Should I Hide My Age on My Resume?

First, you need to know that you won't be able to hide your age.Those of us who work with resumes every day as part of our jobs know all the tricks…

 Leave off your college graduation date and a red flag will go up. Drop your early jobs so the oldest job on your resume ends up to be Executive VP and we'll know you dropped off the first 10 or 15 years of your career. Leave off your employment dates and your secret is out. And don't even think about lying about your age. Disguising it is bad enough. Lie about it and you're finished.

Second, if prospective employers catch you trying to hide your age, they're likely to think, "Well, if this person feels they're too old for this job then maybe I should feel that way, too."

So, if you cant hide it, disguise it, or lie about it, what's left? Simply, just be upfront and honest about your age. Instead of viewing it as an obstacle to finding a job, view the experience you've gained with age as an asset -- an asset that puts you ahead of the crowd. Think about it. You have the skills, talents, background, and work ethic that employers can't find in many younger workers. Use this to your advantage. Demonstrate you have what an employer values and you've won the battle.

So, turn lemons into lemonade by including all your dates on your resume. Then focus the content of your resume on your achievements. Show how you increased sales, or led major projects, or developed a new product, or successfully managed a corporate department, or opened new international markets. Prove your worth by showing how you made positive contributions to the bottom line and you wont have to worry about your age.