Learn How Far Back to Go on Your Resume: A Practical Guide

The work experience section of your resume tells your career story. But does the hiring manager really need to know about your college job at Starbucks? The answer depends on a few important factors.

Deciding how far back to go on your resume can be tough. Add too many lengthy work entries and your resume may end up long and, frankly, uninteresting to the reader. That could be counterproductive. However, if this part of your resume is too short, it won’t do justice to your prior experience.

In this guide, we’ll look at the main guidelines for resume length, explain what factors go into this decision, and talk about how you can handle extensive professional backgrounds.

What are the general guidelines for resume length?

First things first, you need to know about the “10 to 15 year rule.” Often enough, this equates to around three to five job positions. While you may have been working for longer than that, it’s generally best not to go any further back on your resume.

You might think it’s a case of the more, the better. However, that’s not entirely true. Including a longer Work History section can have some pitfalls. For one thing, this can lead to age discrimination. If you’ve worked for more than 20 years, for example, the hiring manager can guess how old you are.

Similarly, a long list of work placements can be overwhelming. This can impact the readability of your resume, making your application look less appealing to the hiring manager. Plus, it’s unlikely that all the positions are 100% relevant to the vacancy you’re applying for.

What factors influence how far back you should go?

While most candidates should stick to the rule, there are factors that you have to consider. Every application is different and you need to think about what information is most valuable to the reader.

What to do if you have a long work history

Let’s say you’ve worked in the same industry for more than 15 years. How do you handle this issue? While you still want to keep your resume to one or two pages, there are ways to navigate a long history.

Here are some of the approaches you can use:

Only include key roles

Choose the most relevant work experience roles and only add them to your resume. There are two options here: you can list three to five of your most recent positions or you can pick out the positions that align the best with the current vacancy.

Summarize older positions

Desperate to include positions you’ve held in the past? If they date back more than 15 years, you may want to slide them under “Other experience.” Rather than a large amount of space for these, you can sum them up in just one or two brief sentences.

Combine related roles

Have you had a load of similar roles? If so, you might want to group them together. For example, if you’ve had two sales jobs at competing businesses which had a lot in common, you could link them. This only works if the duties of the role are vastly the same as it stops you from repeating yourself.

Let’s take a look at an example of how you can combine roles:

How can resume length lead to age discrimination?

47% of Americans over the age of 40 have experienced age discrimination or ageism in the workplace. But how does the length of your resume factor into this messy equation?

One way to prevent ageism in the hiring process is to avoid sharing your age. While many hiring managers are trained to avoid age discrimination, they may have unchecked unconscious biases.

By not sharing more than 10-15 years of work history, you shift the reader’s focus from your age to your achievements and experience.

How to deal with employment gaps on your resume

There’s no shame in taking a career break. However, it could impact how employers see you. Luckily, there are some strategies you can use to lessen any damage.

Keep it clear, concise, and relevant

When considering how far back to go on a resume, make sure it’s clear, concise, and relevant. Babbling on about all of the roles you’ve ever had will get you nowhere fast. Let’s take a look at some final advice you can use when listing the jobs you’ve previously held.

Be clear in your language

Don’t make the mistake of bamboozling the hiring manager. The language that you use should be clear and to the point. Whenever possible, use basic, straightforward words. Avoid industry jargon as this can put a barrier between you and the reader. Your resume should be understood by anyone who reads it.

Keep things concise

No one wants to read a wall of text—especially not hiring managers. When you’re working on your resume, try to break things up. You can use bullet points to convey a lot of information quickly. In your work experience section, add bullet points to show off your achievements on your resume.

Need help crafting a short and impactful resume? Use our drag-and-drop resume builder to get the job done. It couldn’t be easier.

Make sure it’s relevant

The work experience you share needs to be relevant to the vacancy you’re applying for. If it’s not, you may need to use a functional format or leave it out completely. Always tailor your resume to ensure it fits the criteria of the job role. That way, the hiring manager will instantly see you’re a great fit for it.

Conclusion

As a general rule, your resume shouldn’t go any further back than 10 to 15 years. However, there are times when you can break this rule. For example, if you’re going for a C-level role or a job in academia.

Make sure you keep your resume short and sweet for the hiring manager. Only include relevant experience and use bullet points wherever possible. This approach will help improve your chances of job-search success.