How to Overcome Ageism in Your Job Search

Let’s begin with what too many of us already know: Ageism in hiring is real, and it can disproportionately affect women.

If you're a woman with decades of professional experience and a resume that tells the story of leadership, resilience, and adaptability, you’d think that would be your greatest asset in the job market. And it should be. But instead, many older female job seekers find themselves discounted, overlooked, or subtly sidelined in hiring processes that value youth over wisdom, and perceived “cultural fit” over capability.

The statistics back this up: A National Bureau of Economic Research study from 2015 found that older women are significantly less likely to receive callbacks than younger women or men of the same age. A decade later, the issue remains. AARP’s most recent survey revealed that two out of three workers over age 50 have witnessed or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.

This is not about confidence. It’s about learning how to communicate your worth to a system that often reads age as a liability.

The emotional toll of ageism in the job market

Yolanda M. Owens, a career coach at The Muse and Fairygodboss, has seen how ageism in the hiring process triggers an inferiority complex in older job seekers. “Ageism creates what feels like a no-win situation,” Owens says. “The most obvious fear is appearing overqualified for positions and the many dilemmas this can present, such as salary expectations. 

“As a seasoned job seeker, you might worry that your years of experience brand you as too expensive for consideration or limit your search options and earning potential because salary and experience requirements are unrealistic or not aligned with your current income,” she says. 

Some seasoned professionals start to shrink their salary expectations, fearing they’ll be priced out. Others leave off large chunks of experience, trying not to look “too senior” for mid-level roles. And many wrestle with how to summarize a rich, multi-layered career into the narrow format of a resume or LinkedIn profile. 

“When you’re a young professional, rattling off your limited experience in reverse chronological order is easy and logical,” Owens says. “But it’s harder to describe a winding career path or to truncate 15+ years of experience to align with key search words and ambiguous job descriptions.”

The result? Smart, accomplished women feel like they have to apologize for everything that makes them valuable. Let’s change that.

What hiring managers really want (and how you can lead with it)

Here’s what we know for sure: Employers want problem solvers who can adapt quickly, collaborate effectively, and deliver results with minimal hand-holding. That’s you. The key is to position your experience in terms of outcomes and impact, not chronology. 

“Don’t hang your hat on your number of years of experience,” Owens says. “Focus on your relevant experiences and transferable skills, regardless of where they fall on your career timeline.” 

Let’s say you’ve led cross-functional teams, adapted through five rounds of re-orgs, helped companies through economic downturns, and mentored junior colleagues along the way. All of that is worth talking about. But it’s not about where or when it happened—it’s about how it translates to what employers need today.

How to fight ageism in your job search

For women facing ageism in the job search, the answer isn’t to strip away your experience—it’s to reframe it. 

Refocus your resume around relevance, not history

Stick to the last 10–15 years of relevant experience, and remove graduation dates that could age you unnecessarily. Use a resume format that emphasizes skills, achievements, and impact—not just job titles and dates. 

Lead with keywords that reflect today’s business landscape

This helps you get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) and shows that you’re tuned into the current needs of the market. Terms like “cross-functional collaboration,” “digital transformation,” or “data-driven strategy” signal that you’re not stuck in the past.

Update your LinkedIn presence

Your headline should speak to your expertise and your aspirations. Instead of “Experienced Marketing Executive,” try something like “Strategic Brand Leader | Driving Growth Through Insight & Innovation.” Your summary should read like a compelling pitch, not a career obituary.

For extra guidance, read this next: How to Bulletproof Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile Against Hiring Bias

Practice a professional narrative that’s forward-facing

In interviews, don’t rehash your entire career. Focus on what you do best now, the problems you solve, and what you’re looking for next. “Create a professional narrative that meets you where you currently are and how you want to be seen,” Owens says. “Not all the places you’ve been or who you once were.”

Highlight your soft skills (they’re your secret weapon!)

Soft skills are critical to leadership, team dynamics, and organizational resilience. “Experienced job seekers offer more soft skills, like relationship building, communication, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking,” Owens says. “You’ve done, seen, and learned a lot to move the needle and add value.” Tell those relevant stories to potential employers. 

In your resume, interviews, and networking conversations, share examples that demonstrate these skills in action:

• When did you manage a challenging team dynamic?

• How did you help a team go through change?

• Where did your leadership help steer a project to success?

Stories like these can’t be easily replicated by someone with two years of experience and a shiny resume template.

Overcoming ageism in job search

Let’s get one thing straight: Being an older job seeker isn’t a disadvantage—though bias can make it feel that way.

Are there challenges? Yes. Biases? Still too many. But you’re not here to shrink yourself to fit outdated expectations. You’re here to communicate your value clearly, confidently, and without apology. And you’re more than capable of doing just that.

So don’t let ageism in women make you doubt what you bring to the table. Your experience isn’t baggage. It’s credibility. It’s wisdom. It’s proof that you’ve thrived in the messy, ever-evolving world of work—and are still ready to grow, lead, and deliver results.