Contractor knacker yard

[Antman]

Trouble with losing the experience off the CV is that you then have to start moving the dates you went to university (if you went).

It's a bit like going bald, you can try and fool some people some of the time or cut it all off and accept that there'll be people who won't like baldies/oldies for some reason they can't explain.

[expat]

That might get you past the agent & client & get the actual face to face interview but getting the role is something else again. There is a lot of ageism in IT especially IME some of it comes from agents as they prefer inexperienced candidates who they can exploit financially to the max

Also the slightest whiff of anything that the agent imagines the client may dislike, makes you damaged goods as far as the agent is concerned.

[expat]

Trouble with losing the experience off the CV is that you then have to start moving the dates you went to university (if you went).

They don't always notice. In the 1990s I had real trouble getting out of COBOL and into anything else. I added 3 months C programming at the end of my internal CV, not mentioning that it was done at home for myself. No takers, with 20 years' COBOL I was always going to be a COBOL programmer. So I removed 17 years of COBOL from my CV, and rapidly got some C work.

It's the only time I have ever been dishonest on my CV, and I can't say I'm ashamed of it.

[Antman]

They don't always notice. In the 1990s I had real trouble getting out of COBOL and into anything else. I added 3 months C programming at the end of my internal CV, not mentioning that it was done at home for myself. No takers, with 20 years' COBOL I was always going to be a COBOL programmer. So I removed 17 years of COBOL from my CV, and rapidly got some C work.

It's the only time I have ever been dishonest on my CV, and I can't say I'm ashamed of it.

Kudos to you, I was thinking more of linkedin where that information would be more visible.

[uk contractor]

Also the slightest whiff of anything that the agent imagines the client may dislike, makes you damaged goods as far as the agent is concerned.

Agree 100% you need to be so careful although you can legally omit age identifying info without lying.


As its rare to meet the agent before getting the interview you can make yourself presentable to the client & appear many years younger with the right attitude/appearance they know your a little older but you can appear to be early 40s instead of late 50s early 60s which makes a big difference on some contracts!


IME ageism is rife in IT in the UK not just contractors but permies get a taste of it as well especially if they stay in the same job too long they become effectively unemployable outside of that company as no-one else will touch them with a bargepole unless they have ninja guru in demand tech skills!

[MrMarkyMark]

How do you cope with cutting years off your CV if you have to go through a screening process?
Obviously, it depends on industry, but some are completely anal about dates.

In fact I know of someone at client co who cannot get a start, because they cannot confirm his masters certificate, with the educational body. Not really needed for the role, as such, but on the CV so must be checked out.

[uk contractor]

How do you cope with cutting years off your CV if you have to go through a screening process?
Obviously, it depends on industry, but some are completely anal about dates.

In fact I know of someone at client co who cannot get a start, because they cannot confirm his masters certificate, with the educational body. Not really needed for the role, as such, but on the CV so must be checked out.

You cannot hide your age if your going through any form of clearance but thats always between you & the agent after you got the role not beforehand. The client usually does not know your age unless they ask which they will not do as it puts them in an awkward position if your not good enough for the role!

[MrMarkyMark]

You cannot hide your age if your going through any form of clearance but thats always between you & the agent after you got the role not beforehand. The client usually does not know your age unless they ask which they will not do as it puts them in an awkward position if your not good enough for the role!

Yes, but the client would have seen your CV and this would have to match with the clearence, therefore they could make a good guess at your age.
It may just be the case that I contract to IBs, where screening and reporting back to the client is very tight, where I could forsee this as a problem.

[Boo]

Trouble with losing the experience off the CV is that you then have to start moving the dates you went to university (if you went).

Not if you don't put dates on your CV.

Boo

[oliverson]

Trouble with losing the experience off the CV is that you then have to start moving the dates you went to university (if you went).

It's a bit like going bald, you can try and fool some people some of the time or cut it all off and accept that there'll be people who won't like baldies/oldies for some reason they can't explain.

Not if you went to Uni as a mature student :-D