Do you have Dated Information/Gaps in your Resume

Do you have dated information/gaps in your resume?

Should you cover work experience that goes back 20 or more years?  What do you do if there is a break in your work history?  Should you try and cover up that information?

Dated Work History

The bottom line is, your resume should include any information/ history that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.  The key word here is relevant.  If you have a vast array of experience, that covers a number of different skill sets gained over a number of years, you want to ensure that you focus on those skills that directly relate to the new position.  If that means going back a number of years, then go back a number of years.  Just make sure you articulate that this particular experience is still valid.  For instance, if you were a nurse fifteen years ago, and haven’t worked in the field since, you are probably not current and should update your qualifications.

Gaps in your Career

What about gaps?  Was there a period of time that, for one reason or another, you weren’t working?  That’s no problem.  There are a number of very valid reasons why people don’t work for a period of time.  You may choose to stay home with children for a period, you might decide to return to school, or even take a period of time to travel.

Can this be added to the Resume?

In some cases, you could actually add that information to the resume.  For instance, if you chose to stay home with children for the first five years prior to them starting school, you could include that date range in your resume and include anything that you did during that time, i.e. volunteer work, that might relate to the position for which you are applying.  Be prepared to talk about and/or elaborate on those periods when you weren’t working when you get invited to the interview.

There is only so much time that a hiring manager or recruiter is going to spend looking at your resume.   It is generally believed that they will only spend about six seconds on the first go over.  So you have to make sure that you include the relevant information, in a format that is easy to read, so they will want to learn more about you.

If you’re not sure how to go about that, or what information you should include, don’t be afraid to reach out to a Certified Professional Career Coach to help you sort through your experience and format it in a very effective way.

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