Why do I keep getting screened out because of my age?

You send the resume. You hear nothing. You tell yourself it's because you're not sharp enough, not current enough. Stop there. That story is a guess, and a cruel one you've made up to explain silence. Here is what is actually happening: software reads your resume before a person does. It counts dates, flags old software names, notices graduation years, and sorts you out before your judgment, your record, your actual worth ever reaches a human eye. This is not a verdict on you. It is a filter, and filters can be learned. You cannot control the filter's design. You can control what you feed it. Do this with others — a pod, a partner, people applying alongside you. Compare what gets callbacks and what gets silence. Build the knowledge together, then act on it alone.