There are several key considerations that go into crafting a solid resume. You need to consider your education, experience, and skills. If you have a lengthy resume, you also need to know where to cut. Old or irrelevant experience could open the door to ageism or have you labelled as an older candidate.
Then you also need to consider things like resume length, formatting, scanability, keywords, and the need for your resume to pass applicant tracking system scans.
When deciding how far back to go on your resume, it’s generally recommended to focus on the most relevant and recent experience. While there is no hard and fast rule, we answer one of the most common questions our recruitment team receives about resumes: how far back should you go?
Below, we’ll answer these common resume writing questions:
- How far back should your resume go?
- How far back should an entry-level resume go?
- How far back should Mid-level resumes go?
- How far back should senior and management-level resumes go?
- What is the 10-15 year rule when writing resumes?
- When is it okay to include older experience on my resume?
- When should I leave outdated experience off my resume?
How far back should your resume go? It depends
The amount of professional experience you should include in your resume depends on where you are in your career. You’ll focus more on education and relevant skills earlier in your career. Whereas more seasoned professionals will focus more on experience. You also have to consider what the employer emphasizes as most important in the job post. Customize your resume for each job application.
How far back should an entry-level resume go?
If you have less than 5 years of work experience, you’ll likely want to include all your work experience. The reality is, you may be looking for ways to look like you have more experience, not trying to cut it back. To fill out your experience, you can include summer jobs, part-time employment, and internships. You can also include special projects, certifications, and volunteer work.
How far back should Mid-level resumes go?
Mid-level professionals with around 10 years of experience may need to start thinking about how much experience to include. This is particularly the case if you’ve worked a variety of jobs and moved around a bit. The important consideration here is relevance. You don’t need to include things like your part-time job in high school. Include relevant roles dating back to your first “real” job. Focus on including the experience that is most important to the role.
How far back should senior and management-level resumes go?
As a professional with over 15 years of experience, you’ve likely built up a long list of credentials. Your resume may need some trimming and refining. Your recent and relevant experience is what hiring managers are most interested in seeing. Plus, if you go too far back, you could risk being discriminated against because of your age. So, try to keep your list of experience around 5 roles. And only go into detail on the top 3 roles.
What is the 10-15 year rule when writing resumes?
The 10-15 year resume rule is exactly as it sounds. Applicants should limit their work experience to the last 10-15 years. This allows you to highlight your most recent and relevant accomplishments and positions. It can also provide hiring managers with an outline of their career growth and progression.
Other important resume writing tips are still relevant:
- Tailor your resume to the job
- Choose the most relevant experience
- Include your top milestones
- Keep your resume concise and to the point
- The older the job, the less detail you need to provide
Using these tips can help you craft a strong and concise resume that is targeted toward the types of jobs you want to interview for.
When is it okay to include older experience on my resume?
There are certainly times when it’s good to include older work experience on your resume. You can do this to highlight relevant skills, explain employment gaps, to call out well-known companies you’ve worked for or if you changed industries.
- Relevant Skills: If a job from more than 10 years ago demonstrates a key skill required for the target job, it can be included on your resume.
- Employment Gaps: Older experience can be useful to help explain any gaps in your employment history.
- Prestigious Experience: If you have worked at a very well-known company or held a high-profile position.
- Industry Changes: If you are transitioning to a new industry, including older relevant experience can help show your qualifications for the new field.
When should I leave outdated experience off my resume?
There are some situations where it makes more sense to leave off some of your past experience. You usually do this when it’s not related to the role, to avoid aging yourself, and when you want to highlight the most recent experiences.
- Irrelevant Roles: Older positions that have no connection to the job you’re applying for should be excluded.
- To Avoid Age Discrimination: Including too much old information can give away your age and potentially lead to age-based discrimination.
- To Showcase Current Value: The priority is to show how you can contribute to the new role, not to prove you’ve worked for a long time.
A Final Word On How Far To Go Back On Your Resume
Crafting a strong resume requires finding the right balance between showcasing your experience and keeping your content relevant. While there’s no strict rule for how far back your resume should go, most professionals should focus on the past 10–15 years of experience. Ultimately, tailoring your resume to each role, emphasizing key accomplishments, and keeping it concise will help you present a clear picture of your skills, experience, and value to potential employers.
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