Businesses will always deny that they use age as factor when they recruit, but when it comes to backing this belief, statistics tend to prove otherwise. And when we talk about "age discrimination" we aren't always referring to the mature workforce, it's just as likely younger people will experience some form of age discrimination too.

There have been measures by the government to counter age awareness being used as an employment screening factor, and Australia benefits from the elimination of "dates of birth" and "age" in a resume / curriculum vitae and on job advertisements. However, it only takes a few simple questions by an employer over the telephone to quickly determine this missing piece of data.

Reading between the lines...

The truth behind the madness is that it's hard to actually determine whether age will work for you or against.

To gain some understanding about the age requirements within a job description, look at phrases such as "minimum of 15 years experience is preferred" or "ideally 2 - 5 years working experience" and try to understand the context in which this has been written.

However, don't be put off by these type of phrases, just appreciate that the worst that you will receive is an employer saying "not this time".

But what about the seasoned professional ?

Seasoned professionals have the advantages of greater stability, greater experience and greater loyalty to an organisation. Yet career advice surveys continue to prove that the mature age force remain the highest discriminated against, facing the most barriers.

Much is being done through the Equal Employment Opportunities act to dispel the myth that older workers lack flexibility and have limited technology skills but the simple facts are that it's down to you (and no one else) to sell yourself.

You have a choice, spend your time dwelling on what isn't right or what isn't fair, debate this career advice, or use that effort to remain determined and focused. Don't ponder on the negativity surrounding these issues, simply try to overcome them.


Career advice "quick tips" for cleaning a resume of age
 

• You only need to go back 20 years on a resume
  
• Take off education dates
   
• Use email to send your resume (not fax or hard copies)
   
• Take off your date of birth
   
• Stress the use of IT technical expertise where possible
   
• Seek a professional resume writer (us of course) and don't be scared to mention you want to appear "younger" and "more dynamic"