Dealing with Age in Resumes and Interviewing

I work with a lot of clients who are in the 50-plus sector.  Currently, I am working with a client who is 63 years of age and has more than four decades of work experience. Although it is illegal for employers to discriminate based on age, race, religion, or gender, it still happens indiscriminately.

For resumes, I generally recommend listing only about 10-12 years experience for mid-level, senior level / directorial management, and VP level positions.  While showing about 15 years is appropriate for C-level positions.  Listing more than is required for the job to which you are applying will put an “age” on you, which can open you up to age discrimination and being labeled as overqualified.  Both of which can eliminate you from the candidate pool rather quickly.

The purpose of your resume is