How Far Back Should A Resume Go In 2023?

By Reid - November 20, 2022

How Far Back Should a Resume Go

Whether you’re years into your career or fresh out of college, it can be tough to decide what to all include within a resume.

Some people overflow their resumes with decades of experience, while others might not be going back far enough. Both could be the reason they aren’t generating interview requests.

The truth is, you don’t need to list every position on your resume, and this article will show you how far back things should go.

Questions Answered

How Far Back Should a Resume Go?
When Can You Go Beyond?
How Long Should a Resume Be?
How Far Back to Go on LinkedIn?

HOW FAR BACK SHOULD A RESUME GO

While there’s no set rule, your resume should NOT go beyond 10 to 15 years back regarding your work experience. You want to provide the employer with enough information to generate interest but not overwhelm them with old, irrelevant details.

If you believe there’s a specific experience or skillset that will convey your ability to effectively perform the new role, regardless of when it occurred, feel free to add it to your resume.

Why Only 10-15 Years?

While every person has a unique career story, we’ve found that at this point, the experience becomes irrelevant and takes up valuable resume real estate.

When Should Your Resume Go Back Further?

As we previously mentioned, this isn’t a concrete rule, and there are occasions when you can include information from over 15 years ago.

If you had a previous job that was highly sought after or you worked for a prestigious company, then feel free to include it on your resume.

If a past position shows a specific accomplishment or is relevant to the job you’re applying for, you’ll want to make sure and include it as well.

Note: Your education and schooling don’t fall under the 10-15 year rule. This information should always be included on your resume regardless of how long ago it took place.

Related:

Frequently Ask Questions (FAQ)

How Long Should a Resume Be?

Most job seekers should keep their resume length within the 1 to 2-page range and never exceed three pages. Here’s a short article further explaining how long your resume should be specific to where you are at within your career.

How far back to go on LinkedIn?

While your resume and LinkedIn profile have plenty in common, hiring managers tend to read them differently.

With LinkedIn, we recommend including any relevant work experience regardless of how far back it goes. But if it doesn’t add any value, feel free to eliminate it.

Wrapping Up

Hiring managers and recruiters tend to care more about what you have recently done in your career than what happened a decade back.

Keeping your resume clean, short, and relevant will produce better results than if you decide to pack it with everything you’ve done throughout your career.

Look to stick within the 10-15 year range for the best results. Good luck with your job search!

Title: How Far Back Should a Resume Go

Category: theDocuments

Tags: how far back should a resume go, how far back to go on linkedin, when can you go beyond 10 years on your resume, should I list all my jobs on my resume, how many years back should your resume go

Author: Reid is a contributor for theJub. He's an employment and marketing enthusiast who studied business before taking on various recruiting, management, and marketing roles. More from the author. | Author Profile