While it's true that not all employers will be gung-ho about hiring, or even retaining, older workers in the coming years, the overall statistics might well be on your side, if you're 50+ years. As has been reported often enough, the limited numbers of workers in the Gen-Y age group will not match the rising need for workers over the next ten years.

This means that employers will be faced with more open reqs that force them to look at alternate labor sources. Sure, they can outsource, further automate or contract their staffing ranks, but this will not suffice in all cases.

The plain fact is that you hold many advantages over your younger colleagues, but you're going to need to play your age to your advantage. If you have a few years under your belt, here are four tips to use age as an advantage in your job hunt:

Go on the Offensive
Too often, older workers feel they have to apologize for their years of actually working. Remind yourself that you’re experienced, not old. You’reseasoned, not over-the-hill. You’re here-and-now, not history. It’s all about spin and reframing, so drop the apologies.

You may be an older worker, but you’re not stupid, and you’re not dead. Use your savvy to sell against youth and inexperience. There are benefits to being older, like having wisdom and common sense, and a long work record of accomplishments that you can translate into benefits to the employer. In other words, sell your track record. During the interview, take advantage of your successful work history and draw from those successes to meet the needs of the employer.

Sell Results, Not Years
Realize that hiring managers today are looking for results, not years. Talk the language that an employer understands and appreciates, which is Return-on-Investment. Instead of citing 20-years of experience, identify your benefits to the employer and put them into monetary terms as much as possible. Back up your accomplishments with facts that are benefit-based. Sell them from the perspective of the end result of your work, and how it positively impacted your present and previous employers.

Money talks, and it talks loudly. Here’s some good news: Money can trump age. As an employee, you either make money or save money for your employer. If the hiring manager doesn’t see your value in one of these two categories, then you don’t want to work for this company. In this recession, if the company isn’t concerned about its bottom line, then it may not be around for long, and isn’t a viable option for you anyway. Get as close to money as you possibly can through the language of your accomplishments, and list them on your resume.

Wear Just One Hat
While you may have accumulated experience in a number of areas, don't confuse the reader with all the different roles and jobs you performed over the years. Focus only on the job title for which you’re applying. Tell them what they want to know, and nothing more. Most likely you've worn many different hats during your career. If any of your duties and experiences don’t directly address the job title’s requirements, don’t emphasize them. In fact, remove them from your resume entirely, if possible, as it will only give employers another reason to screen you out, and you don't want that. This is your story. Tell it your way. Magnify only the aspects of your background that are relevant to your target objective. You want to focus your resume to reflect yourself in the most positive, powerful ways possible.

Modify Your Resume
Take another look at your resume. Ask, "would I hire myself for this position?" Spin your story in your favor by reworking your resume to emphasize your strengths. Make sure everything on it relates in some way to your desired job objective. Drop older job titles. You generally shouldn't need to show more than ten years' work history. Any prior work is most likely irrelevant now and will take the reader off track. Remove obvious roadmarkers, like dates. For example, remove college degree dates and other older professional training dates that may go back more than a few years.

Summary
If you're an older, experienced worker, you don't have to take a one-down position in the hiring process. While there will be age discrimination with some employers, you can still stack the deck in your favor. Focus on the employer's needs and draw from successes in your past to provide solid return-on-investment answers to their questions. Remember, it’s about being honest, but also about emphasizing your strengths rather than magnifying your vulnerabilities. Do this, and you can find a great job regardless of the economy.