Workers over the age of 50 often feel that their age may be working against them when job seeking. They feel at a disadvantage when presenting their employment history on a resume in competition with younger professionals. They suspect discrimination, yet feel powerless to combat it. They repeatedly ask questions like, "How do I get around the age problem? How do I get equal treatment under the law? And how do I get the interviews I seem to be missing?"

Defining age discrimination

It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of age in hiring, promotions, wages, firing and layoffs. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 expressly prohibits this discrimination in any company with more than 20 employees. That being said, it is nearly impossible to prove. Doing so requires more time and money than most individuals possess and at best will make for a very unfriendly entry into an organization.

While a company cannot discriminate in its hiring on the basis of age, it can and does set benchmarks for experience in terms of years. If a position calls for 10 years of experience and you offer 20, you can be eliminated because you are overqualified. This is not illegal, and the company has the right to find the best possible fit based on the experience that the position demands.

Rather than get involved in a long legal battle that you are not likely to win, it is far more direct and simple to find an organization that values your experience and, consequently, your age. A well-written resume can help you achieve this goal by presenting your experience as an accumulation of knowledge; skills; abilities; and, most importantly, accomplishments, which will make you a highly desirable commodity to hiring managers.

Using your resume to market your skills

So just how do you circumvent the age/overqualified issue? How do you level the playing field when seeking that all-important first interview? How do you make your resume work for you? The answer is quite simple. Treat your resume as a marketing tool — not a legal document.

The application for employment we all must complete when we are actually about to interview is a legal document. As such, these documents require complete disclosure. In the application for employment, you must present your employment information exactly in the manner and format requested. Any variance or omission can be cause for your termination. In fact, it says just that at the bottom of the application where it asks you to sign off.

A resume, on the other hand, is a marketing document — a personal advertisement for you. As a marketing document, its purpose is to present you factually but also in the most appealing light to your intended audience. As such, it has no innate requirement that you date your employment back to the land before time. It merely requires that you present the employment that is relevant and of value to your audience.

Staying in the present

Given the rapid changes in technology, business practices and business legislation, any resume that goes back more than 15 years is dealing with a different world from the one in which you and your potential employer now live. So stay in the present when you are presenting yourself for consideration to a potential employer. Focus on what you offer now and in the very recent past. In doing, so you will be far more likely to get the interview you are seeking.

Will the interview get you the job? Will the resume eliminate the potential for age/experience bias? No, it won't entirely, but it will get you the interview. And it will give you the opportunity to present the best you have to offer on a level playing field with all other applicants.

In the interview itself, there are many things you can do to win the position, but these tips are for another discussion. On your resume, be open, be honest but be smart. Show the reader the best you have to offer and leave the rest for the interview.