Do you feel like employers are overlooking you, even though you’re qualified? Then, keep reading! We have 13 solid tips to combat ageism in your remote job search.
Sometimes, trying to find a new job when you have decades of experience can be just as challenging as when you are looking to land your first role with very little on-the-job training. Based on outdated stereotypes and perceptions, every year, thousands of older people and younger people can fall victim to ageism in the workplace, which is when someone is discriminated against on the basis of age, whether that means they are perceived as too old or too young for a job.
Unfortunately, these negative attitudes are more common than you might think. Research from AARP and Jobs Data Series shows that some 64% of workers age 50 and older have experienced age discrimination. Today, approximately 35% of the U.S. population is 50 or older. When you consider that nearly 25% of all Americans in the workforce are age 50 or older, that’s a lot of potential discrimination based on someone’s age and maturity level.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take – whether you are older or younger – to combat ageism in your job search. Keep reading for a practical guide on how to take older age (or younger age) out of the equation when you are looking for a new employment opportunity.
1. Update Your Resume and Delete Age Indicators
Unless your graduation date was in the last five to 10 years, it’s perfectly acceptable to omit graduation years and other early-career dates on your resume or CV, notes guidelines from Indeed.com. You also need to streamline your older job history into a brief earlier experience section of your resume and your LinkedIn profile so recruiters can focus on recent, relevant experience and outcomes.
Unfortunately, research shows that some resume cues (such as college graduation and other job dates) can trigger age bias, a practice that is widely noted, according to a study published in the online journal Collabra: Psychology.
2. Lead With Up-to-Date Skills and Certifications on Your Resume
Make sure to place your most current technical skills, certifications, newest projects, and course badges near the top of your resume or CV to counter any assumptions about potentially outdated skills, notes Indeed.com. That’s because employment surveys and research often show that employers respond to current, demonstrable skills in people of all ages.
3. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
The social media site LinkedIn can be a valuable tool when you are seeking new work. That’s why it’s important to make sure your profile has been optimized with current job titles, measurable achievements from the last five to eight years, and project-based summaries. Research shows screening on platforms can penalize perceived older applicants, which is why making your profile more current can help, according to a study published by Science Direct.
4. Describe Learning Agility in Interviews
When you land an interview, it’s wise to use concise stories and examples to guide the narrative and show how you have quickly adopted new processes, learned new tools, or successfully led digital projects. This is where older individuals can also use energetic examples to defuse any potential age assumptions, career coaches say.
5. Address Potential Age Concerns Proactively
If you sense age may be a worry with a potential employer during an interview, you can briefly reframe it as a strength by pointing out positive factors such as stability and mentorship, and then pivot to how you’ll deliver value in the role, according to guidance offered by The Balance. This is also a great time to offer specific examples of how you worked long hours or overtime to make sure a project was completed on time, the news site explains.
6. Take Time to Refresh Your Digital Presence
File this one under the heading of use it or lose it. If your field has demonstrable outputs such as creating code, designs, or reports, it’s a good idea to show some of your best recent work to counter assumptions about skill loss or decay. Fortunately, some employers judge potential new hires by demonstrable recent output more than by age, notes the study by Collabra: Psychology.
7. Target More Senior-Friendly Companies and Occupations
One way to help stop ageism in its tracks is by seeking out employers and careers that value experience and age diversity, including sectors such as healthcare administration, nonprofits, federal and state government roles, and some professional services. You can also focus your job search on companies that actively advertise that they are seeking experienced hires and/or senior individual contributor roles, according to guidance from AARP. Such businesses often incorporate age-inclusive practices into the workplace and have a history of offering promotions based on outcomes and productivity.
Related: 15 Top Companies That Hire Older Workers for Remote Jobs
8. Be Strategic in Networking by Seeking Referrals
There’s a reason people say it’s not what you know but who you know. Research from AARP suggests that the screening stage of the hiring process is where many older applicants lose out on potential jobs. So, until the United States becomes a more age-inclusive society and overcomes age bias and other prejudiced practices, it’s smart to seek strategic ways to target those early stages of the hiring process. One way to do that, notes the AARP, is by utilizing internal referrals and direct outreach as ways to reduce the chance that your application is filtered out by automated screens or first-pass biases.
9. Consider Contract or Consulting Work to Bridge Permanent Roles
Sometimes, you need to let your work and solid work ethic speak for themselves. That’s why project-based work and other short-term engagements, including freelance jobs and consulting roles, can allow you to demonstrate your value and ability quickly and can potentially convert to a full-time position. Career and human resources experts say this type of job situation has become a more common employee-search strategy when companies are seeking to hire talent and want to ensure a particular person will be a good fit.
10. Don’t Unintentionally Signal Retirement or Semi-Retirement
Whether they admit it or not, potential employers may look up candidates online before they ever decide to offer them an interview. Unfortunately, there is significant potential here for individuals to be judged based on their age.
To make sure potential hiring managers don’t discount you because it appears you may be just a year or so away from retirement, choose the words and photos you use on social media and other online platforms very carefully. For example, avoid profile photos or phrasing that emphasize sentiments such as “semi-retired.” You should also avoid using words such as “seeking part-time or seasonal work only” if you are interested in full-time jobs, according to AARP and other career guides.
11. Prove You Are a Team Player
Unfortunately, awareness of the issue may not end ageism any time soon. So when an employment or hiring manager thinks you may be too old to work well with a group of others, it’s time to offer specific examples of how you can be a team player, according to Ageism.org.
What does that look like? Talk about how you have specifically supported other employees during a project or when someone needed help wrapping up a difficult task, and the positive effect you had on the situation.
12. Practice Concise, Energetic Interview Delivery
One way to show engagement and adaptability is by bringing your most energetic self to a job interview. That’s because some interviewers unconsciously equate energy with youth, career research shows.
Career coaches also say you can guard against this by practicing an upbeat, succinct delivery style and demonstrating recent learning. Ask a friend or family member to help you practice this style before you head off to a job interview.
13. Keep Records if You Suspect Discrimination
If you think you have been illegally discriminated against due to your age in a job hiring situation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers guidance on the definitions of age discrimination and outlines the options you have to file a complaint.
The EEOC says it’s important to keep application and interview notes and dates along the way. Because underreporting is common, documentation of your specific experience can help you make a stronger case if needed. The AARP also has some great tips you can use to fight back against ageism when you are on a job and feel you may be targeted because of your age.
Combat Ageism in Your Job Search: Conclusion
As older women and older men continue to seek new jobs in the U.S., ageism is likely to remain an issue in many career spaces. That’s why it’s essential to develop a toolkit of resources to help combat ageism when looking for new career opportunities.
