Startling news for executive job seekers: Age discrimination can affect your career as early as the age of 40. Although there are employment laws to protect job seekers who have passed that milestone, discriminatory practices still occur.

Here are some real, proven strategies that you can apply in your executive job search campaign.

Renew your mind.

Have you ever considered that you could be the one sabotaging your own job search? Have you embraced an attitude of defeat that is visible in interviews and networking events? Avoid being the first person to bring up age concerns in any of your verbal and written communications — don’t eliminate yourself from the race by talking about 'many, many years ago' or 'back in my day' when dealing with a potential contact.

Recognize that your age, breadth of experience and wisdom are valuable assets that any employer can use. Be prepared to discuss and give actual examples from your career that demonstrate strategic leadership, problem-solving capabilities and leadership. Count your age as an asset, not a liability.

Develop and communicate your personal brand.

Don’t let your executive job search focus on fighting age-discrimination myths. Work closely with a personal brand coach to explore, identify, develop and communicate your personal brand. Having a solid understanding of your personal brand will help you streamline all aspects of your job search. With a strong personal brand, you can confidently discuss your unique value proposition and the contributions you can bring to an employer.

Maximize the use of your personal brand statement; include it as part of your executive profile on a resume; revise it to create your attention-getting, 30-second elevator pitch; expand upon it through career success stories in an interview; and communicate it frequently to others in networking events.

For example, this is a personal brand statement revised into an elevator pitch.

I am a senior communications manager who has influenced key decision makers at Fortune 500 companies to employ strategies that protected their corporate reputation and positively shaped consumer perception about their product and services.

Create a stand-out resume.

When battling perceptions about age discrimination, you have to be very strategic about developing your resume. Focus on creating an executive resume that positions you as a valuable partner to a company’s success right from the beginning. Here are a few techniques to keep in mind:

• Write a powerful executive summary profile that includes your top career achievements.
• Do not list every job in your career, especially those going back to the 1960s.
• Avoid listing outdated job titles and office equipment.
• Emphasize current technology training and computer skills.
• Capture early career experiences and performance highlights in an overview paragraph that lists positions and company names without the dates.

Be technologically savvy.

You cannot escape the growing influence of technology in every area of your life, especially in the workplace. A common, overused perception about experienced, older professionals is that they lack adequate technical skills and are uncomfortable with new technology. Address these concerns by enrolling in classes with a local community college or through professional associations to increase your technical proficiency. Overall, do your best to stay current on new technology programs as they relate to e-mail, Internet research, word processing and spreadsheet programs.

Make the connection in the interview.

Research the company to understand its needs and long-term business objectives and how your talents and skills fit in. During the interview process, demonstrate the synergies between what you have to offer and the position qualifications the company is seeking. Use this as a tactic to steer unnecessary attention away from age issues.

Consistently draw attention to the value and benefits you bring to an employer (through concrete examples from your career) and show how you influence organizations and play a pivotal role in their long-term growth and success. For example:

As a human resource executive, I have repeatedly created employee relation and incentive programs that have reduced employee turnover by more than 20 percent.

Last, but certainly not least, learn effective networking strategies that will support and benefit you throughout your job search. Reach out to others for advice and feedback through alumni connections, industry associations, former employers and co-workers, and close family and friends. In addition, seek out support groups that deal with executives in a specific age group.