Although, interviewers are not supposed to ask for your age during interviews to prevent age discrimination which is against the law, age discrimination still continues to prevail in the job market every single day. And employers can easily get a fix of your age via your resume. And although it looks like an insignificant issue, many young people can find it very hard to overcome the age bias that can form in an employer’s head unconsciously once he begins to perceive that you may be too young for the job. This write-up will expose you to some smart ways through which you can overcome resume dilemma of being too young for the job.
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Help the employer focus on your capability
During interviews, interviewers could say you look too young to work a particular job. This is not the time to stay quiet like a wilting flower. You need to deflect the age bias that came with that question. And not aggressively, mind you, because you need to get the employer to connect with you.
In cases where you’re told that you look too young for the job, you can quickly inform the employer that it is simply as a result of the good genes that run in your family but you have so and so qualifications that are advantageous to the company and qualify you for the job. You did this and that somewhere which proves that you’re capable of doing the job.
If you’ve not progressed to the interview stage, you can make indications of your experience and qualification for the job in your resume as well. Make sure you answer every possible question that employers might ask about your age with your resume.
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Don’t let anyone feel like you’re too young for any job
If you have a baby face, makeup or a mustache and beard should add maturity to your face. You should also try dressing and speaking conservatively and try to achieve a mature look and demeanor. This should be reflected in your resume passport or picture and on the day of your interview.
Most times, when employers feel like someone is too young for a job, it’s usually because they feel the person is not as stable, mature, reliable or as skilled as older workers usually are. Which is why it is important that you convince employers that you’re not too young for the job at all.
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Invalidate objections towards you
For every job you apply for, the best practice is to invalidate objections towards you or your age. This is one of the reasons why you need to create a new resume to fit every job description you’re applying for. So, after understanding the job description and requirements, you need to sit down and outline possible objections that the employer may have against employing you and then write beside those objections, why the objections are invalid. It is these invalidations to possible objections that you will weave into your resume such that as every objection towards you comes to mind, your resume defends you with proof.
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Use the right keywords
There are keywords that resonate with your employer and with any software he might use to scan your resume. So, you need to read through job ads and your employer company’s website and social media account to fish out knowledge about the job you’re applying for and its requirements and convey that understanding to your employer.
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Provide proof
Don’t just write down reasons why you think you should be employed and your job skills. Add evidence and proof that supports your claims. You need to correctly outline your capabilities and abilities with proof from work experience, school activities and projects, internships, hobbies, volunteering activities and even sports.
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Highlight your transferable skills
There are some transferable skills you have that might be invaluable to the job requirements, you need to point them out to the employer especially if those skills are scale breaking skills. For example, imagine an English-speaking tour guide company which has an office in Japan where you just happen to live. You go to their office to apply for a job.
Even if you’re too young but speak fluent Japanese, English and any other languages, you’re more likely to be employed than an older candidate who can only speak Japanese or English. This is why you need to highlight your relevant transferable skills in your resume.
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Bring up recent training or studies
There are certain kinds of training that you can undergo on the internet or which you underwent in college which much older employees who graduated earlier were not privy to. You need to talk about them to convince your employer that even though you’re younger, you’re much more qualified for the job because you are a youth.
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Talk about your technology use
Don’t use this tactic if you’re someone who uses the internet and social media to watch funny cat videos or jokes. Use it only if you’ve leveraged technology, the internet or your social media account for certain things in your daily life such as a crowd funding projects while you were in college. In short, try to highlight the things you know about technology that might be advantageous to the company that an older employee could not offer.
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Write the best resume that you can
You need to look for and get rid of red flags in your resume. The best indication of your maturity and qualification for a job is your resume and cover letter which comes before your interview. If your resume presents your soft and hard skills, qualifications and working experience in a professional manner, you can make a positive first impression that if followed up properly in your interview will get you the job you desire. To ensure that your resume is professional, you can hire a writing service or write it yourself or review it with any of the numerous online resume services.
Conclusion
Being too young has never stopped anyone, there are many young millionaires in the world and if a company decides that you’re too young to work for them even when you’re qualified, you can easily find a company which wouldn’t mind employing you regardless of your age. However, if you follow the tips above, you should be able to overcome bias (unconscious or conscious) claiming you’re too young for a job.
