Subj : Re: Overcoming age discrimination, an idea (was: Software Job Market Myths)
To   : comp.programming
From : Arthur J. O'Dwyer
Date : Thu Aug 18 2005 09:57 pm


On Wed, 17 Aug 2005, Robert Maas, see http://tinyurl.com/uh3t wrote:
>
> To avoid the sprung-full-grown appearance, I have an idea: Water down
> anything more than fifteen years ago by writing like it was an
> entry-level job, like my first job out of college, and merge anything
> over 20 years ago with the stuff 15-20 years ago into a single "more
> than 15 years ago" section, and make it really sound like 5 years work
> and no more. "Talk up" the very most recent 5 years to make it sound a
> lot more professional than the middle ten years (5-15 years ago).

   Hmm. The "make it sound a lot more professional" part seems like you're 
asking for trouble. I mean, unless you spent the past five years as a 
rocket scientist, or the time before that as a janitor,[1] that plan seems 
like it would lead to either (a) exaggerating your recent work or 
(b) diminishing your not-so-recent work. Option (a) could be dangerous if 
the hirer contacts your old boss and finds out that no, you never stared 
down a water buffalo; and option (b) IMHO is much more dangerous, in that 
a resume whose first n paragraphs[2] are all of the "Hello world" 
variety[3] seems like an interviewer turnoff.

   I will admit that your strategy to combat age discrimination works, sort 
of; I would never have guessed you were 40-whatever from your resumes, 
which still list awards you won in high school. /I/ barely mention high 
school on my resume anymore (except AP/IB CS and five years of Spanish), 
and I'm not even out of college!

-Arthur,
whippersnapping

[1] Not to diminish the much-needed and underappreciated role janitors
play in modern society, of course.

[2] Or last n paragraphs, depending on organization. Either way is bad.

[3] Not to point any fingers, naturally.

.