> It's only illegal if they can prove that you discriminated based on their age.
If at any time during the interview the employer asks the candidate's age (or any other protected information), the candidate will have a much easier time making a case for that.
On the other hand candidates in the UK (at least) are in the habit of putting dates on their CV for the major events in their life, like school leaving and Uni graduation...so age is kinda obvious.
It is of course OK to seek candidates that are 'early in their careers', as long as you wouldn't turn away an inexperienced older person (and I have employed career changers who were evidently much older than other candidates). Again it is no issue for good employers
> On the other hand candidates in the UK (at least) are in the habit of putting dates on their CV for the major events in their life, like school leaving and Uni graduation...so age is kinda obvious.
True, at least in the most common case. A name on a CV can also suggest nationality and gender, and multiple studies have shown that the name on a CV alone can significantly change the response to an otherwise identical CV.
If at any time during the interview the employer asks the candidate's age (or any other protected information), the candidate will have a much easier time making a case for that.