It can be hard for job seekers to decide what to include and what not to include on their resume in 2023. So this post will provide tips on how far back to go on your resume with your work experience, in light of the importance of that experience.
We wanted to put some context around the question, so we went to the online education experts at Coursera. Here’s what they had to say about the subject of job history on a resume in a recent article:
The majority of experts agree that a resume should only include the last 10 to 15 years of employment, and there are several good reasons for this…
What to include in your resume depends on how many years of job experience you have and the type of role you are applying for. It’s important to gauge your experiences based on relevancy to the job. Ultimately, you want every role listed on your resume to help build your case as the ideal candidate.
The 10-15 year history window is settled science in the recruiting industry. But we’ll dig a bit deeper into the what and the why of your job history on your resume.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
- What do you want to show for work experience on your resume?
- Why do candidates want to be somewhat discretionary with job history?
- Tying the what and the why of resume experience together
What do you want to show for work experience on your resume?
Resumes are not about filling space. You want to show the most relevant work experience as it relates to the position you’re applying for.
With that in mind, we always advise our clients to take some time to prune their job history and descriptions and put them in the context of the current search. They’re often surprised at the results.
Here’s a simple, but relevant, example. You’re an accounting professional who’s spent most of your career managing day-to-day financial operations, putting together the financial statements, and preparing the business’s tax returns. Now you want to look for a job as a financial analyst.
You focus your resume on the part of your job (that you had actually forgotten about!) where you spent a significant amount of time helping the executive team extract some extensive business analytics from cloud-based information systems.
This part of your job description now matches up exactly with many employer-side job descriptions for business analysts.
Why do candidates want to be somewhat discretionary with job history?
You also need to consider the flip side of that example. While we never encourage candidates to be deceptive in their resumes, we never want them to unknowingly create their own objections either.
It’s not being deceptive to enunciate your biggest successes and downplay, or even eliminate, some of your less successful endeavors. It’s even OK if some of your past work experiences never hit your resume.
Your resume is not intended to be a longitudinal record of everything you’ve ever done in pursuit of your vocation. It’s intended to be a tool that accurately reflects your work history and current capabilities.
Of course, all of this depends on the circumstances. So what does it all mean?
Tying the what and the why of resume experience together.
We’re not a professional resume prep company. But we can help you focus your resume on your unique, professional career objectives in the exact context of the job you’re pursuing.
Don’t start your next critical career move without us as a strategic advisory partner.
At 619 Recruiting, we help clients like you find their dream job every day!
Let’s find out if we have a client who’s looking for a great candidate like you. Our team will help you find employment opportunities that align with your skills, experience, short-term employment goals, and long-term career objectives. Call us today at (866) TEAM 619, or get in touch online. Our expert recruiters are waiting for your call.
