How To Beat Age Discrimination In The Job Search

TechCareer's job experts take turns helping readers solve career issues and offer advice on career planning and advancement. This week's question was sent in by L. Reynolds and answered by Rusty D'Aversa. Career Question: I'm 55 years old and have been cut loose by downsizing at my company. I'm in prime worker shape with good education, experience and a lot I'd still like to learn and teach. But I've been beaten down with the information that I will not get a chance at another job because the folks doing the hiring are younger than me and only want to hire younger people. What am I to do?

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Expert Answer: I hear this concern often about being an older worker in an industry that prefers younger people. Though our society is enamored with youth, the bottom line in the world of work is productivity. Business is business and it boils down to the following regardless of your age: You must be able to demonstrate, in the hiring process, that you can do the job (i.e. have the proper technical skills), are willing to do the job (you will do what it takes), you fit into the corporate culture (get along with others), are flexible and adaptable in the workplace and also can reduce costs, increase productivity, do tasks quicker, faster and smarter and add value to the organization more than other candidates that are applying for that same position. Here is where there is no substitute for experience. Many young technology companies fail because they lack experienced and seasoned personnel. How can you demonstrate value if companies are not giving you the opportunity to meet with them? First of all it all starts with your resume. I find too many candidates, with much experience or not so much experience, not taking their resume seriously. Your resume represents your professional work history and accomplishments to future employers. As an executive recruiter and former human resources and hiring manager I have reviewed many resumes. Most resumes do not make it even to the first step in the hiring process because they are not prepared properly. Candidates will say to me, "If I can get the interview I know I can get the job!" What candidates do not understand is that they are not getting the interview because their resume is not prepared in the manner the hiring authority (executive or internal recruiters, human resources managers, future superiors) can easily see the value they bring to the organization. Here are some proven strategies that hiring authorities want to see on a technology-based resume:

1. Technology Skills relative to the position you are applying. Don't discuss your expertise in Assembler (that's machine language) if the company is seeking expertise in Java. If a company is seeking specific expertise in a given technical area, talk to that expertise, not other expertise that is not relative to what they are seeking. If they want hear about apples don't talk about oranges.
2. Result oriented statements on your technology based Resume using the OARS Format: O ( Objective), A (Action), R (Result) which produces an S (Statement). For example, "Performed analysis and wrote C++ programs for financial software company using new programming processes reducing testing time by 50%." If I am considering a dozen candidates for the position of C++ programmer, this is the first candidate I am going to contact because if he/she saved time of a given task for their employer chances are very good they will do the same for me, which demonstrates they can do more in less time delivering even more value to the company
3. Your technology resume is a brochure to start the hiring process and not a technical manual with every bit and byte of your career. The point of the resume is to get you an interview and the interview produces a job. Companies don't hire resumes, they hire candidates who go through the interview process. I have reviewed thousands of resumes in my career and so many are from talented people who will never be interviewed because their resume reads like a technical manual and not like a hiring document.

I hope this gives you some insight into what companies and hiring authorities are seeking from technology-based candidates and this will help when applying for your next position. Your career and resume are important so if you need to work with a resume writing professional it's well worth the time and financial investment. Just make sure they have experience working with technology professionals. Rusty D'Aversa, whose blog, Ask The Expert, also features career insight and guidance, is owner of Metropolitan Executive Search and Outplacement Services (MESOS). Rusty is an executive recruiter, outplacement/career consultant, job search coach, former HR and hiring manager and author of The Resume Writing Kit and SELL More Technology NOW!. Other recent articles from TechCareers Career Profile: SSH Founder Tatu Ylonen Today's Job Search Requires A Proactive Approach

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