Is Your Resume Ageless?(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Cord Cooper

9 Though the Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination against candidates 40 and above, companies still find ways to screen out older applicants -- especially if firms' work forces are young, or 15-plus years of experience isn't required.

In those cases, older candidates are often dumped in the resume-reading stage, says career counselor Gail Geary in "The Over-40 Job Search Guide." Key words or phrases in resumes give older workers away -- from outdated buzzwords to quantified employment spans ("More than 27 years' experience").

Talk of a coming boomer brain drain doesn't faze small, high-growth firms with primarily younger work forces. They think mature workers are overqualified or won't fit in, Geary says.

If you're 40-plus, counter these biases by retooling your resume.

** Pass the 30-second skim. To survive an interviewer's initial review, combine your job objective with a qualifications summary. If appropriate, list it as an executive summary, and tailor it to each job you're applying for.

In the summary and throughout the resume, go for impact and cut to the chase -- stress results.