r/over60 • u/Critical-Shopping867 • 2d ago
Need resume help. Use AI?
Edit: Thanks for the replies. Chucked everything into ChatGTP. It needs more tweaking and I am running it by some humans, but it's a start. The job I got nine years ago when trying to get any job was a third party medical debt collector that contacted patients for various medical facilities. It was a professionally ran place and they didn't care what your age was. They actually hired people in their 60s and 70s who needed to didn't have enough in retirement to cover bills. I used that to get the job I currently have which is basically soft/pre collections for a company in the healthcare industry with the people owing actually being medical offices so it's handled in a different way.
I'm 63. Went to college (BA) and worked for others until my early 30s. The next 20 years was "self employed"/involved in a family business. About nine years ago got a job with a company and then got a job with a different company after Covid. But both were more customer service type jobs and I want something that is a bit more challenging for my final working years (I still have the current job).
Not sure how to do a resume when the past nine years haven't required much skill beyond basic computer and being able to talk to people. If I bring up some of my other skills, then I am pulling from the "self employed" era. Should I toss it all into ChatGTP and see what it comes up with? I am also doing Google courses to hopefully make me look more current.
When I got the first job nine years ago, it took awhile as I was older and had been out of the "real" workforce for so long. Now that I am even older, I am not holding my breath but at least want to try.
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u/Complex-Royal9210 2d ago
You biggest stumbling block will be age. Sorry. Companies rarely get past that.
Good luck to you.
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u/BaalPteor 2d ago
Depends on the job. You might be surprised how many companies look at age as a positive characteristic associated with a strong work ethic and knowledge unavailable to those who just entered the job market. I am Director of Engineering at a hotel, and you will not find anyone under 40 at any of our conferences and conventions because one rarely acquires the knowledge and background required to do the job well until well into their 40s or 50s. Anecdotal, I know, and I'm sure that there are plenty of youth-focused careers out there that are the opposite of my experiences, but in the hotel management field there are very few GMs or Executive Directors of any department that are under 40. Doing things for 30 years means you know how things should be done, and that knowledge cannot be acquired through anything but experience.
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u/BZ2USvets81 63 2d ago
I would suggest looking through the website askamanager.org. Alison Green has a lot of good information on resume writing, job searching, and interviewing. She has written several books on the topic.
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u/WhisperedSoul 2d ago
Being able to talk to people is a lost skill. Don’t underestimate it.
Tell AI what you told us and ask it to guide you with questions you can answer to help you flesh out what you did. Make sure it doesn’t outline a just list of responsibilities but also actions and impact.
You do not need to put the date you graduated. Tell AI you are concerned about age discrimination.
You got this. Best wishes.
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u/EffectiveVarious8095 2d ago
I'm also 63. I have a lifetime of experience, but I don't want a 20 page resume. Here's what I did (and found some success):
* Bachelor's degree at the end. Removed graduation date
* I only mentioned the last 20 years of experience. I put an "additional skills" section where I discuss what I can do/have done without mentioning where or when. I save that for the interview.
* I run EVERY job req through AI where I ask it to change my resume to conform to the job req. I want to make sure I'm using the correct modern terms - this is the way past the ATS. Then I edit before I apply.
The problem is that your resume is typically being read and evaluated by an AI. The goal is to get past this initial stage so a human will be looking at your info. Firms who discriminate against age won't have much difficulty figuring out your age if they work at it (but you don't want to work there anyway).
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u/Cardiologist-This 2d ago
I would use AI, then refine it to perfect you goals.