You’re a seasoned administrator with more than a decade of job experience. And you’re looking for a new job. You’re ready for the next rung up the ladder--with more pay, perks and responsibilities. But a little voice inside you says, “Stay put. Jobs are hard to come by.” You fight that and tell yourself, you’re not getting any younger. The time to move up is now, while there’s still “sand in the hourglass.”
Problem is, your resume is getting a little “long in the tooth,” something many of today's hiring managers will be reluctant to slough through, given the mounting stacks of resumes on their desks. Naturally, you want to give the HR manager the whole picture, showcasing your brilliant career thus far. But how much is too much when presenting one's job history?
As a general rule, job seekers should go back about 10 years. Anything beyond that tends to be obsolete, especially when you consider changes in technology and business practices. Of course, if you’ve been with one company for 30 years, include that, adding increasing job description details as you approach present day. If, on the other hand, you held five jobs totaling 20 years, you should only go back 10 years.
Detail job descriptions for the first 10 years in paragraph or bullet point form. If you feel the new position warrants it, list any earlier jobs by title, name of the company and dates of employment. This fills in any time gaps between your leaving college and your first jobs, and it lets HR managers know the types of companies you’ve worked for.
When describing your work history, try to use active verbs that show results. Be brief but interesting. Be hard on yourself and, if necessary, follow William Faulkner’s advice when he said, “Kill your darlings.” In other words, if you write something that you love beyond all reason, “kill it.”
In general, it’s good to include three or four functions you were responsible for at any one company. Use bullets for each function, explaining what you accomplished—time saved, money saved, etc. Likewise, if you worked for the same company for 15 or 20 years, include the different divisions or departments for which you held responsible positions, detailing your accomplishments in bullet form for each.
If you’ve had experience in a certain industry or field that your prospective employer has specifically asked for, detail it in your resume; otherwise, put this older information toward the bottom of your resume in brief form.
To summarize: The short answer to how far back you should go in your resume is 10 years. And be concise and persuasive in everything you list.
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