How Far Back Should A Resume Go? (2024)

FAQs

How Far Back Should A Resume Go? ›

However, the general guidance is still to include only the most recent 10 to 15 years. This will help hiring managers scan your resume quickly, keep your resume focused on your biggest achievements, and may help avoid age discrimination during the job search process.

The common advice is to keep the work experience in a resume between 10 to 15 years. Doing so will give your hiring manager a general outline of your start, your growth, and where you find yourself now.

Here's my simple rule of thumb for job seeking: You have ~10 seconds before hiring managers bounce to another candidate or decide to take the next step with you. "Next step" translates to roughly two things: a) Spending more than 10 seconds on your resume, portfolio, or LinkedIn. b) Contacting you directly.

Amid this deluge, your resume has, on average, a mere 15 seconds (or even less) to make an impression. This isn't because recruiters are dismissive, but due to the sheer volume of applications they deal with. Within those critical 15 seconds, they're trying to gauge if your application is worth a deeper look.

You may be asking, what is the 30-second rule for resumes? Did you know in a competitive labor market, your resume must get you on the interview pile within 30 seconds? If not, you will end up in the reject pile and never get a shot to sell yourself in person. 30 seconds is longer than the average recruiter takes.

Your resume needs to be specific, clear, and easily digestible in a very, very short amount of time. So go and grab your resume. Set your timer for 5 seconds, hit “start”, and then scan your resume until the alarm goes off (and not one second longer).

There's no need to include personal information on a resume such as your social security number, marital status, nationality, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs. In fact, it is illegal for employers to ask for these personal details.

Where you must focus on the top 20% of your resume that will gather 80% of the attention. You will find many things, which list down on what hiring managers will see on your CV. We have listed important elements every professional must keep in mind when making their resume.

If you're wondering whether it's OK to have a two-page resume, the answer is almost always a resounding YES! While a one-page resume used to be the norm, two pagers are now considered best practice in most situations.

Aim for 4-6 bullet points per role. You can get away with listing up to 8 bullet points for your most recent role. Older positions may only need 1-2 bullet points. If you held a job more than 10-15 years ago, leave it off your resume entirely unless it's specifically relevant.

How long should a resume be for 20 years experience? ›

How long should a resume be? The golden rule. If you've been in the workforce for a number of years, you're entitled to a maximum of two full pages of resume real estate. This rule applies to most senior professionals, whether you've been in the workforce for seven years or 27 years.

You are not required to show it on your résumé. However, when you complete a job application, you will need to show all the jobs you have held for the time period the application requests. During the interview, you can easily handle that question.

As you move through your career, the rule of thumb is to include only the most recent 10 to 15 years of job experience. This article will guide you through exactly how far back your resume should reach.

Typically, one-inch to one-half-inch margins on all sides is best practice. White space: Use enough white space to break up your text to improve readability and prevent the document from feeling cluttered. Bullets: Use resume bullet points to break down information—especially in your work experience achievements.

Lack of Tailoring: One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is submitting a generic resume for every job application. Employers can quickly spot a one-size-fits-all document, and it doesn't convey genuine interest in the specific role.

Don't go back more than 10 to 15 years

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.

Including more than 15 years of experience on a resume is a rare occurrence in today's job market. Typically, hiring managers are only interested in knowing the last 15 years of your work history. Anything that happened more than 15 years in the past has the potential to be irrelevant.

Two-page resumes are a good choice for those with enough experience to fill both pages. As a result, two-page resumes are best suited to mid-career professionals with 10-15 years of relevant experience, who are applying to leadership positions within an organization.