"How far back should I go in my work history?" This question comes up for many job seekers when writing their resumes. As a rule of thumb, you are not expected to go back more than 10 years, however you may if it's to your benefit. To help you figure out how far back to go, consider these two things:
- How relevant your earliest positions are to your objective
- How old you want to appear on your resume
Age discrimination is illegal but employers may try to calculate your age using the dates you give. Most employers have an age range they consider to be ideal for a particular job, based on salary expectations, skill level, ability to supervise or be supervised, amount of life experience needed, and perhaps other criteria. A well-written resume uses dates to lead the employer to deduce that you are the ideal age for the job you are seeking, regardless of your actual age.
Here are two examples of how to work with dates to create the desired image:
A younger "look"
Sally, 35 years old, was applying for a job as a sales clerk in a clothing store that catered to young professional women. She thought the employer was probably looking for a woman in her mid-20s since the employer wanted someone who fit the image of the store and wouldn't expect wages as high as someone who had been in the field for many years.
To present herself as the ideal candidate, Sally decided to go back only five years in the work history (on her resume), since the employer would most likely:
- Take 20 years old as a starting point.
- Add the five years of work experience shown in her work history.
- Conclude that Sally was at least 25 years old.
Likewise, in her education, she stated her degree but did not give her graduation date since it would give away her age.
The dates on Sally's resume were all honest, they just didn't tell all. In the interview she would have the opportunity to sell herself with her enthusiasm, professional manner, and appropriate salary request — thereby fulfilling the employer's expectations of the ideal candidate.
An older "look"
Sam is a new grad who worked in his dad's business all through high school and college. He was a remarkable achiever and was ready for more responsibility in the workforce than most his age. He applied for a position as a store manager, knowing that if he could just get his foot in the door he could convince the owner he could handle the job.
He decided that the employer was probably expecting to hire someone in his late 20s. So on his resume, Sam went back in his work history eight years to when he started working for his dad in low-level positions, and showed his progression over the following years. He stated that he had a degree, but did not give the date of completion, since it might indicate that he was only 22.
Everything on Sam's resume honestly painted the picture of someone who had the experience and maturity of a 30-year-old without ever saying his age.
Down and dirty formula
Here's a quick and easy method for understanding how dates on your resume make an impression about your age. Use the EPT formula (Experience Plus Twenty): Subtract the earliest date on your resume from today's date (using years only, no months). Add that number of years to 20 (as a ballpark figure for how old you might have been when your experience started) to get a total of "x." That means you are at least x years old.
For example, a resume written in 2000 with a work history that starts in 1984 tells the reader that the job applicant is at least 36 years old (16 years of experience + 20 = 36).
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