Job Hunting in a Layoff Economy

Make Sure You Don't Sound Old

Despite the fact that such discrimination is illegal, some employers don't want to hire the AARP sect. Either they think everyone over 50 can't learn new tricks, or they're worried that all older candidates are high-level execs looking for a fat cat's salary.

But other than networking your brains out and crossing your fingers, what can you do if you're an older job seeker?

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Make sure your technical skills are up to date. If you don't know how use the latest accounting or customer relationship management tools employed in your field, it's time to learn. Your local community college comes in handy here. Many even often online courses for those of you loathe to set foot on a college campus.

Then there's the matter of your resume. Some experts advise older workers to leave the dates off the positions they've held. But Edwards doesn't advise it. Instead, she said, list only the past 10 to 15 years of your work experience, provided it's all relevant to the job you're applying for. If you want to keep your age to yourself, omit the dates from that college degree you earned 30 years ago.

But your resume makeover shouldn't stop there, said Steven Greenberg, CEO of Jobs4.0, a Web site that includes original job listings with companies seeking "experienced workers."

He advises writing a paragraph-long summary of your experience at the top of the first page, followed by a detailed list of your selected skills and achievements (statistics on increases in revenue and efficiency you were responsible for work well here). Then quickly list the positions you held and the dates you held them -- no descriptions needed.

"You should be viewed as this fantastic accumulation of experience and knowledge," said Greenberg, whose two-year-old site is free for jobseekers and includes listings from such corporate giants as Deloitte and GE. "It's not as relevant where and when you got the skill. You are the sum of all your skills."

Of course, none of this is license to go on and on about yourself for a dozen pages. No one wants to receive a resume that's more than two or three pages, tops.