(NewsNation) — As millennials get older, ageism in the job market is becoming a concern. A new trend that Business Insider has dubbed the “resume Botox” has emerged. People in their 30s and 40s are tailoring their resumes to include fewer years of experience. One marketing strategist with a 25-year career told the outlet she hired a resume consultant for advice on getting her job applications noticed.
Instead of receiving typical edits, the expert told her to remove all experience except the last decade. The goal was to appear younger than her age of 48. Some are recommending adjusting online portfolios, including LinkedIn and professional websites, as well. According to AARP, a nonprofit focused on resources for people ages 50 and older, 64 percent of workers reported age discrimination in the workplace.
The organization has also suggested “age-proofing” one’s CV. It said this is about showcasing skills and value other than age. AARP suggests focusing on the past 10 years, adding an “early career highlights” section, removing dated technologies and updating LinkedIn. “There’s rarely a position that’s going to post and ask for more than 10 years of experience,” Ashley Watkins Thomas, founder of Write Step Résumés, told the nonprofit. Economists have indicated that the U.S. is in a white-collar recession, an economic downturn in professional and corporate sectors. Experts say this is all the more reason for older folks to tailor their resumes.
“You would figure that somebody who has 25 or 35 years of experience would actually be quicker to get up to speed because they’ve learned more things than somebody who has only 10 years of experience,” Josh Bob, a career adviser, told Business Insider. He added, “But that’s not how hiring managers are perceiving things.”
