According to the Over 50 Website, job-seekers 50 years and older tend to change careers for several reasons, including increased compensation, job growth, meaningfulness and more flexible hours. If you choose to apply for a job or change careers, focus your resume on your experience and skills, which is something that younger applicants might lack on their resume.

List Job Longevity

Avoid giving an employer the opportunity to discriminate based on age. This means leaving off dates. When you go for your interview, the employer will get a good idea of your age and will see your college graduation date when your degree is verified. It is not necessary to list dates of jobs you had 15 to 20 years ago. Rather than stating, for example, that you worked from 1983 to 1993, you might indicate that you worked in a position for 10 years.

Focus on Experience

It is better to focus on your experience rather than a specific objective. Your work history should set you apart from persons who have less experience. Most likely you have developed skills such as project management, communications and marketing. These are skills that will catch a potential employer’s eye because they are transferable to most work settings.

Display Your Results

Your resume should not include a list of duties and responsibilities, but should communicate results or effects of your work. An example would be “managed a $3 million departmental budget.” Leave off unnecessary details like knowledge of spread sheets and word processing programs. These are skills that children learn in primary grades. It is understood that most working adults who use computers have these skills.

Use Keywords From Job Listing

Use the jargon or key words that the hiring organization uses in their advertisement for the position. Many employers or job search websites require resumes to be sent by computer. Whether you are instructed to email, upload or send your resume by mail, it will likely be scanned. During the scanning process, keywords and phrases applicable to the position will be recognized. If you fail to include these keywords, your resume might be excluded from further consideration.