Many times, I speak with individuals concerned about being "overqualified".  One of the reasons they are concerned, is their age.  They believe companies won't want to hire them because they are OLDER.  They believe their age is a handicap, something that needs to be hidden,

WRONG.

PERHAPS - DECADES AGO - Age was something of a handicap.  Older workers would have a harder time finding employment.  But times have changed.  A lot.  Age is NO LONGER A HANDICAP.  In fact, age is something to be CELEBRATED.  Older workers = experience.  And experience is an asset.

If you are constantly avoiding talking about certain experiences, or working hard at telling stories without tipping your hat as to your age, you aren't coming across as confident.  You aren't coming across as a leader.  Being afraid of your experience and your age SHOWS.  You won't get hired - not because of your age, but because of our lack of confidence, and leadership abilities.  If you can't handle your own shortcomings, how are you going to help someone else overcome their's?  This lack of confidence shows in the interview.

The best thing you can do is be proud of your age.  Be proud of your experiences and let that confidence shine in an interview.  To do that, remember that your experience is an asset.  It is an asset companies need.  They WANT to know about your experiences because they NEED your experiences to grow, manage change, handle issues and complexities, make profits, grow shareholder value, gain investor trust, get funding, go to market with a new product or initiative, restructure, downsize, talk to the "street", etc.  You name it, it is important.  And companies NEED you for this experience.

People tend to "hide" their employment history or gloss over some jobs (or neglect to mention them), in an effort to hide their age.   Unfortunately, it is the experience they are hiding that companies are seeking.  Today, companies realize that they need a diverse workforce, one that includes people with extensive experience.  The extensive experience is critical to helping companies get to the next level, AVOID pitfalls and RECTIFY mistakes.  Some things you can only learn by having "been there done that".  That is absolutely critical experience.

Example:  Many senior leaders are scarred from years of downsizing, rightsizing, restructuring and layoffs.  Let's face it, it is personally suffocating to have to constantly tell people they are out of a job.  But rather than hide from that experience, extol it.  Bad experiences are still GOOD experiences because they are learning experiences.  Companies want to know how your company got to that point, how they handled it, and - if possible - how to avoid it in the future (or do it better).  Don't be afraid to discuss the bad stuff.  The bad stuff is important.  It may have been awful to live through, but it is great experience for you as a leader.

There used to be a time when companies included retirement plans.  These retirement plans were defined benefit -  pension - plans.  Pension plans are calculated based on on salary AND years of experience.  To cut a long story short, pension plans made more experienced hires more expensive to hire than a person with 10 less years of experience.

But pension plans are a thing of the past.

And, compensation for jobs has changed.  Yes, a job is worth what a job is worth - but there is a range to what that job is worth (not one set data point).  You may make a job worth more based on your experience but THAT'S OK.  You aren't as new to the role as someone else.  You might get up to speed quicker.  Your experience is an asset and companies will pay for that asset.  Your experience doesn't cost a company double.  If they were going to pay $150k for someone with a certain amount of experience and you happen to PROUDLY have 10 more years, they may give you $165k.  That's great!

Compensation is a competitive advantage.  What you need from a company in exchange for what you will give is your value proposition.  It doesn't cost them much more to hire your experience and leadership.  Without having to pay for pension plans, your total compensation and benefits isn't 10x more than someone younger against whom you are competing against for the job.  Your value proposition is a competitive advantage.  And you can always negotiate what you need from the company in a multitude of ways that make sense for both you and the company.

CONCLUSION

Don't shy away from your age.  Use it as an asset to get the job you want at the company where you want to work.  Be confident and explain your experiences in a way that will help companies realize why they need to hire you.