Providing age-related information on a job application was once a standard practice. This typically involved including the applicant’s birthdate directly within the resume’s personal information section, often alongside contact details and address. An example would be listing “01/01/1980” alongside the applicant’s name and phone number.
The inclusion of such details was historically considered relevant for various reasons, including verifying eligibility for certain roles, assessing seniority, and facilitating background checks. However, growing awareness of age discrimination has led to a shift in best practices. Many career advisors and legal experts now recommend omitting this information to ensure applicants are evaluated solely on their qualifications and experience, fostering a more equitable hiring process. Removing this data point can also help protect applicants from potential biases, conscious or unconscious, that might arise from age-related assumptions.
