July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: How do I deal with dates on my resume?

Dear Joanna,

I am applying for a Project Coordinator position at a real estate office that requires a minimum of five years experience in this type of work. I have over 20 years experience. How far back in my work history should I go on the resume? How do I present the dates of my experience on this document?

I’m afraid of being overqualified and age discrimination.

Signed: Overqualified and Too Old (OTO)

Dear OTO,

According to Susan Ireland on About Job Search.com, employers can usually tell your approximate age from the dates on a resume. Age discrimination is generally seen as unethical, and is illegal in many countries. Despite this, many employers tend to have an age range they think is ideal for a particular job, based on the skill level required, the ability to supervise or be supervised, salary expectations, amount of life experience needed, company culture, and other things, posits Ireland.

Both Ireland and Got Resume Builder provide some great tips for listing dates on your resume to avoid age discrimination:

1. Go back approximately 10 years.

As a general rule, you don’t need to go back more than 10 years; however, if it’s to your benefit, you may go back further. To help you decide how far back to go, ask yourself the following:

How old do you want to appear on your resume?
How relevant are your earlier positions to your job objective?
How much experience is the employer asking for?

2. Present the dates simply (years only).

Using exact dates can clutter up a resume. Unless you are asked to provide exact dates (usually a feature only seen on online fill-in forms), use months and years. Employment dates expressed in years only is also acceptable and beneficial if you have short gaps in employment.

3. Don’t include the date in which you prepared the resume.

Not only is this unnecessary information, it dates your resume. You want a potential employer to feel like you have focused your resume on them specifically. If you date your resume, it could give away the fact that you’re really using a resume you’ve sent to hundreds of other employers.

4. You don’t necessarily have to include all your education dates.

You do not have to include your high school in your resume, if you graduated from any other post-secondary program. Unless you have recently graduated from high school, or if you have a college degree or advanced certificate, drop this education information from the resume. It’s assumed that you must have obtained a GED or high school diploma in order to progress on to this level.

Also, you are not necessarily expected to include any dates on your education. An exception for this might be that you did a course recently and are trying to either fill a gap on the resume, or show the employer that you have updated skills.

5. Consider Susan Ireland’s “Experience Plus Twenty” (EPT) formula for age discrimination.

Here’s a great way to understand how the dates on your resume create an impression of your age. Subtract the earliest work history date on your resume from today’s date (years only), add that to 20 (used as a ballpark figure for how old you might have been when you started working) to get a total of x, meaning that you are now at least x years old. For example, a resume written in 2013 with a work history that starts in 2000 tells the reader that the job seeker is at least 33 years old (13 years of experience + 20 = 33). Using the Experience Plus Twenty formula, Ireland suggests that you could craft your resume carefully, so that it only reveals dates that would lead the employer to deduce that you are within a specific age range for the job you want.

One caution, from JVS Employment Counsellors, though: Don’t leave useful experience off, as some employers (many of them, in fact) might value experience over youth.
6. Follow job posting requirements.

When the years of experience are specified in the job description as you mentioned in your question above, then I would write in the first bullet of the “Profile” or “Highlights of Qualifications” section: “Over five years of experience in program coordination in the non-profit sector”, for example. Remember that if you are applying online, many of the employers use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Make sure that your resume includes those “keywords” in the resume. I am sure that “five years experience” will be picked up by the ATS. You could also write “Experienced program coordinator in the non-profit sector” without indicating any timelines.

I would encourage you to book an appointment with one of our Employment Counsellors to make sure that you have a targeted and customized resume with the ATS keywords as well as a suitable cover letter.

Best wishes,

Joanna

June 17, 2019 Leave a Comment

Dealing with Age Discrimination

Mature male employee on the job — Flickr: Scott Lewis

With unemployment levels at a “40-year low” in Canada, employers are under increasing pressure to find suitable candidates from a diminishing pool of job seekers. However, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario states that of the discrimination in employment claims received in 2012 to 2013, 15% were for age discrimination.

What does age discrimination look like?

The Human Rights Code safeguards against discrimination in employment noting that,

“Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability.”

Discrimination in employment can occur at any time during the employee-employer relationship. During the recruitment process, for example, age discrimination could occur through the tools used during recruitment. Jobs advertisements posted on social media targeting a specific age demographic – the topic of this CBC article –potentially violate Canadian Human Rights laws. The article explains that the wording in advertisements do not mention age but the digital settings target who sees them. This could eliminate the mature worker age range.

According to this New York Times article, recruitment practices affect a wide-range of ages, sometimes discriminating against job seekers in their 40s and 50s. The article reports that older job seekers receive fewer responses to their applications, especially when applying to positions such as janitors, administrative assistants, and retail sales clerks. Notably, there are more women in many of these roles and research reveals that older women experience discrimination at an even higher rate than older men do.

Once an older worker has lost their job, getting back into the job market can be very challenging. Interviewers can be much younger and may see older candidates as lacking in technical skills and ability to adapt to the culture of today’s companies.

Mature job seekers have received feedback that they are overqualified, not a cultural fit for the company, or that their experience commands a higher rate of pay than the company can afford.

So what can the more seasoned job seeker do?

It is important to remember that older workers are often hired. The key is to focus on your strengths and present yourself as the skilled, sharp, professional expert you are.

Update your Skills

Make sure your skills are up-to-date especially in-demand tech skills. There are many resources offering courses online, such as Lynda.com with courses in software development, business, design, websites and more. The Toronto Public Library is a great place to free Internet access for this type of web-based learning. Be sure to highlight your updated skill set on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Tailor your Resume

Highlight your most important and in-demand skills and experience. It’s not necessary to go back too far. Ten years is the standard length for Employment History. However, if you have impressive experience that goes back further. Consider listing it without the dates under the headline Previous Relevant Experience.

Tip – Describe your experience in your profile summary as “extensive” rather than quantifying it with “X number of years”.

Establish an Online Presence

Make sure your resume is Applicant Tracking System-friendly. (Applicant Tracking Systems are online computer software used by hiring managers to sort resumes.) Use common key words and phrases found in the employer’s job description, keeping the formatting simple, and clean. Then establish a professional up-to-date LinkedIn profile using these tips.

Network, Network, Network

Your extensive work history and professional reputation give you an advantage that younger workers do not have — a network of former colleagues, employers, and clients who know and respect your work. Reach out to them. Take key people out for a cup of coffee and share your journey with them. Ask for tips and leads.

Consider your Career Options

Some older worker take their years of experience and leverage it into a consulting business providing start-up companies with leadership, advice and expertise.

Bottom line:

If you feel that ageism is affecting your job search, you are not alone. The evidence is clear that younger employers do prefer candidates in their own age bracket. However, you have some unique assets. Be sure to leverage and display them proudly. Remember, the employer who eventually hires you will be the one who truly appreciates everything you have to offer.

October 20, 2014 1 Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Mature workers dealing with tricky interview questions

Dear Joanna

I guess that I’m part of the older or mature worker demographic. I am currently working, but need to make more money. I have been applying for better paying jobs in my field, and have been invited in to several in-person interviews which have not led to any job offers.

Do you have any recommendations as to how to respond to these complicated questions as an over-55 job applicant?

Signed: Too Old To Apply

Dear Too Old,

You are NEVER too old to look and apply for work. Get past the negative labels facing the older worker, mature worker, senior or elder, remarks Barbara J. Bowes, president of Legacy Bowes Group and member of the “over 55 group.”

Statistics Canada reported that one out of four individuals in the workforce are age 55 or over; Bowes adds that “this age range cohort is expected to continue at this size as baby boomers age and individuals continue to stay at their current workplace or re-enter in another role with another organization.” Bowes describes most employee candidates in the age range of 55-plus today as healthy, motivated and highly skilled. She presents a list of tricky questions that potential employers tend to ask the over 50 job applicant. Her responses could help you better prepare for your next interview.

Question 1. Describe your long-term plans

Two of the common interview questions, “What are your long-term career plans?” or “Where do you see yourself in five years?” often create awkward moments for older workers. The response strategy is to provide an answer that isn’t too specific, but sufficient to prevent further probing.

Some sample responses include the following:

“If you’re asking how long I would stay with your organization, the answer is that I would stay as long as I am challenged and experiencing job satisfaction”
“I’m the kind of person who thrives on challenge and as long as you can offer a challenge, I’ll be here.”

Question 2. How do you feel about reporting to a younger leader?

This question relates to the myth that older workers will not take direction from a younger leader. Although reference to age is a prohibited human rights offence, you might still experience this blunt question, or a less direct version of it.

The best way to answer this question is to once again provide a response that is somewhat indirect, such as the following:

“I have always had strong respect for good leaders no matter what age or gender.”
“There are a lot of young people in the workforce that have made significant contributions early in their career and I respect that.”

Question 3. You seem to be over-qualified. What specifically interests you in the job?

Another question the older workers will often be asked is related to the issue of being over-qualified. No matter how offensive this question is to older workers, formulate a neutral response and do not let your emotions get in the way.

This could be as follows:

“I agree, I would bring a good deal of experience to your company.”
“I don’t believe in the concept of over-qualified. I find there is always something to learn in every new job.”

Question 4. You have been with your company for a while. What makes you think you can make the adjustments to a new company?

Bowes coins this question as whether the “mature dog is ready for new tricks”. Another key challenge encountered by older workers, especially those who remained with one employer for a good length of time, is the perception that change will be difficult for them. The implication is that learning a new organization and perhaps a new way of doing things will not come easily and will prevent the worker from adapting quickly to the new work environment.

Highlighting your continued community or volunteer work, activity in social media, and engagement in lifelong learning by discussing your current and future educational professional development activities, and new designations and how you love to learn and grow professionally and personally. Bowes suggests that you need to focus on your transferable skills and the many changes you have already successfully encountered in your earlier work-life.

Provide a response to the issue as follows:

“I have been a dedicated employee for XX years and during that time, I was promoted three times and undertook several new changes just for the sake of learning. I am confident I will fit into your company in a short time.”

Question 5. How are your information technology skills?

Employers also frequently make the assumption that older workers lack information technology skills.

You can provide two responses such as the following:

“Actually, I have been working with proprietary CSM software for a number of years and I am very proficient in using the Microsoft Office Suite.“
“I have always been a quick learner and while I am familiar with the common software, I am confident I can quickly learn your customized software.”

Question 6. What are your salary expectations?

It is important that you do your labour market research in advance of the interview to find out what is the average rate of pay for your position with the competitors. You can respond to this question by describing your research findings regarding the fair market compensation package.

Never quit your job before you have a new one, but you will need to be open to taking some steps back in salary and responsibility. It is important because you have to start somewhere and you might have start at the beginning.

Best of luck with your job search,