Leaving Dates of Employment Off Resumes
This week I have reviewed 3 resumes in which the candidates left the dates of employment off their resumes.
The first thing I do is ask the candidates to attach dates to each position listed.
The dates of employment are important, and even if some of the tenures are short, leaving the dates off is even more damaging than showing some short stints of employment. A resume is an overview of your experience, and it “is what it is”. Although I completely understand the desire to show one’s background in the best possible light, it is important to honestly outline your experience.
If there are extenuating circumstances that have resulted in several short terms of employment, or gaps between employment, let’s address it and I will do my best to communicate that to a prospective employer in my presentation. But one of the things that employers want to see – and I want to see – is whether a candidate stays in each position long enough to make a reasonable contribution to their employer…whether they stay long enough to be promoted…and whether there is a pattern of short tenures.
On more than one occasion I have advised a candidate to stay put, and not pursue the “next great opportunity” until they have spent another year with their current employer. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your career is make a difference in your current position!
In Resumes