Please advise if a person applying for a position should disclose in a cover letter that one is a mature person (over 40) so that a prospective employer is aware of the applicant’s age? I know an employer is not allowed to ask one’s age. This is to avoid time being wasted by either side. Thanks in advance for your advice.

In a word, “NO!” I would ask you, what bearing does your age have on your ability to do the job? Certainly ‘ageism’ is out there, and although the baby boom generation has tried to change it (’50 is the new 40!’), there are still tremendous societal pressures on us to ‘be young’. This is exacerbated by the big advertisers, who tend to ignore a very large proportion of older members of society by focusing almost exclusively on the 17 to 34 demographic.

Convey the right perspective

Any piece of information on your cover letter and resume has to be relevant to your ability to do the job. Ask yourself, does my age have anything to do with my potential to perform as well as someone younger? For a rare few, such as those wishing to become firefighters or commercial pilots for instance, the answer might be ‘yes’. For most occupations, your age is about as relevant as your shoe size.

To use an example from the advertising world, the makers of Tylenol had a tragic episode in the life of their brand when some bottles were tampered with, causing several deaths, consumer panic, and a wholesale product recall. Once it was deemed safe to offer to consumers again, the brand made a full recovery, thanks to some clever marketing. What did their advertising say? Essentially, ‘we care about you and your health. That’s why we put a safety seal on every bottle, so you know you have the best’. They could have stated. ‘we are much less likely to kill you now’, or some other similar phrasing. Both statements are true, but offer very different perspectives. You have to think the same way about your own marketing.

Be proud to be one of the chronologically challenged!

While you can’t do anything about your age anyway, there are definite advantages to being more experienced and at a different stage in your life. For example, you are less likely to have major sleep deprivation caused by young children waking up at all hours, or stresses from them getting sick, or enduring school strikes requiring you to stay home. Research has shown older workers tend to be more dedicated and focused, and many understand what they want from life. They are past the often disruptive ‘my career or death’ phase that up and coming youngsters often display.

Attitude is key

As Popeye says, ‘I am what I am’ and there certainly is no denying your age. If you make age an issue, it will be an issue. Certainly there are hiring managers who might be intimidated with subordinates who are their parents’ age, but your focus should always be on your skills, education, experience, and unique abilities that make you the best candidate. Period.

If you think of yourself as an ‘old fogey’, you should simply retire and not attempt to get employment until you turn that attitude around by 180 degrees. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to invite the reader to read the resume. The primary purpose of the resume is to secure an interview. End of story.

Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is currently President of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.

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Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.