9 Strategies to Optimize Your Resume Against Ageism

Ageism in the fashion industry hiring process is a real challenge, but the right resume strategies can help older job seekers highlight their strengths while minimizing potential biases. Here are the key ways to optimize your resume to stay competitive and relevant in today’s job market.

1. Refine Your Work History

• Focus on the last 10-15 years of experience, as this is most relevant to employers.
• Summarize older roles in an “Additional Experience” section without dates.
• Place emphasis on achievements and skills from the past 5-7 years, aligning with current industry needs.

2. Modernize Your Education Section

• Remove graduation dates if they are from before 2000 to avoid unnecessary age disclosure.
• If you have a recent degree or certification, consider listing it without including older education dates.
• Highlight continuing education or certifications to show commitment to learning and staying current.

3. Stay Current with Technology

• List only relevant, modern software skills that are in demand.
• Remove outdated technologies like WordPerfect, COBOL, or Lotus Notes.
• Include widely used software such as Excel (advanced), SQL, Salesforce, Slack, AWS, or Illustrator.
• If you have a strong online presence, link to your LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio.

4. Update Your Contact Information

• Use a modern email address—avoid AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo. A Gmail address is preferred.
• List only your city, state, and cell phone number, skipping a home phone or full address.

5. Use a Modern Resume Format

• Choose a clean, contemporary layout with sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri.
• Avoid outdated formatting like Times New Roman, dense text blocks, or an “Objective” section.
• Utilize white space effectively to create a well-structured, easy-to-read document.

6. Demonstrate Adaptability and Teamwork

• Showcase your ability to collaborate and mentor younger team members.
• Highlight how you’ve learned new technologies or adopted industry changes.
• Use action words that reflect coachable, adaptable qualities rather than rigid or outdated phrasing.

7. Use Up-to-Date Terminology

• Replace old-fashioned phrases with modern industry language. For example:
  • Old: “Hired, trained, and fired employees.”
  • New: “Sourced, onboarded, developed, and managed team members.”
• Align terminology with current job descriptions to ensure relevance.

8. Customize for Each Job Application

• Tailor your resume to the employer’s needs by emphasizing the most relevant experience.
• Address the company’s pain points and showcase how your expertise solves their challenges.
• Use a summary section at the top of your resume to frame your experience in a way that aligns with the job role.

9. Avoid Resume Red Flags

• Never list “References Available Upon Request”—this is outdated and unnecessary.
• Omit extraneous details such as hobbies unless they directly relate to the job.
• If mentioning older technologies, highlight transferable skills that demonstrate adaptability.

By implementing these resume strategies, older job seekers can effectively present themselves as experienced, adaptable, and technologically current candidates, reducing the risk of age-related bias in the hiring process.

StyleCareers.com will be hosting an conversation on Ageism & The Fashion Industry on Thursday, February 6th at 4pm ET, 1pm PT. Register for this live and interactive event, here!