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Need to refresh your résumé? AARP's Carly Roszkowski shares three easy updates that will help you show managers your skills, not your age.

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0:00Resume trends are constantly changing.

0:03What worked 10 years ago won't fly today, and some details could send the wrong signal about your age to an employer.

0:10If it's been a while since you've refreshed your resume, here's what you need to know.

0:15First, skip the career objective.

0:17Employers no longer need to see a section about your career goals.

0:21Instead, open with a professional summary highlighting your strengths and the value you'll bring to the role.

0:28Try something like this:

0:30Results-driven account executive with expertise in building million-dollar strategic partnerships and managing campaigns for clients in the live events space.

0:39After that, remove details that could reveal your age, like your graduation year.

0:44AARP is fighting against this age-discriminatory practice and the use of software algorithms that use graduation dates as proxies for age.

0:54Then you should also take out jobs that you had over 15 years ago.

0:58If they're still relevant, place them in an additional related-experience section without the dates.

1:04Finally, add your LinkedIn profile to the top of your resume.

1:0993% of employers review candidates online accounts, so make sure to create a customized LinkedIn URL.

1:15Do this by going to your LinkedIn settings, click "Visibility,"

1:20edit your public profile and then edit your custom URL.

1:24This can help push back on ageist stereotypes, too, as you will look more tech savvy to hiring managers.

1:30As our economy moves towards skills-based hiring, it's more important than ever that your resume shows off your qualifications and not your age.

1:40Now you know.

Text on Screen

0:00Résumé trends are constantly changing.

0:03What worked 10 years ago won't fly today,

0:06and some details could send the wrong signal about your age to an employer.

0:14Here's what you need to know.

0:15#1 Skip the "Career Objective"

0:17employers no longer need to see a section about your career goals.

0:21Instead, open with a professional summary highlighting your strengths and the value you'll bring to the role.

0:28Try something like this:

0:29Colin Z. Singerman

0:29PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

0:29Results-driven account executive with expertise in building million-dollar strategic partnerships and managing campaigns for clients in the live events space.

0:39#2 Remove Details That Reveal Your Age

0:43Like your graduation year.

0:44AARP is fighting against this age-discriminatory practice and the use of software algorithms that use graduation dates as proxies for age.

0:54Then you should also take out jobs that you had over 15 years ago.

0:58Colin Z. Singerman

0:58ADDITIONAL RELATED EXPERIENCE

0:58Momentum Event Solutions Co. - Denver, CO | 2006 - 2010

0:58• Promoted from Sales Associate within 12 months for surpassing sales quotas.

0:58If they're still relevant, place them in an additional related-experience section without the dates.

1:04#3 Add Your LinkedIn Profile

1:0893% of employers review candidates' online accounts, so make sure to create a customized LinkedIn URL.

1:16Do this by going to your LinkedIn settings,

1:16Settings

1:16Account preferences

1:16Sign in & security

1:16Visibility

1:16Data privacy

1:19click 'Visibility',

1:20Visibility of your profile & network

1:20Profile viewing options Private mode

1:20Page visit visibility Off

1:20Edit your public profile

1:20Who can see or download your email address

1:20Who can see your connections On

1:20Who can see members you follow Only visible t...

1:21edit your public profile

1:22Edit your custom URL

1:22Personalize the URL for your profile.

1:22www.linkedin.com/in/

1:22ColinZ

1:22Note: Your custom URL must contain 3-100 letters or numbers. Please do not use spaces, symbols, or special characters.

1:22Cancel

1:22Save

1:22and then edit your custom URL.

1:24This can help push back on ageist stereotypes, too, as you will look more tech savvy to hiring managers.

1:30As our economy moves towards skills-based hiring, it's more important than ever that your résumé shows off your qualifications, and not your age.

1:39Now you know.

Scenes (7)

0:00intro talking head with text overlays

The scene features a woman from the chest up, speaking directly to the camera in a professional setting. She is seated at a white table, with a large window showing blurred green foliage outside to her left, indicating natural light. The background is a clean, light-colored wall. Text overlays appear and disappear throughout her speech, introducing concepts related to resume trends and career objectives. The lighting is soft and even, highlighting her face without harsh shadows, suggesting a well-lit indoor environment, likely an office or home office. The overall color palette is warm and inviting, dominated by her yellow blazer and the natural greens outside. Her gestures are subtle and expressive, complementing her speech. The scene focuses on engaging the viewer with direct address and informative text.

0:28resume graphic overlay summary

This scene displays a digital graphic overlay of a resume with a blurred background. The resume template is black text on a light gray background, indicating a professional, monochromatic design. A prominent white, torn-paper-like graphic box is centered on the screen, revealing specific text about a 'PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY.' The text within this box is clear, sans-serif, and black. The content reads: 'Results-driven account executive with expertise in building million-dollar strategic partnerships and managing campaigns for clients in the live events space.' The visual style is clean and modern, emphasizing the textual information as the primary focus, while the background resume provides context without distraction.

0:39talking head with age related text

The scene reverts to the woman speaking directly to the camera, identical to the first segment in framing and setting. She is framed from the chest up, seated at a white table with a window to her left and a light-colored wall behind her. Text overlays appear and disappear, discussing the removal of age-revealing details from resumes, such as graduation years, and mentions AARP's fight against age-discriminatory practices. The natural light from the window illuminates her face evenly. Her demeanor remains professional and engaging, with slight head movements and hand gestures to illustrate her points. The color scheme continues to be warm and professional with the yellow blazer contrasting the white top and background.

0:58resume graphic overlay experience

This scene again features a digital graphic overlay of a resume with a blurred background, similar to the previous graphic. A white, torn-paper-like graphic box is centered on the screen, highlighting a section titled 'ADDITIONAL RELATED EXPERIENCE.' Below this, specific text reads: 'Momentum Event Solutions Co. - Denver, CO | 2006 - 2010 • Promoted from Sales Associate within 12 months for surpassing sales quotas.' The text is black and in a clean, sans-serif font. Simultaneously, additional instructional text is overlaid on top of both the resume graphic and the presenter in the background, stating: 'If they're still relevant, place them in an additional related-experience section without the dates.' This graphic demonstrates how to present past experience without revealing age-related dates, maintaining a professional and strategic resume format.

1:04talking head with linkedin text

The scene returns to the woman, framed from the chest up, speaking directly to the camera. She sits at a white table, bathed in soft, natural light from a window on her left, with a light-colored wall as the backdrop. A text overlay appears on screen: '#3 Add Your LinkedIn Profile', followed by '93% of employers review candidates' online accounts, so make sure to create a customized LinkedIn URL.' She articulates these points with a friendly and encouraging expression, occasionally gesturing with her hands. The vibrant yellow of her blazer and her reddish-brown hair stand out against the neutral background, contributing to a professional and approachable aesthetic.

1:16linkedin settings screen recording with picture in picture

This scene displays a screen recording of LinkedIn's settings interface, showing navigation steps to customize a profile URL. The top left of the screen shows 'Settings' with icons for 'Account preferences,' 'Sign in & security,' 'Visibility,' and 'Data privacy.' 'Visibility' is highlighted in yellow. The view then shifts to show 'Visibility of your profile & network' with various options, where 'Edit your public profile' is highlighted. Subsequently, a pop-up window titled 'Edit your custom URL' appears, showing an editable field for a LinkedIn URL: 'www.linkedin.com/in/Colinzsingerman'. In the bottom right corner of the screen, the woman from previous scenes appears in a small picture-in-picture box, gesturing with her hands, providing a visual guide to the on-screen actions. The text 'Do this by going to your LinkedIn settings, click “Visibility,” edit your public profile and then edit your custom URL' is overlaid on the video, guiding the viewer through the process.

1:24conclusion talking head with text summary

The scene concludes with the woman in a medium shot, speaking directly to the camera from her desk. The setting is consistent with previous talking-head shots: a white table, a window with blurred greenery, and a light-colored wall. Text overlays appear, stating: 'This can help push back on ageist stereotypes, too, as you will look more tech savvy to hiring managers.' and 'As our economy moves towards skills-based hiring, it’s more important than ever that your résumé shows off your qualifications, and not your age.' The final text, 'Now you know,' appears before the video ends. Her expression is warm and reassuring, summarizing the key takeaways of the video. The consistent lighting and color scheme reinforce the professional yet approachable tone of the presentation.

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