7 Tips for great resumes for older workers that show their experience

The French philosopher and writer Albert Camus once said, “You cannot create experience. You must undergo it." It isn’t always easy out there for older workers, especially if you’re searching for a new job. A lot of biases remain, such as hiring managers assuming older workers have skills that are out of date, can’t adapt to new technology, or are too expensive to train. And even though the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) makes it illegal to discriminate against any person over the age of 40, ageism still exists. 

So what if you’re out there in the job market and you’re not a fresh grad? Do you need to just throw in the towel? Not at all. With the proper resume, you can avoid ageism on a resume and get the job you deserve.

In this article, we’ll discuss creating a resume for older workers, including:

• What type of resume is best for older workers?

• 7 tips for listing older work experience on a resume

The best resumes for older workers

The most important thing is to have a resume that is up-to-date and uses a modern format. And remember, knowing what to leave off a resume is just as important as what you include. Make sure to create a resume that is targeted for the job you’re looking for, and highlights the skills you have that are relevant to the job posting.

Although most resumes are chronological, if you’re over 40 - 45 (or even over 60), you might be better off with a functional resume (which concentrates on your skills and experience and highlights your accomplishments/achievements at the top of your resume), or a combination resume (which focuses on your skills, as well as your experience). No matter the format, don’t go back more than 10-15 years on your resume. Any discussion of previous experience should be saved for an interview.

How long should a senior resume be?

While it might be tempting to show off your skills and wealth of experience, your resume shouldn’t be longer than one or two pages, maximum. Remember, most recruiters spend about seven seconds looking over a resume, and if your resume is too long, they simply won’t consider it. Use your two pages to showcase your more recent work experience and achievements that align with your career goals.

7 Tips for creating strong resumes for older workers

The main objective for creating a resume for an older worker is to "age-proof" it. You'll want to showcase your skills and abilities, rather than how long you’ve been in the workforce. It might not seem fair—after all, you’ve put in years of hard work—but stigmas still exist, even though they’re not insurmountable. Use the following seven tips when creating your resume, and you’ll be able to show off your considerable experience in the best possible way.

1. Focus on your current experience

It might be important to you, but the hard truth is that your experience becomes less relevant as time goes on. Focus less on your earlier work history and more on what you’ve done in the last 10-15 years. Similarly, if you received any college degrees more than 10 years ago, leave off the date.

2. Avoid a “scattershot” approach

If you’ve had a variety of jobs in the past, that’s great, but you don’t have to include everything. Instead of a general list of your work history, tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for and your current career aspirations, highlighting any relevant skills and experience.

3. Utilize keywords

Most hiring managers utilize an Applicant Tracking system, or ATS, which looks for particular keywords and screens out any resumes that don’t match the search parameters. Make sure your resume includes keywords that are mentioned in the job description to increase the chances of your resume getting seen by an actual human.

4. Highlight your technical skills

A stereotype of older workers is that they haven’t kept up with technology. A brief section near the end of your resume is a good place to list any skills or proficiencies you have, even if you're in a "non-technical" field. If you find that you have technical skill gaps, consider signing up for a course at your local community college or with online, low-cost educational sites such as Coursera or Udemy.com.

5. Don’t forget LinkedIn

If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to set one up. It isn’t difficult to do (they lead you step by step through the process) and it shows recruiters that you’re up to date on current networking practices. And if you have other social media accounts, only include them if they're professionally appropriate—if you wouldn’t want a boss seeing what you’ve posted, leave them off your resume.

6. Swap the old “objective statement” for a new “professional summary”

A resume objective is a red flag that tells the recruiter your resume is out-of-date. Instead, include a "Professional Summary" which is essentially a pitch that highlights your talents and interests, and the value you would bring to a company. In other words, it’s a place to encapsulate the reasons you’d be a good fit for the job.

7. Center your resume around your achievements

If you’re an older worker, potential employers care less about your day-to-day tasks and are more concerned about what you’ve achieved. Under each job, provide a short paragraph that talks about your job and duties, then add a few bullet points to summarize your accomplishments and contributions, using quantifiable data when possible.

As a worker over 50 (or 60, or 70!) you have a lot of value to bring to the proverbial table. You’ve most likely done and seen it all, and have a wealth of work experience to share. While this might sadly work against you—in today’s "youth-focused" job market—you can still craft a resume that highlights your plethora of relevant job qualifications and show them that you've still "got it." And if it helps combat workplace ageism, too, that's just the icing on the cake!

Need help creating a new resume? Check out our Resume Builder tool, which will provide you with tried-and-true, modern resume templates and help you build the perfect resume quickly and easily.

Key takeaways

1. When it comes to writing a resume for an older worker, knowing what to leave off a resume is just as important as what you include. 

2. Your resume should be no longer than two pages and focus on the last 10-15 years of your career.

3. "Age-proof" your resume by focusing on your current experience, including relevant keywords, and highlighting any technical skills.