Resumes for Older Workers

The title of this publication might be resumes for older workers, but its purpose is to help those individuals with a great deal of work experience.  Older, or more senior, employees have an advantage over their younger counterparts.  They've been around longer, and therefore have knowledge that is more valuable.

In this article, we're going to provide some guidance to those "older" workers that are interested in updating their resumes.  Part of that guidance will include a brief explanation of the three major resume types in use today.  We'll also explain why the combination resume is usually the best choice for workers with a lot of experience.  Finally, we'll provide some examples, including a resume that you can download free of charge.

Resume Styles for Older Workers

There are three main types of resumes in use today:  functional, chronological, and combination resumes.  Each of these has its strengths and weaknesses as listed below.

• Functional Resume - a functional resume is a good choice for an individual that is just starting out in the working world, or someone that is trying to step up into a role from a junior position.
• Chronological Resume - a chronological resume is a good choice if you've been working for several years, and believe your work experience is more important than the skills you've acquired over time.
• Combination Resume - the combination resume is the most marketable of the three resume styles in use today.  If you have a lot of experience, and you possess strong skills, then this is probably the best format for older workers.  The combination resume style is the logical choice for older workers because it highlights their strengths; a long work history, and the many skills they've acquired over time.

The working assumption in this publication is that an "older" worker is going to be looking for employment that's aligned with their current career.  That is to say, they would be looking for a promotional opportunity or a lateral position, and not looking to switch careers.

Special Considerations for Older Workers

Federal laws protect many classes of job applicants against discrimination when seeking employment.  The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) is one such law that aims to protect individuals who have reached age 40 years or older.  Within the ADEA we find the following prohibitions:

• Statements or specifications in job notices or advertisements of age preference and limitations
• Discrimination based on age by apprenticeship programs, including joint labor-management apprenticeship programs
• Denial of benefits to older employees

If you're an older worker, and you're still afraid an employer may discriminate against you because of your age, then the following adjustments can be made to your resume:

• Avoid mentioning dates in your resume that may provide a hiring manager or future employer with information that can be used to calculate your age.  For example, the year you graduated from college or high school.
• In the work history section of the resume, provide dates of more recent employers, while omitting dates of employment in the distant past.

Sample Resume for Older Workers

The sample resume we have for older employees is in the combination resume style, modified to accommodate the suggestions made in the previous sections.  If you're thinking it's time to change careers, then you might want to consider using the functional resume style.  This way you're able to highlight the knowledge and skills you've acquired.

You can download our free sample here:  Older Worker Resume.  As is the case with all of the resume examples you'll find on this website, our hope is that this resume will stimulate some of your own ideas.  Always keep in mind that your unique experiences increase your value in a competitive job market.

Finally, if you think of your resume as an advertisement for your professional services, then you'll understand why we advocate placing the information you'd like to emphasize early in the document.  This is exactly what happens in the combination style resume.

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