DO trim your resume back to the most recent 10, 15, or 20
years. Your resume is a marketing document. It is NOT an
autobiography. Readers want to know what you have done
recently to add value in the companies you have been
associated with. Skills, experiences, and achievements from
25 or 30 years ago or more are almost certainly irrelevant
at this point. But, if those early experiences are still
relevant, you do have options...
DON'T be afraid to mention early experience that is still
relevant. Just don't mention the dates associated with it.
You might choose to highlight the undated achievements or
qualifications in the summary profile section of your
resume. Or, another effective strategy is to summarize that
experience at the end of your resume. Your description
should be concise. Just one or two sentences that begin
with the words "Additional experience includes..." will
usually suffice.
DO be creative and strategic in how you list employment
dates on your resume. Don't feel locked in by the
traditional way of including dates. For example, I recently
worked with an executive candidate who had three years with
his current employer but more than 35 years of progression
with his last employer. Traditionally, on a resume, you
would show the total span of years with each company and
then the dates in each position (illustrating progression).
But this method clearly wouldn't work for this client
because he began working for that last employer sometime in
the mid 1960s - a date that we did not want to include on
the resume. So instead, we left off the total dates with
each company and just listed dates in each position, going
back approximately 15-20 years. Like this:
Employer 1, location
Current position (20xx - Present)
Employer 2, location
Position a (20xx - 20xx)
Position b (19xx - 20xx)
Position c (19xx - 19xx)
Position d (19xx - 19xx)
** Additional experience includes...
DON'T leave dates of education off of your resume unless
you have a good strategic reason to do so. One of the most
common errors that I see are dates of education left off
the resume when they should not be left off. For example,
if you earned your degree 15 years ago and began working in
your current career track the same year, you will actually
raise questions about your age by not including your degree
dates. The dates on your degree tend to close the "loop"
and eliminate age-related questions in the mind of the
resume recipient. But if you leave the dates off, the
recipient will assume you are hiding your age and are older
than your work experience indicates. On the other hand, if
you have shortened your resume to the most recent 10, 15,
or 20 years, and your most recent degree was earned earlier
than a year or two before that cut off point, it is
probably in your best interest to leave the dates off the
resume.
DO be proud of your age and the associated experience and
perspective that you bring to your employers. Even though -
in most cases - you should not emphasize and draw attention
to your age, do recognize that you bring to the workplace a
value offering unmatched by your younger competitors in the
job market. Your self-assurance and confidence will come
across in your resume and during interviews.
DON'T forget to fill your resume with achievements and
results that illustrate your personal brand and the unique
promise of value that you bring to the workplace. Position
yourself for the position. Demonstrate through past
accomplishments and value add that you are the perfect
candidate for the job. When your resume is filled with
achievements that illustrate you will deliver a strong
return on an employer's investment in hiring you, your age
will NOT even be an issue.
DO create a resume that showcases achievements that
illustrate the traits most valued in older workers - your
credibility, your depth and breadth of experience, your
judgment and decision-making abilities, your range of
professional contacts, your work ethic and reliability,
your emotional stability, and your commitment to company
goals. Subtly, in your resume and cover letter, touch on
achievements that illustrate a high energy level, strong
technical skills, and adaptability to change.
----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com
Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com
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