If Youre At The Beginning Of Your Career
10-15 years is an upper limit, not a lower one. If you have less than 10 years experience, theres no need to try to pad out your resume to make it look impressive. Once youve held at least one relevant position in your industry, you can leave off things like your part-time gig waiting tables or an internship you completed before you switched majors, unless theres a truly compelling reason for keeping them on your resume.
Case Study: Mias Three Page Research Assistant Resume
Mia has been working in immunology for many years.
From her undergraduate work to her current postdoctoral work Her drive to make a difference in the world has produced publications, presentations, and awards.
In her pursuit of postdoctoral research, demonstrating her expertise in the field is an absolute must. There are also expectations of an academic resume to put simply, having the correct style and streamlining your design.
To produce a resume to satisfy these conditions as well as discussing her previous work, a three-page resume was needed.
So far with all the case studies, have you noticed any similarities?
Firstly, theyre modern resumes which stand out. Above all, its the resume design and the way it highlights key information such as your certifications and different types of skills by using appropriate visual aspects. This is what makes them so compelling for the hiring manager.
Chances are, the recruiters at your company arent used to seeing a modern resume like this. So, making an impression and getting your foot in the door isnt difficult.
If youre unsure what to write and trying to cope with writers block, Enhancv makes the entire resume building process easier for you.
When youre using any of these proven examples, you have a resume in front of you thats gotten someone hired in the most competitive spaces. More importantly, they could just be like you.
These resume templates are free.
What If You’ve Only Worked At One Company For Many Years
If you only worked at one company for many years then it could be difficult to leave the years off your resume. There is a way around this depending on the situation.
If you’ve held different positions at the company, you could split up your work experience depending on the years you’ve held the title. This allows you to list more relevant positions at the top of your resume and even remove some that aren’t really relevant.
For example, say Anna was looking for an accounting position and she worked at XYZ Corp. for the last 22 years.
Of those years she held the following positions:
Accountant: 6 Years
Bookkeeper: 6 Years
Customer Service Representative: 10 Years
Anna could list the relevant bookkeeping and accounting position separately with the years worked and leave off the customer service representative position from 12 years ago.
Read Also: Is It Okay For Resume To Be Two Pages
It Keeps Your Resume At Two Pages
Whether you’ve worked for six years or 26 years, the golden rule of resume writing is keeping it to a maximum of two full pages .
When you only have the aforementioned 10 seconds to make an impression, more than two pages takes too long to scan. Stick to the two-page resume rule by removing the jobs, training courses, or graduation dates that fall outside of the 15-year window.
Not sure how to do this without losing important information? A trained resume writer knows ways to keep your resume at this required length without removing relevance.
Highlight Former Achievements In A New Way
Of course, if you’ve got an impressive accomplishment or title sitting outside that two-decade limit, include it.
“If 30 years ago is the role where you discovered a patent still in use today, you ought to mention that,” says Ceniza-Levine.
You have a few different options for how you chose to work that information in. If a title you’ve held or company you’ve worked for is likely to impress a recruiter, consider a section called “earlier work history” or something similar where you can simply list previous jobs, by noting only the title, company and location, says Amanda Augustine, a career coach with TopResume. Or you could try including it in a “career notes” or “career highlights” section at the bottom of your current work experience by writing something like: “additional experience working for ABC company or serving clients like XYZ,” adds Augustine.
If the role you want to include is one where you did discover a patent or win an impressive industry award, you could also draw attention to this by folding such an achievement into the summary statement, which is typically a short paragraph at the top of your resume that acts as an elevator pitch to readers selling your skills and experience. Or you could include it in a section following your work history that lists awards or accomplishments you’ve earned over the course of your career.
Recommended Reading: Listing Courses On Resume
Decide On A Resume Length
The length of your resume can determine how far you can go when describing work experience. If you’re an entry- to the mid-level candidate, you can usually fit all of your relevant experience on one page. Candidates with more experience or those applying for government or education roles might need a two-page resume. Keeping yourself to a one-page resume can help you limit how much experience you include.
Related:
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.
Read Also: Relevant Coursework Resume Example
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.
Include Older Experience In Your Resume Summary
A resume summary is a great place for things that dont belong elsewhere on your resume including older experience. Start your summary with a line like Marketing Executive with 25+ years of experience to quickly let recruiters know that you have more experience than your resume shows and include 2-3 key accomplishments from any stage in your career.
Recommended Reading: How Many Years Should A Resume Go Back
How Far Back Should Your Resume Go
Your resume should go back a maximum of 10 to 15 years in terms of work experience. This keeps your resume highly relevant for employers and recruiters.
What if you really need those years of
experience on your resume? If you really need to show the experience, which is sometimes the case for higher-level management positions, you could include it. We’ll talk about other exceptions to the rule further down in this post.
Your resume’s experience section should always be able to pass the “6-second resume test” when it comes to relevance. Essentially, put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter or hiring manager looking at your resume. Look over the information and determine whether itâs relevant to the job opening and if the hiring manager will be impressed with it.
How Far Back Should A Resume Go In 2021
ZipJob Team
6 min read
One of the most common questions our team of professional resume writers get from job seekers is “how far back should a resume go?”
When you have spent many years building your career, you have a lot of experience you want to include on your resume. Many people include decades of experience on a resume and it could be the reason why their resumes aren’t getting any callbacks or interview requests!
The truth is, you donât need to list every position youâve ever held on your resume.
Really!
Your resume can–and should–be a selective document tailored for a specific job. That means you only need to include your skills, experience, and qualifications that will help you in that position. You don’t need to include a comprehensive list of your professional life: that would be a CV instead of a resume.
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how far back your resume should go and explain why.
Also Check: How To Word An Email When Sending A Resume
How Long Should Your Resume Be In 2021
There is no perfect answer.
Depending on the job description and your work experience, your resume should be one or two pages long. If you have over 10 years of relevant experience, a multi-page resume works better than a one-page.
However, there are a few things you should keep in mind if your resume does go over several pages long. So, be sure to keep reading on!
How Many Years Should You Go Back On A Resume
How many years of work history you should include on your resume depends on several factors. You will need to consider your industry, experience level and qualifications. Each of these elements can affect whether or not including certain years of experience will be beneficial. The most important thing to keep in mind when making this decision is whether or not a previous position is relevant to your current job search.
If a particular position provided you with valuable experience, relevant skills and opportunities to improve professionally, it may be useful for you to include it on your resume, even if it has been over ten years since you held the job. If you have changed career fields over the course of your employment history, you may decide to only list jobs from the last five years.
Read more:How to Write Work History on Your Resume
Read Also: Levels Of Spanish Proficiency For Resume
Consider Using A Functional Cv
If you have several jobs with similar experience or need to highlight achievements gained in earlier roles, a more skills-based / functional CV might work better. This will help in highlighting relevant, and toning-down unrelated experience. After all, your CVs main goal is to demonstrate to the recruiter exactly what qualifies you for the role youre applying to.
How Many Years Of Experience Should Be On A Resume
All the potential employees certainly want to show their best and add enough jobs, but do not forget about the optimal length of the resume. The best length for a resume is one, or two pages. Recruiters or potential employers most likely wont even look at your 5-page document with all the years of experience. So, lets figure out how many years of experience on resume should you indicate?
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Case Study: Gals One Page Resume
With over a decade of experience, Gal was searching for a new job in business development.
From starting his own company to leading software solutions all the way to speaking three languages, you could say he was spoiled for choice.
Most people would say that 10+ years of experience = two pages.
But, Gal took a different approach.
On one page, he successfully told the recruiter who he was, why he was motivated for this job, the experience hed bring, and how he would make an impact.
Amidst the fog like Gal, you will hear different opinions about how long your resume should be. For someone with over 10 years of experience, most professionals and job seekers around will expect to have a two-page resume.
That doesnt necessarily mean you should.
Since Gals resume was one page, it was completely different to the rest of the other applicants. In other words, it was a gateway to standing out from the crowd and getting his voice heard among the chaos.
Be like Gal and get hired for the competitive job posting at your dream company by using Enhancvs free resume builder. Use the same one-page formula now below!
It only takes a few minutes!
Resume Tips That Get You Noticed
There is no right or wrong way to write a resume. But competition for jobs is fierce right now. You need to develop a resume that sets you apart from the masses. It cant be a passive piece of paper. It must be a passionate representation of who you are and why you are the best person for the job.
In todays competitive job market, its important that you help employers see the benefits of hiring you over someone else. Organizations need to know that you will help them attain their corporate objectives. Your resume is the first step in expressing that message to them. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
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Dont Worry About Age Discrimination
Im often told by clients that they do not feel comfortable including their full career history as it reveals their age and could put recruiters off. While I do understand this concern, I would argue that simple background checks and application forms will reveal your age anyway. In addition, if you reach the interview stage, youre not going to be able to lie.
As I talk about on my article on CVs for the over 50s, there is also a lot to be said for experience and the reliability that more mature applicants bring.
Unfortunately, theres no one answer to, how far should my CV go back? However, if you need further advice, do get in touch or leave a comment below.
Employers Can Quickly And Easily Scan Your Resume
Including many years of experience can make for a very cluttered resume: small font, no margins, too many words.
The average recruiter spends less than 10 seconds reviewing a resume before deciding whether an applicant is worth further consideration a cluttered resume simply requires too much work for a hiring manager who has possibly hundreds of resumes to review.
Read Also: What To Put Under Education On A Resume
Including Additional Dates On Your Resume
If you’ve taken professional development courses or other educational classes, it’s not necessary to list dates. If you have certifications, you should list the dates because employers will want to know that your accreditations are current.
When leaving experience and dates off a resume, do it strategically.
A resume, for example, with only a few jobs when you’re an experienced candidate or a resume with no dates at all, can be a red flag for hiring managers. Be sure your resume provides a clear synopsis of your work history to employers.
If the positions you held earlier in your career are relevant to your current objectives, consider shortening the descriptions of your jobs to reduce the length of your resume rather than deleting the positions from your resume.
How Many Years Should A Resume Go Back
Not sure how far back to go on your resume? This guide will walk you through exactly how many years a resume should cover, plus how to list older experience.
a month ago 6 min read
One of the unwritten rules of resume writing is this: Not everything that can go on your resume, should go on your resume. This includes things that could actively harm your candidacy like a too-long work history. While theres no hard and fast rule, the general convention is that your resume should go back 10-15 years.
Recommended Reading: How To Build A Acting Resume With No Experience
Get Guidance On When You Should Send A One
The right resume length depends entirely on your background.
Resume length is among the biggest quandaries for job seekers. The presiding belief is that if its too long, you risk a hiring manager not reading the whole thing if its too short, you might look like you dont have enough experience. For all the times youve wondered, How long should a resume be? you probably figured the universe has decided on an answer by now. Alas. Theres no magic resume length that works for everyone.
The trick is figuring out the best number of pages for your situation. Follow these tips.
Get Your Resume Reviewed
There are pros and cons to being a long-term employee, so you want to make sure your resume emphasizes the pros. Speaking of “pros,” could you use some expert help ensuring your resume looks ready to go? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster’s Resume Writing Service. You’ll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review of your resume’s appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiter’s first impression. It’s a quick and easy way you can put your most professional foot forward.
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How Far Back Should A Resume Go For Work History
What if you are not just out of college and have a decade, or two or three, of work experience?
Keep the resume as concise as possible, but 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:
1. 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.2. Give brief descriptions for relevant work experience. Include all relevant work experience, but keep the descriptions brief for positions over 10 years old.3. 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.4. 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.