Standard resume protocol calls for job seekers to list their education along with graduation dates. However, with a workforce that increasingly prioritizes youth, especially in fields like tech where the average employee is in their 20s, it can be tough for more experienced people looking to make a career shift.
While federal law prohibits age-related discrimination, it happens, whether intentionally or because of an interviewer’s unrecognized bias. So, there are certain precautions job seekers over a certain age can take when looking for their next position. Some experts recommend removing your graduation date from a resume once you hit 40. Your college graduation date is one thing to think about dropping. At least people graduate from college at different ages. But a high school graduation date really pegs you to a certain age, so it’s best to leave that off. For that matter, once you are an established adult, you should drop any mention of your high school anyway, since it’s old news —UNLESS you know the person recruiting WENT to your high school. One more formatting tip for workers of a certain age: Be sure your experience is up top and your education down lower on the resume. And older, less impressive jobs —that also hint at your age— should fall off the bottom of your resume as you go through your career.
Take a look at the average age of employees at tech companies chart: www.businessinsider.com/median-tech-employee-age-chart-2017-8
Know your rights against age discrimination: www.dol.gov/general/topic/discrimination/agedisc
