4 CV Writing Tips To Avoid Age Discrimination In Job Search. For a long time, the youth in Kenya have been summarily dismissed in favour of older people when it came to opportunities in the name of their being ‘leaders of tomorrow’. In the job market context, however, things tend to work in two ways; one job will rule you out for being underage while another disqualifies you for exceeding the age limit. Should you then highlight your age on your CV if it doesn’t match the exact requirements? Not really. According Florence Kimani HR OCL Chemicals, recruiters may sometimes be a bit flexible if the applicant falls slightly above or below the age stated in the job advertisement. But this, she cautions, might not always turn out to be the case: “The point is that your chances are wholly dependent on the nature of the job being advertised. Does it require a younger person for the sake of his or her physical attributes, energy and flexibility or is it a matter of skills and experience? If the required age mismatch is not very conspicuous, someone who falls slightly above or below the stated age can have a fair chance of getting hired,” she says. The exception here is when the applicant is under 18 years of age and therefore deemed ineligible for employment according to the labour laws of Kenya. June Njoroge, CV Writer – Corporate Staffing Services agrees that indeed, failing to meet the stated age requirement in the job description might hamper a candidate’s chances of getting an interview especially if stated on the CV. “However,” she says “they should still get the application done. The main point is to look keenly through the job description for what they want for the job and on top of that incorporate unique skills you possess.” In Ms Njoroge’s opinion, these unique skills will ensure that even when your CV is matched with those of other qualifying candidates, your unique skills will still stand out. But then how do you stand a chance of at least getting to the interview stage without being eliminated if age is considered a key demand for the job? Steven Watson in “Avoid Job Search Age Bias With These Five Resume Writing Tips” on ezinearticles suggests a number of strategies to avoid having your application cast aside purely on basis of age. Avoid very lengthy documentation of work experience. In his argument, Mr. Watson opines that employers rarely plan the experience of the workers to go beyond 15 years. This tip applies to older workers and might seem far-fetched to the average jobseeker but its applicability can be restricted to detailing only what the job description wants. Mr. Watson also suggests leaving out dates of certifications acquired a very long time ago. “Unless an academic degree has been completed in the last few years, it is accepted practice in resume writing to leave dates off. This is also true of certifications, licensure and training though it is important to include expiration dates if applicable,” he says. According to Mr. Watson, reference to computer and internet skills to demonstrate an understanding of current technologies is especially good for your CV. And social media tools on the internet such as LinkedIn will go a long way in showing you as a worthy contender. “Nowadays you can’t rule out a person technologically as easily as you could a few years ago,” observes Ms Kimani. “People still go back to college later in their careers to advance their skills. However, to avoid being disqualified in the first round, make sure you highlight your technological skills in your CV. Unless it is a job that requires advanced computer skills where the competition might be stiffer, most jobs simply require the basic skills in technology.” “Ensure that whatever you state is indeed the truth,” adds Ms Njoroge. “Highlighting your unique skills in the CV as part of your strengths can also work in your favour even in cases where your academic qualifications might fall short of the threshold,” she advises.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 07:42:02 +0000
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