Title: Approach the market strategically when a "mature" candidate

Content:

Dear Sam: I am 57 years old and have just lost my job due to downsizing. I am concerned that my age will turn off prospective employers. As a result, I have removed the years of service on my résumé from each employer I have had; that seems to have helped a little.

When employers contact me, they always want me to walk them through my résumé, and I can almost hear them counting the years as I do. They often ask, as I am reviewing it, "How many years were you with them?" Would it be unethical to remove the last employer on the résumé which accounts for about 12 years of my 36-year career? I would, of course, answer any questions asked in regards to whether I have any experience other than what is listed on the résumé; I am just concerned that all of my experience is causing people to decide that I may be too old to invest their time in. Thanks for your help. - Jim

Dear Jim: I'm so glad you wrote, as you are committing a big résumé no-no! Never remove all dates of employment from your résumé; the assumption hiring managers will make when not seeing a single date will likely be far worse than reality. Typically I hear that when candidates leave out dates, their phone never rings.

Instead, date your experiences back to 1984 and omit your first 12 years of employment. It is not unethical to remove this experience; in fact, removing dated positions is a very common and expected practice. Hiring managers typically want to see 10 to 15 years of experience and they do not expect you to explore 30+ years of experience unless you are at the senior executive level. If there are earlier positions that still add value to your candidacy but would unnecessarily age you, consider bylining. By this I mean break formatting so you are not being inconsistent in the presentation of your experience and place your title and employer on your résumé without the dates of employment. You would only do this for early experiences where you want to pull some highlights from your time with those employers but you do not want to include the dates you worked there. This would go at the end of your professional experience section and could look like:

Early Experience:

Sales Manager - Nolan Enterprises, New York, New York

You could even write something like, "Additional experience as a Sales Manager with Nolan Enterprises." Centering and italicizing this statement at the end of your professional experience will allow you to pull highlights from this position possibly in your qualifications summary, a career accomplishments section, or even your cover letter. This way you get your early experience on your résumé without adding years to your candidacy.

Other things mature candidates do often that hurt their candidacy is include the dates of they received their degrees when the dates age their candidacy. Let's say you are including experience back to 1984 but you received your degree in 1972, if you date your degree the reader knows you have an additional 12 years of experience you are not presenting. So, only add the year you graduated if it does not add years to your candidacy.

Additionally, be sure you are using an up-to-date format for your résumé. Too many mature job seekers are still using their résumé format from 15+ years ago. At a quick glance this can immediately date the candidate as the résumé looks antiquated in format and approach. Check out recently written résumé books at the library or look at samples on professional résumé writer websites like mine for inspiration on how to create an engaging, up-to-date format.

Also, be sure that your qualifications summary isn't immediately dating you either. You shouldn't be opening your résumé with a statement as to how many years of experience you have; doing so can be easily calculated by reviewing your tenure with each employer. Instead, make sure your summary is written using up-to-date jargon and industry buzzwords and that your most recent experiences are focused on much more heavily than your early career roles. I think when you take this approach, your résumé and your candidacy will be much more marketable.

Dear Sam: I have been with the same company for almost 5 years and enjoy the position, but am realizing I can't stay because of the seasonality of the work which has long layoff periods followed by months of frantic overtime. I would like to use this layoff time to search for and apply for new positions, but also have enough respect for my coworkers that, should something new arise, I would not want to leave them in a lurch with the busy season on the horizon. In the same token, I do not want to appear demanding or unreasonable to employers who are usually looking for someone to start soon by stating that I would not be available until July. Is there a diplomatic way to indicate on my cover letter or résumé that I would like to inquire about a position for the near future, out of respect for my current position? - Beth

Dear Beth: July is just around the corner, and while I understand you want to be, and should be, completely honest during your job search, it will not benefit you to communicate conditions of hire in your cover letter. Instead, get your foot in the door, learn of the position and timeline for hiring, and then while negotiating, present your conditions. Doing so up front will almost surely prevent you from getting in the door, leaving you conducting a job search while you are in a layoff period with what I imagine is a much reduced income. You can still follow through on any commitment you have with your current employer while taking care of yourself and your career needs.