CV Expert's 10-Word Tip for Job Seekers Over 30 to Combat Age Bias
A professional CV writer has issued a concise 10-word tip aimed at individuals aged 30 and over who are actively seeking new employment opportunities. This guidance is designed to help hopeful applicants navigate and counteract potential biases from employers during the recruitment process.
The Growing Complexity of Job Applications
The job application process has become increasingly laborious and complex in recent years. Candidates are often required to submit their CVs before completing separate online forms that ask numerous detailed questions, all in an effort to secure an interview. This heightened complexity can be particularly challenging for older job seekers who may face additional hurdles.
Age Discrimination in the UK Job Market
An employment expert has highlighted how a candidate's age can significantly influence their chances of being invited for an interview. While age discrimination is illegal in the UK under the Equality Act, proving such discrimination remains a considerable challenge. The Act provides protection in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, training, and dismissals, covering direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
Morgan, a professional CV writer with extensive experience, has shared valuable guidance on social media platforms. She advises job seekers to customise their applications and strategically edit their experience to make their age less apparent, thereby countering any conscious or unconscious prejudice from potential employers.
Key Recommendations for Age-Proofing Your CV
In a detailed video posted on TikTok, Morgan emphasised the importance of age-proofing your résumé. She revealed alarming statistics, noting that over 90% of people aged 40 and above have experienced some form of age discrimination. Additionally, 40% of millennials are now hiding earlier work experience to appear younger on their applications.
Morgan explained, "If you're struggling to land interviews, it might be because you look too old on your résumé - yes, even millennials. The data is brutal." She attributed the exacerbation of this issue to the recent wave of middle manager lay-offs, which has increased competition in the job market.
Strategic Editing of Work Experience
Drawing from six years of experience in writing résumés, Morgan shared a key insight: when job descriptions request a specific number of years of experience, candidates should list only slightly more than required. For instance, if an advert asks for 10+ years of related experience, she recommends providing no more than 13 years, offering a buffer of two to three years at most.
"The answer, 90 per cent of the time, is in the job description," Morgan stated. "I do think a good general guideline is to cut it off after 10 years, but an even better answer is to look at the job descriptions. In this example, when they're asking for 10 years of experience, don't list all 20."
She elaborated on the reasoning behind this strategy, explaining that employers often have budget constraints tied to experience levels. If a candidate presents 15 years of experience for a role budgeted for four to five years, they may be perceived as too expensive. "Your résumé is meant to be a marketing document," she emphasised.
The Crucial 10-Word Tip
Morgan concluded her advice with a powerful 10-word tip that encapsulates her approach: "It is supposed to be your flyer, not your memoir." This succinct phrase underscores the need for CVs to be concise, targeted, and focused on relevant experience rather than providing a comprehensive life history.
Additional Practical Advice
Beyond editing work experience, Morgan also recommended removing graduation dates from CVs to make it more difficult for employers to deduce age. This simple adjustment can help mitigate age-related biases during the initial screening process.
Public Reaction and Frustrations
In the comments section of her TikTok video, users expressed mixed reactions, with many voicing frustration at the "games" required to secure job interviews. One user questioned, "If I list just 12 years of experience with manager/director roles on it, won't they just be able to deduce I'm in my 40s or 50s anyway? What's the f'n point of these games?"
Another shared their discouragement, stating, "I hate the hoops you have to jump through to even get interviews now. Not a single interview in over two years, it's really discouraging." A third comment highlighted the paradoxical nature of job requirements: "We don't have enough experience, and now we have too much experience."
When asked if employers can determine market tenure from graduation dates, Morgan firmly advised, "Take your graduation date off as well!" This reinforces the broader strategy of presenting experience in a way that prioritises relevance over chronology.
Overall, Morgan's insights provide a practical framework for older job seekers to enhance their competitiveness in a challenging employment landscape, emphasising adaptability and strategic presentation in their applications.
