Date of birth on the CV. Should I provide my employer’s age?

Have you ever heard the opinion:

It is difficult for young people to get a job because they have no experience, and for older people: because they are “ too old ”?

There is even a joke that the ideal employee knows 3 foreign languages, has completed 3 fields of study, 10 years of work in the profession and. .. 25 years in evidence.

No matter how old you are, you might be wondering:

• Is the date of birth on my CV necessary?
• Does the age on my CV increase or decrease the chances of a job?
• Do you enter your date of birth in your CV in English or in German?

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about your date of birth on your CV. You will also learn about the stereotypes that employers follow when it comes to the age of the candidates.

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1. Is the date of birth needed in the CV?

If you do not provide your date of birth, your CV will not be excluded from the recruitment process. In Poland, a CV is a form of presenting the professional profile of a jobseeker, which is not regulated by law.

If the company needs information about your date of birth, your employer will ask you to complete your CV.

The employer’s request may result from Art. 221 § 1 of the Labor Code. Pursuant to this article, the employer has the right to require you to provide personal data including:

• name (s) and surname,

parents’ names,

• date of birth,
• place of residence (mailing address),
• education,
• previous employment history.

On the other hand, according to Art. 183a of the Labor Code, anti-discrimination provisions require equal treatment with regard to entering into and terminating an employment relationship, terms of employment, promotion and access to training in order to improve professional qualifications.

The employer cannot differentiate the situation of employees incl. based on the age criterion.

Anyway – a CV photo is not obligatory either. In fact, you alone decide what should be included in your CV.

Summary:

You are not required to enter your date of birth on your CV, but the employer has the right to ask about her. Then, if you do not want to leave the recruitment, enter your employer’s age.

NOTE: Date of birth is one of the data personal data that occupy a valuable place in your CV.

If you are using our CV wizard (create a CV here), you can add your date of birth in the “personal details” section. You can easily add your skills in the same column.

See what the personal data and skills look like with the example of John’s CV:

Modern CV Template – see other templates and create a CV here

Take a look at the example CV on the left. Personal details are at the top here. Additional information takes about 1/4 of the page! The CV on the right is a CV from our wizard. The template makes the most of the space for the sections that are most important to the employer, that is:

• experience
• skills
• achievements
• foreign languages ​​

The more personal data (date of birth, place of birth, marital status, gender, place of residence) you add to your curriculum vitae, the you have less space to describe your successes.

It is your achievements and skills that increase your chances of employment.

Want to know how to describe your skills to get an interview invitation? See the complete CV skills guide:

“CV skills. What to enter to get a job quickly? (Examples)” (read)

Foreign languages ​​are also an important section of your CV. In this article, you’ll see how to describe foreign languages ​​in your CV to increase your chances of employment:

“Foreign languages ​​in your CV. 6 tips for describing your level language skills. ” (read)

2. Does the date of birth on your CV increase or decrease your chances of getting a job?

Your age should not have any influence on whether or not you get a job. The employer should hire you because of your knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, sometimes some age groups find it easier and others find it harder to get a job.

See the examples:

For employers are more likely to hire young people because they are more productive.

A candidate who is older in age has a greater chance of a managerial position.

However, you have the chance to reduce the influence of your age on your chances of employment. Just do not enter your date of birth or age on your CV!

Always add consent to the processing of personal data. See the text: What is the confidentiality clause after GDPR?

3. What is youth discrimination?

Did you think that young age is an advantage in your CV? After all, young people keep up with the changing world, technology, are ambitious, dedicated and … have to pay off their mortgage, so they are dedicated to their employers.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Young age has pros and cons. See examples:

Pros: energy, commitment and passion.

Cons: often lack of experience and demanding attitude, requirement of work-life balance, little commitment to the employer.

Have you heard about the terms generation Y and generation Z?

See at a glance what they are characterized by. You will understand why it is not worth entering your age on your CV.

Generation Y (millennials):

These are people born in Poland between 1985 and 2000. They have high expectations of the employer. They want to have precisely defined requirements as to the scope of duties. They don’t want extra jobs, except for a promotion. They dislike conforming to conventions and react badly to criticism.

Generation Z:

No they live to work, they only work to live. Even HR professionals have a hard time trying to describe the characteristics of Generation Z.

What are employers afraid of?

Young people do not become attached to workplaces. They leave if the job does not meet their expectations.

Conclusion:

Better not enter yours age for your CV.

if you want to learn more about the Y generation in the labor market, read the article by our career expert, Aleksandra Bończewska.

4. Date of birth in your CV in English – what are you risking?

You already know that the date of birth in your CV in Polish will not make you lose your job opportunity. Age is redundant information that distracts the employer’s attention from the most important things.

In English-speaking countries it is a serious mistake to give too much extra information on your CV. The recruiter may be afraid to ask you for an interview due to the anti-discrimination law in England.

If you include your date of birth on your CV, you may lose your job opportunities as a result!

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What else should not be written in your CV in English?

• age
• marital status
• having children
• disabilities
• origin / nationality
• gender

Personal data needed in an English CV include your name, surname and contact details.

Do you want to know what else is the difference between an English CV and a Polish CV? Find out in the article:

“How to write a CV in English? 12 steps, examples, formula, phrases” (read)

5. Date of birth in your resume in German.

If you include your home address in your CV, name, phone number and e-mail address, it’s still not enough!

The personal details section of the CV for a German employer includes, among other things, the date of birth.

See what additional information should be included in the CV in German:

• mailing address (enter country name)
• maiden name
• date of birth

place of birth

• marital status
• number of children (optional, but customary)
• nationality

Below you will see a template of personal data in cv in German:

Persönliche Daten:

Name:

Adresse:

Phone:

E-mail:

Geburtsdatum:

Familienstand:

Mädchenname:

Geburtsort:

Kinder m>

Staatsbürgerschaft:

German employers are used to being told by applicants in the CV.

If you add additional information about yourself to your CV, you will be more credible to the German employer. This will increase your chances of being invited to an interview.

See the complete guide on how to write a CV if you are applying for a job in Germany: “CV in German – template, examples and tips on how to write them.” (read)

Summary:

The date of birth in the CV in Polish is redundant and takes up valuable space to describe an important skill. Additionally, your employer may think of you in terms of age stereotypes.

Your date of birth in your CV in English is a serious mistake and may cost you a loss of your job opportunity.

The date of birth on the CV is customary in Germany. Add it to the additional information in your CV and your document will be more credible to a German employer.

Note : See what other mistakes job applicants are making and correct them on their CV. Download free ebook “24 CV errors prevent you from getting a job” Get your free ebook here!

Do you also need to write a cover letter? In our wizard you will find modern patterns to fill and practical advice. Create a cover letter in 5 minutes here .

See other templates, create a cover letter and download the PDF document here .

Do you enter your date of birth on your CV? Do you think employers discriminate against candidates on the basis of age? Let me know what you think in the comment.