How Not To Look Old When Youre Looking For A Job

How Not To Look Old When You’re Looking For A Job How Not To Look Old When You’re Looking For A Job Age Discrimination Job seekers begin to worry about age discrimination as early  as their mid-forties. Serious concerns begin around 55. And the truth is, age discrimination  or ageism is out there. There are a lot of reasons, not related to skills, that  people don’t get hired. They may be considered too young or, in some cases, the  wrong gender. They may not get the job because, subconsciously, they  remind the interviewer of a former boss they despised. Conscious and unconscious biases exist. While you can’t control them, you don’t have to feed into  them either. If you’re concerned about age discrimination, do what you can to not look old and outdated during your job search. Modern Email Ditch the AOL email address. While AOL was cutting edge 20+  years ago today it makes you look dated. That goes for Yahoo and Hotmail too. Switch  to something more current like @gmail.com. Choose an email address that’s professional like your name  or a version of your name for your job search. Addresses like talktome@ or  fastdriver@ won’t impress employers. Whatever you do, don’t use your company email as many  employers monitor staff emails today. Background Photo When LinkedIn changed its user interface a few years ago  they added space at the top for a background photo. The default is a barely designed  medium blue box. A lot of smart people don’t bother to upload a photo. Many  don’t even think about it. This is a big mistake for 2 reasons. It makes you look generic, which you’re not. Even worse, it  makes you look outdated and may make employers wonder it that’s the only place  you’re outdated. Strong Profile Many people misuse LinkedIn, particularly the Summary  section. Some write it in the 3rd person, much as they would a bio  for their business or company site. Other people use the Summary, and often the  Professional Experience section, as an advertisement for their employer. When recruiters or employers visit your LinkedIn profile,  they want to know about you. So give them some insight into why you do what you  do. What gets you excited or makes you proud? Why did you choose your career in  the first place? Modern Appearance Being over 50 doesn’t mean you’ll never find a job. But,  just as your resume should have a modern look, so should you. This doesn’t mean you have to try to look younger. But a  suit, hairstyle, or eye wear that’s a decade old is going to make you look old  too.   Rethink your overall appearance. Are you wearing the same  interview suit you wore the last time you were out of work? Now might be the  time to get something new. Avoid Certain Phrases Once you’re looking fresh and vibrant avoid phrases that  date you. Nothing screams “I’m old” more than an AOL email is saying “back in  the day.” Mentioning that the IT gal reminds you of your daughter or,  worse, your granddaughter or your son showed you how to set up your LinkedIn  profile will age you as well. Don’t anticipate age discrimination when you’re looking for  a new job. People in their 60’s find jobs in “young” industries. As a recruiter, one of the candidates I worked with was a woman  in her 60’s. I never asked her age, she mentioned it to me in conversation. While  I didn’t place her, she was one of the top candidates. And she did find an  advertising job through someone else.   She had a vivacious, engaging personality. I didn’t meet her  face-to-face, but her LinkedIn photo showed a vibrant, current looking woman  with a friendly smile. Being of a certain age didn’t stop her. It doesn’t have to  stop you either.