Many people ask me if they should include their date of birth on their resume.  The answer is always a resounding “No!”. 

When contemplating whether or not to include your date of birth, consider the following:

- Does my date of birth assist me to do my job?
- Will my date of birth age me? 
- Will my date of birth indicate I am young?
- Could an employer possibly discriminate against me based on my date of birth?
- Do you want to be hired based on what you have to offer?

In some countries to include date of birth is an acceptable practice, but in Australia, it is generally an unwritten rule that date of birth should be left well and truly off the resume.

As a recruiter I cull many resumes on behalf of employers.  Sometimes I think I can gauge an approximate age due to the candidates work history, but with a lack of date of birth, I am forced to look to their ability to do the job.  

I can almost guarantee there will be recruiters out there who will have preconceived ideas about employing someone young or old, and if you are willing to offer up this information, you have made their job to cull your application a lot easier.