Is shaving experience off your résumé a good idea?

2012-07-06
From: MSN Careers
Just because you have enough work experience to cover three pages doesn’t mean you need to include it all on your reacutesumeacute. In fact, trimming your reacutesumeacute to create a more targeted message about your skills and achievements can be a better way to land your next job. Most employers are interested in knowing only the most applicable ways your skills can help their organization, and a concise reacutesumeacute is the first step. quotIt’s vital to make sure the relevant information is at the forefront and easily viewed by the reader,quot says reacutesumeacute expert Charlotte Weeks and founder of Weeks Career Services.
Not sure which experience to leave off your reacutesumeacute? Here’s what to consider:
Decades-old experience
Most hiring managers don’t care what you did 20 years ago, unless it was something truly spectacular. As you revamp your reacutesumeacute, be sure to focus on the last 10 years of your experience, with only a few mentions of previous achievements to provide breadth. But there’s always a caveat: If the role you held 20 years ago is still essential to your experience and it won’t make you appear overqualified, leave it in.
Appearing overqualified
Jam-packing your reacutesumeacute with too much experience can hinder your chances of getting hired. Most recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates with just the right amount of experience. As a general rule, shave off experience quotwhen you’ve been working a lot longer than the years required for the job,quot Weeks says.
Unrelated industry jobs
Once you’ve racked up enough experience, it’s OK to skip the mention of your summer college job or a position you held in an unrelated industry. While leaving it on your reacutesumeacute can demonstrate work ethic, it can also create a cluttered document that can confuse recruiters. As you gain more experience, most recruiters expect that irrelevant positions will no longer be listed on your reacutesumeacute.
Short-term jobs
Even if it pertains to your field, there’s typically no need to include a short-term position. For example, if you’re applying for amarketing managerrole and you held a three-month stint in a marketing department five years ago, feel free to take it off. The only instance where keeping a short position on your reacutesumeacute is beneficial is if it is the only proof of industry experience.
Internships
When you’re just starting out, yourinternshipsare everything. However, as you progress in your career, these internships should be replaced with a more solid employment history that includes more permanent positions.
Create different versions
As you whittle down your reacutesumeacute, there’s no need to think you need to make the same trims for every position, Weeks says. For each position, she suggests looking at the specific job positing to see what of your experience is most relevant. quotSee what requirements they’re seeking, and make sure you include this information — if you legitimately have it — on your reacutesumeacute,quot she says.
Condense work experience
Not sure how to fit in your most recent experience on your reacutesumeacute? One trick is to condense other bullet points. The older the job, the less information you need to provide about your role and achievements, Weeks says.
As you build your reacutesumeacute, it’s important to take time to reassess the applicability of your experience. Since most reacutesumeacutes are one to two pages, it’s important to constantly edit to keep only the most relevant parts of your experience. This can be difficult with a 20- or 30-year employment history, but it’s often the only way to get hired.

Copyright MSN Careers