How To Feature Older Experience On Your Resume
Powerful resumes have a secret.
Theyre focused, compact, and never feature more than they have to.
A lot of it comes with the right resume layout. In fact, weve written an in-depth piece on how to choose and leverage a content outline to your advantage. Go read it here.
One thing that you can do when featuring experience older than 15 years on your resume is to brainstorm relevant highlights from your career and put them in the spotlight rather than featuring them in the Experience section.
Another option is to place all older experience in a single section, however, we think this just ends up looking messy and confusing given that most of the templates you can download online arent designed for this sort of stuff.
A Resume Needs To Be Relevant And Concise So Always Include Up To Date Jobs And Skills
CVs that go back 30 years will most probably not have the applicable skills to the job you are applying for today. You should focus on what will sell you best to a future employer.
Your CV is there to get you to the interview stage, focus on your personal profile, and your relevant jobs. If you want to list the none applicable jobs youve had, do so but with a very short description. However, circumstances may change if an older job demonstrates certain skills that are required for the position you are applying for.
Your resume is just one tool recruiters and employers will be looking at. In todays market, the candidates social presence and profile, such as LinkedIn, are equally as important.
Human Resources, Zen Business
Tips For How Far Back To Go With Your Resume Work History
If you have a long work history, work to keep our resume as concise as possible. Just make sure you do not leave off important work experience related to the position, just because you near the one-page mark.
Here is some advice to keep in mind:
Use chronological order. Resumes are written in chronological order, so focus on work history done in the past 10 years. Employers want to know what you have been up to lately, not so much what you did in the 90s.
Give brief descriptions for relevant work experience. Include all relevant work experience, but keep the descriptions brief for positions over 10 years old.
Only include the most relevant work experience if older than 10 years. All work experience that is older than 10 years and is not relevant to the job position, keep off the resume. But do include it on an online resume like LinkedIn.
Its okay to go over a page, but not over two pages. Dont be afraid of going over one page, but do keep it to two pages or less.
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How Far Back To Go On Your Resume For Most Industries You Can List The Past 10 To 15 Years Of Your Work History On Your Resume
Why you might only go back 15 years on a resume. Hr is especially interested in your most recent experience and. Unless youve held the same position for over 10 years, there is really no reason to go back any longer than this, and employers dont even expect to go back that far on your resume anyway.
Create An Early Experience Section
An effective way to include experience older than 15 years in your resume is to have an “Early Experience Section.” The section, which you can also call “Previous Professional Experience,” allows you to mention the earliest achievements and skills you consider important to the position. However, the roles in this section should only have your title, company and location without the dates.
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Work History On An Entry
Finding enough work experience to list on an entry-level resume is a headache.
Fill your entry-level resume with valuable information for employers. For example, adding volunteer work to your resume as well as internships youve completed can make it more compelling. You can also include relevant coursework on your resume just make sure your bullet points are related to the job opening.
You can also list things like internship experience if you have any. Simply having something relevant in your experience section will make your entry-level resume stronger, even if you have to go as far back as college to pinpoint it.
Consider The Level Of The Role
The level of the position you are applying for can also determine the amount of experience to include on your resume. Senior roles can have up to 15 years of experience or more if the information can boost your candidacy. If you are applying for a mid-level position, a 10-year employment history is ideal. Entry-level positions usually include up to five years of career experience.
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If You Are A Student Or Recent Graduate
When you are seeking your first internship or an entry-level position, you may include a job experience you had in high school, particularly if you can make it relevant. Perhaps, while scooping ice cream, you also helped the shop owner with their social media platforms or increased sales by suggesting a new flavor. These are great examples of transferable job skills if youâre applying for a marketing role.
If you are in college and have participated in any meaningful extracurricular activities, these are also fair game for adding to your resume. Consider listing any leadership roles you had within clubs, activities or clubs you initiated, and volunteer experiences that show off your dynamism.
Any job-related internships should definitely be included.
What Should You Include In Your Resume
There are several different types of resumes to consider. How far back your resume extends depends on where you are in your career and what type of job you are applying for. Consider the industry, the role, and the seniority of the position. Read over the job description to understand precisely what skills they are looking for, whether your experience matches and how to reflect that experience in a way that illustrates your credibility.
All in all, it is up to you to include what feels intuitive when applying for a job, school, or any new experience. Some resumes, like those in academia, are more descriptive and may span more than two pages. For most jobs, it is best to stay as concise as possible. Most importantly, your resume should reflect the experiences that present you as the best possible candidate.
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How Many Years Of Experience Should You Include
How should you decide what to include? If you are uncertain how many years of experience to include on your resume, let the job posting be your guide. In general, 10 years of experience is standard, but you may need to include more depending on the employer’s requirements and how your qualifications fit those requirements.
If a job requires 20 years of experience, for example, you’ll want to include more than 10 – 15 years of work history.
Include positions from earlier in your career that are relevant to the role you are applying for.
It’s acceptable to include 10 – 15 years of experience on your resume. In many industries, sharing experience that dates back more than 15 years just isn’t very helpful for hiring managers. It doesn’t support your candidacy to share an experience with tools and technology that are no longer in use.
Plus, when you have many years of experience, listing it all can flag you as an older job seeker to employers.
How Long Should A Resume Be
The longer youâre a part of the workforce, the harder it is to fit all your jobs on your resume without going over that crucial 2-page limit. Frankly, itâs impossible to include every last detail about your work history on a resume without transforming it into a novel about your work life. And letâs face it: no hiring manager wants to read that. They want to read about your greatest hits and what makes you a stand out employee now, at this moment in time. Even if you only have a few years of experience, you need to decide whatâs worth including on your resume and what isnât.
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To Prioritise Your Relevant Experience
Your career path to date is more than likely an upward trajectory . That means that, currently, you’re at the height of your career. In your most recent role, you’ve probably obtained some of your biggest achievements, procured the most valuable skills and held your most senior job title to date.
So if that’s the case, why would you draw attention to positions that you had over 10 years ago when you were less qualified? By chopping earlier positions, you give recruiters exactly what they want: your best, most relevant skills not a comprehensive history of your entire career.
Why Bother Writing It
Its super important. We hate to use the word important, but
Your work experience section is the most important part of your resume. In fact, when you think resume, the work experience section is probably the first thing that comes to your mind. And youre not alone. Based on this section employers determine whether or not you have what it takes for the job.
It provides an overview of your past experience. A well-written work experience section is a crucial element because it shows that you have the necessary qualifications.
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When To Remove Old Jobs From A Resume
Ideally, you want to tailor your resume so that the jobs you list on your work history are no older than 15 years and are relevant to the job youre applying for.
That means that if you have a mid-level to experienced role, there is rarely a need to add that summer job you had in high school.
If youre still having a hard time deciding which jobs to remove or add to your resume, remember that the same advice youve applied when learning how to write a resumeapplies here. You want to keep your job listing relevant, clear, and concise.
All in all, there will rarely be a need for you to jot down your entire job history on a resume. Its a marketing document, not a legal one.
How Far Back A Resume Should Go Depends On The Job Youre Applying To And What Each Company Is Looking For
Resumes should always be optimized for every application and job descriptions will tell you what they want to see.
If youre applying to a role that asks for 7+ years of experience then make sure your resume shows seven years. The same goes for more entry-level positions, if theyre asking for 1-2 years of experience then only show whats relevant to the position.
Employers and recruiters dont need to know what you did in high school for an entry-level role after graduation. The purpose of a resume is not to show your entire life experience, but to give employers a sneak peek that entices them to reach out for an interview.
Monica Eaton-Cardone
Co-Founder & CEO, Chargebacks911
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How To Address A Maternity Leave On Your Resume
Rather than chronologically listing your previous work experience, you can use the combination resume format. It allows you to attract the employers attention with your skills before addressing the elephant in the room.
Once youve done that, briefly mention that your career gap was due to the maternity leave. You can do it like this:
Maternity leave
That’s it. You don’t have to go into great detail.
Make sure to put emphasis on the work you did before you took some time off. Write about it as if it were yesterday and you still remember the details about the projects you worked on.
Recall your accomplishments and the projects you are proud of from that period of your life. Time doesnt devalue those experiences and skills you learned working on them.
Also, make sure to mention any relevant community service or voluntary work that you engaged in during your time away. Any freelancing projects or short-term gigs work as great resume enhancers.
Use Older Experience Only If Its Relevant
Job ads list most skills hiring managers are seeking in candidates. Refer to the job posting to see which particular skills are called for. If you notice a skill listed on the ad that you havent used since the 1990s, you can and should still fit that skill onto your resume.
For example, if the job ad calls for experience writing in the COBOL programming language, its fine to include a role from two decades ago:
PROGRAMMER, SFJ Software Inc., 19992003
As you can see from this example, such mentions can include just one bullet point that showcases the skill from the job ad. Theres no need to list other responsibilities linked to the old position unless they also directly relate to the job posting.
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So: How Far Back Should A Resume Go
Going back to our original question – there’s no answer that fits all. The best practices for resume building vary depending on the level of the position you’re applying for. So please, take all the generalized advice out there with a huge grain of salt. Because at the end of the day, the resume is a sales tool to “sell” YOU! That means it will be tailored to your individual needs and experiences. Start with the tips in this article and build from there. If you do it right, your job application will stand out to recruiters for all the right reasons.
To Achieve Optimal Page Length
Whilst there is no one-size-fits-all approach to CV writing, there are some industry standards worth paying attention to. In this case, it’s the two-page CV length rule.
If your CV is too long, chances are a prospective employer will miss reading some of your best bits. You may leave the time-poor recruiter disgruntled rather than optimistic about your potential.
Therefore, remove jobs that are older than 10 to 15 years to slim down your CV so that it fits onto the standard two pages recruiters prefer.
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How To Include Older Experience
Listing 20 or 30 years of experience can clutter up your resume and make it much too long. Unless you are a senior executive, the ideal resume length is one to two pages. The key to a winning resume is providing relevant details on your work historynot every detail.
When you leave off employment information, you need to be consistent and still provide a timeline of your work history to employers.
Leave off your oldest jobs when editing your resume, not random positions.
If you worked in a relevant position 17 years ago, you will need to include all the jobs you’ve held for the past 17 years .
How Many Jobs Should I List On My Resume
There is no limit to the listing of jobs on your resume. You can list as much as you want so far the jobs provided are all relevant and you are not going above the 10 years limit.
If the skills you implemented 10 years ago is still very relevant and effective, you can list it as a part of your job positions. To list old jobs on your resume, check out the template below.
1. Work experience above 10 years
IT HELP DESK ANALYST 2010 2020
XYZ Company Sometown TX
Note: Use bullet to highlight and summarize your main duty
2. Work experience with a different employer and similar experience
Lets say you carried out the same responsibilities under different employers, here is how to list your experience:
IT SUPPORT OFFICER 2012 2019XYZ Company | 2015 2019
Note: Summarize your duties using one or two bullet point
3. Same employer different job positions
ABC Company 2014 2013HELP DESK ANALYST | 2009 2013HELP DESK TECHNICIAN | 2014 2017
Note: Summarize your duties using bullet point
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Highlight Earlier Points Within Your Profile
Lets say you left university, and had a mix of jobs before settling. However, the role youre applying for now relates in some way to your earlier experience. Instead of including everything between now and then or leaving the CV feeling fragmented by missing out particular roles touch on this experience within the profile. For example: Sales Manager whose recent success in business development is underpinned by early career highlights driving brand awareness as Marketing Manager.
It Combats Age Discrimination
We may not like to admit it, but the fact remains: Age discrimination is a reality in today’s job market. By eliminating your earlier work history or minimizing the details, you shift recruiters’ attention away from your age and toward what really matters, which is the value you have to offer a prospective employer through your skills and experience.
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How Far Back Should Your Cv Go
Listing every single job you’ve held can do more harm than good.
There is an art and a science to writing a CV. On one hand, your CV needs to fit neatly onto two pages and look polished. On the other, it needs to cite the most important and relevant details of your career to impress an HR manager.
One of the most common mistakes job seekers make with CV writing is adding too much work experience to the document. In fact, at TopCV, many of the amends our expert writers make during their CV writing is eliminating early work experience anything older than 10 to 15 years.
We understand that as you have spent many years building your career, you’re protective of your history and want to include it all in your CV. And you may believe that it is all valuable experience.
But trust us you don’t need to include every position you have had on your CV, and you’re not selling yourself short by excluding old roles. Your CV will actually be stronger for it. Here are a few reasons why making those cuts is important.