Tech Age Discrimination: Resume Strategies for Software Engineers & IT Professionals Over 40

Yes, tech has documented higher age discrimination rates. Studies show tech workers experience age bias starting in their 40s (vs 50s in other industries), with only 6% of tech workers over 50 compared to 20% in general workforce. Contributing factors: rapid technology change creates "currency anxiety", startup culture valorizes youth and long hours, unconscious bias associates innovation with younger workers, and compensation pressure (experienced engineers cost more). However, strategic resume positioning can mitigate these biases by demonstrating continuous learning, modern skill currency, and adaptability.

Yes, strategically remove or minimize outdated technologies that date you without adding value. Remove entirely: Technologies obsolete for 10+ years (COBOL, Fortran, Perl unless specifically required), ancient databases (dBase, FoxPro), legacy Microsoft tools (FrontPage, Visual Basic 6). Minimize/contextualize: Technologies from 5-10 years ago still occasionally used, mention only if relevant to target role, frame as "legacy system migration" experience. Emphasize: Current technologies from last 3-5 years. The goal is demonstrating evolution and currency, not hiding experience. Frame older technology experience as "modernization" work: "Migrated legacy Java 6 applications to Java 17 with Spring Boot" shows both experience and current expertise.

Show continuous learning through multiple signals: (1) Recent certifications (last 12-24 months): AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, cloud platforms, (2) GitHub activity: Contribute to open source, maintain active repos with recent commits, showcase projects using modern frameworks, (3) Skills section: List technologies released in last 3-5 years prominently (React 18, Next.js 14, Python 3.11, Rust, Go), (4) Professional development: Online courses (Coursera, Udemy), conference attendance, tech meetup participation, (5) Achievement framing: "Adopted TypeScript migration for 50k+ line codebase" or "Led team transition from Angular to React" demonstrates active technology evolution rather than passive maintenance.

Strategic approach depends on startup stage and your positioning. Early-stage startups (Series A-B): Higher age bias risk due to "culture fit" concerns, long hours expectation, lower compensation than experienced professionals command. Better for experienced professionals: Late-stage startups (Series C+) value stability and mentorship, established tech companies (FAANG, enterprise) actively recruit senior talent, scale-ups needing process and architecture expertise. When targeting startups: Emphasize scrappiness and versatility, highlight experience navigating ambiguity, demonstrate modern tech stack proficiency, show examples of rapid iteration and MVP development. Frame experience as efficiency: "Built similar systems 3x, can avoid common pitfalls and accelerate timeline" rather than "20 years experience."

Tech "overqualification" concerns typically mask: (1) Cost anxiety, will you demand senior compensation? (2) Flight risk, will you leave for better role? (3) Authority conflict, will you undermine younger managers? (4) Skill obsolescence, are you actually qualified for modern stack? Address proactively: Tailor experience to role level (if applying to mid-level role, emphasize IC contributions over management), demonstrate genuine interest in technical work ("Seeking hands-on engineering role after management stint"), show compensation flexibility in cover letter if appropriate, highlight modern tech stack to prove relevance not maintenance. Strategic title management: If you held VP/Director titles, consider emphasizing technical titles instead: "Senior Software Engineer & Technical Lead" rather than "VP Engineering" if targeting IC roles.

Top tech-specific age red flags: (1) Outdated email domain (AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo. Use Gmail or custom domain), (2) Ancient technologies prominently listed (COBOL, Fortran, Visual Basic 6 unless role-specific), (3) Excessive experience timeline (20+ years listed), (4) Old-school formatting (Objective statement, "References available", passive voice), (5) Graduation dates (especially pre-2000), (6) Missing modern technologies entirely (no cloud platforms, no CI/CD tools, no modern frameworks), (7) Job titles using outdated terminology ("Webmaster", "Computer Programmer" vs "Full-Stack Engineer"), (8) No GitHub/portfolio link (signals disengagement from modern dev community), (9) Technology without version numbers (just "Java" vs "Java 17", suggests dated knowledge). Systematically audit and modernize these elements.

Critical for demonstrating currency and engagement. Active GitHub signals: (1) Recent commits (last 3-6 months) show current coding activity, (2) Modern technology usage proves you are learning current tools, (3) Code quality demonstrates standards and best practices, (4) Open source contributions show community engagement. Minimum viable GitHub presence: 3-5 repos with activity in last year, at least one project using modern framework/tools, clean README documentation, evidence of testing/CI practices. If GitHub is stale or absent: Create 2-3 showcase projects demonstrating modern skills (Next.js app, Rust CLI tool, Kubernetes deployment), contribute to established open source projects (documentation, bug fixes acceptable), highlight alternative code portfolios (GitLab, Bitbucket, personal projects). Include GitHub link in resume header if active. Omit if no recent activity to avoid highlighting staleness.

Do not hide, but strategically reframe. Many experienced engineers move between IC and management, authenticity matters. Strategy: (1) Lead with technical title: "Senior Software Engineer & Engineering Manager" emphasizes IC role, (2) Bullet point balance: 60-70% technical contributions, 30-40% leadership in management roles, (3) Quantify technical work: "Personally architected microservices migration (50k+ lines)" vs just "Led engineering team", (4) Explain transition in summary: "Seasoned software engineer seeking return to hands-on development after 3 years in engineering leadership", (5) Emphasize maintained technical skills: "Continued coding 40% time while managing team of 8 engineers". Frame management as growth experience, not permanent identity: Shows breadth, communication skills valuable for senior IC roles, and ability to mentor junior engineers.