What is age bias in hiring, and what on a resume can trigger it?

Age bias is when someone judges a candidate on assumptions about their age instead of on their skills, for example assuming an older person will not learn new systems or will expect too much. You cannot control a reader's assumptions, but you can make sure your resume puts the focus on what you offer now.

Things that can draw attention to age without adding value:

• A date of birth, age or photo, where the country does not expect them.
• A very long work history with old roles in full detail.
• Outdated tools listed prominently, or none of the current ones.
• Dated wording such as "seasoned veteran" or an "Objective" section.
• An old-fashioned layout.

Things that help:

• Detail on your recent 10 to 15 years.
• Current skills, recent training and recent results.
• A clean, modern format.

These are presentation choices, not deception. Keep every date you show accurate, and answer honestly when asked.