Blog Post: Resume Myths You Can Retire: Adding All of Your Jobs

Global resume expert and executive resume writer Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC is a former recruiter with a 98% success rate opening doors to prestigious jobs with powerfully branded resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, and portfolios that capture the attention of hiring authorities.

The principal of An Expert Resume, she is a 6-time international award nominee for excellence in resume writing, as well as a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Management Coach, and Interview Coach. Her work has been published in numerous career bestsellers.

When it comes to creating a compelling resume that wins interviews, many people forget that it has become a career marketing document--instead of a job application.

True "marketing" gives your audience reasons to engage and respond to you! To get at the heart of this idea, start thinking of the story of your career in marketing terms, rather than as a litany of jobs held and tasks completed that includes every detail.

This may come as a surprise, but employers don't want to read through all of your work history! The past decade is of most interest to them, as well as any and all relevant qualifications that prepare you to be their best candidate.

If you struggle to fit your resume onto 2-3 (or worse yet, 5-6) pages, this is a sign that something has to give--and it should start with the oldest and LEAST relevant information.

Since relevance can be hard to assess, here are some points to help you analyze what data SHOULD stay on your resume:

• What is the most important job that qualifies you for the position you want?
• Which projects demonstrated the type of work needed for your next role?
• What skills did you use that are necessary in the job you seek?
• Which of your employers is most prominent? Are any household names?
• Which of your job titles is most directly related to your current career goal?

Conversely, you can eliminate or minimize work experience based on the following criteria:

• Does the job predate your relevant experience of the last decade or so?
• Has the technology used in this job changed substantially?
• Would using the position title "date" your experience in any way?
• Are the tasks completed for this job far beneath your skills?

While it's difficult to pinpoint an exact date cutoff, most employers are interested in seeing experience dating back around 15 years.

After that, it's a simple matter of summarizing up the positions held by simply listing job titles and company names.

Remember--a resume is designed to market your career experience, not dump all of your information out for employers to filter!

The more relevant data you can provide, the easier it is for hiring managers to see why they need YOU on their team.