that you think are causing people to discriminate against you? Then deal with them. Is it race? There is a lot of discrimination against Asian-Indians in the USA. They overcome it most often by persistence and education. Is your sex a problem? A physical disability? Your speech impediment? Your religion? Accept that fact and learn to deal with it. Accept that you need to shine brighter, and work hard to be so good that you cannot be refused by the best companies.
Something To Do Today
Are you over 40? Time to start considering age discrimination. Over 60? Age discrimination is a fact. Deal with it in your resume.
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Next week: How to get a friend a job
Sand in the gears