How to Write a Résumé After 50

Tips that help you show your skills and avoid age bias

Kenneth Terrell,

AARP

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En español

Published October 11, 2024

a compilation of images related to job searching

AARP (Source: Getty Images (6))

Your résumé is the key that unlocks job opportunities, but those doors will open only if your résumé is the right fit. That’s especially true for older job seekers, who often run into age bias when applying for work.

Though federal, state and local laws make it illegal to discriminate based on age during the hiring process, older workers can still face hurdles when it comes to getting hired. Nearly 1 in 6 adults age 50 and older (14 percent) said they weren’t hired for a job due to their age, according to a 2022 survey from AARP Research. A 2024 Transamerica Institute survey found that 35 percent of employers said there is an age when applicants are too old, and many of them identified 58 as the “too-old-to-hire” age.

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To write a winning résumé and improve your chances of advancing to the interview stage, older applicants should review their résumés to make sure they’re not making mistakes by revealing unnecessary information about their age, a practice also called age-proofing. Tips for age-proofing your résumé include:

Remove graduation dates and other unnecessary details. If employers know the year in which you graduated from college or high school, they will quickly estimate your age, whether they’re biased or not. Other details that don’t belong on a résumé anymore because they might suggest an older applicant are use of a full street address (city and state are enough) and a landline phone number (a cellphone number is sufficient). If your email service is from an older service (AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.), consider creating a Gmail account for your job search.
Instead of an statement of objectives, include a professional summary or executive summary. The summary is a brief paragraph that quickly but clearly describes your best skills and job goals.
Customize your résumé for each job opening. Before your résumé makes it to human eyes, it most likely will be screened by a technology known as an applicant tracking system. The system goes through each résumé looking for keywords that best match what the employer is seeking. For each job you apply for, if you have the relevant skills or experience, make sure to use the exact language from the job posting, not a similar term.
Focus on your recent experience. Employers care more about what you can do for them now, not what you may have accomplished decades ago. Focus on the specific job responsibilities you have had in the past 15 years, making sure to show the skills you developed in those roles. When including jobs from more than 15 years ago, only describe the skills most relevant for the job you are applying for and consider removing dates of employment.
For each job listed in your work history, consider using bullet points to draw attention to show what you achieved in the role.
Limit your résumé to two pages. Your résumé has only a few seconds to make an impression on recruiters — just 7.4 seconds, according to one estimate. Make each instant count by being clear and concise about why you’re the best fit for that role rather than elaborate your decades of work history.

Watch a video on tips for age-proofing your résumé

How to handle gaps in your résumé

More than 2 out of 3 workers (68 percent) have a gap in their résumé, according to a March 2023 survey from Indeed Flex. While the survey didn’t report the numbers by age groups, the three main reasons people gave for having periods when they weren’t employed — family responsibilities (39 percent), layoffs (25 percent) and relocation (16 percent) — are common life experiences for people age 50 and older.

The first step in handling a gap on your résumé is getting employers to see your skills first. Experts suggest adding a few customized bullet points near the top of your résumé that highlight why your achievements and abilities make you a good fit for the job.

You also should be prepared to explain the employment gap constructively and appropriately with the recruiter, either as part of a cover letter after you have explained why you’re a great fit or in an interview. If properly addressed during your application process, employment gaps on your résumé may not hurt your chances of getting hired. According to a field experiment by RésuméGo, applicants who provided reasons for breaks between jobs were much more likely to receive invites to interview for a job than those who did not offer an explanation.

Learn more about how to handle employment gaps on your résumé

What to do if your résumé is being ignored

A typical corporate job posting online can attract more than 250 applications, according to Glassdoor research. With so many people applying for each position, many larger companies use technology to filter out which applications get seen by an actual recruiter. And, even if your résumé does make it to human eyes, that person will typically spend just a few seconds giving it a first read.

These statistics mean your résumé needs to make a strong first impression, to both the screening technology and the hiring manager. You can start by customizing your résumé for each job you’re applying for. If you have the specific skills and experience listed in the posting, be sure to include each of those items on your résumé using the same keywords, not synonyms.

Before submitting your résumé or application, it also can be helpful to network with people who work for the employer, using both social media such as LinkedIn and in-person meetings at industry events.

Learn more about what to do if your résumé is being ignored

How to write a résumé for a remote job

Working from home is a popular option for older adults, who often need less face-to-face interaction in the office because of their years of experience and find the flexibility gives them a better work-life balance. The good news is that opportunities for remote work have become more common in recent years. In 1996, only 9 percent of workers had worked remotely, according to poll data from Gallup. By 2023, that number had soared to 49 percent of respondents working from home at least some of the time.

Though writing a résumé and cover letter for a remote job is similar to writing one for an in-person role, you can make some small changes to help your chances for being hired. If you have worked from home previously, highlight that experience in your skills and achievements, making sure your résumé explains what percentage of your time was spent working remotely. Emphasize details that show you are self-motivating, disciplined, mature, skilled with technology, effective at time management and comfortable with electronic communication.

How to write a résumé if you’re a veteran

If you have spent years serving in the military, you have developed skills that civilian employers value highly, such as leadership, teamwork and commitment. What’s important is translating those skills from military terms and acronyms into language that lets recruiting managers know you have the right skills for the role. For example, where appropriate, use keywords from the job posting to describe the skills and experience you built during your service.

You also can make use of the various specific resources that help veterans find jobs in the civilian workforce. Each branch of the military has support services that help veterans transition into life after the armed services, and both the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor have resources that can assist veterans in finding employment.

Learn more about how veterans should write résumés

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Kenneth Terrell covers employment, age discrimination, work and jobs, careers, and the federal government for AARP. He previously worked for the Education Writers Association and U.S. News & World Report, where he reported on government and politics, business, education, science and technology, and lifestyle news.

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