Unwanted opinions shouldn’t sidetrack career, confidence

Warnings: Even subtle descriptions of something like your age aren’t helpful. You may think that your letting a potential employer know you’re over 50 will spare you from being turned down for a position down the road but it’s not good practice. Aside from the obvious age-discrimination issues, your age is insignificant when companies — and the apps they use — sort through the initial pile of resumes. If you’re nervous about letting people know that you’re older, don’t be. Your experience will state that in ways your age can’t anyway, so get over it. If you’re what the company is looking for they won’t care if you’re 25 or 55.

Mediocre academic accomplishments:

Yes, mom and dad are very proud of that 3.0 GPA you earned in school but let’s face it, that little number that earned you a Hamilton out of grandma’s purse is basically telling your employer that you’re a good employee but not as good as the candidate who earned a 4.0. In fact, you’re also saying you’re not as good as the guy who got the 3.25 so just leave the GPA off entirely. Most HR professionals tell me they gloss over GPAs anyway and find them pretentious and annoying, especially when they’re limited to a particular major.

Shoptalk: Or maybe you prefer the term “inside baseball.” Whatever you call it, be sure to avoid the words and phrases that are exclusive to your company or nonapplicable to your potential employer if you’re switching industries. If you boast about your ability to sell the “QS-1060” and have earned numerous “berries” from your department as a result, you’re basically saying that you’re completely entangled in the culture of one company and might have difficulty adapting to the culture of another.