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You’re getting ready to embark on a job search, so it’s time to rewrite your resume. Right now, it contains your entire work history, so it’s time to trim it down a bit.

How far back your work history should go largely depends on how long you’ve been part of the workforce and how well your experience matches your desired job type.

Generally speaking, mid-level and experienced professionals should largely focus on positions held in the past 10-15 years — with exceptions, of course. Young professionals should typically stick to post-grad jobs, while recent graduates can continue drawing on high school and college experience.

Not convinced you shouldn’t chronicle your entire career on your resume? Here’s why it’s best to limit yourself.

3 Reasons Not to List Your Entire Work History

Make Your Resume Easy to Scan

Recruiters don’t have time to read a novel. If you’re an experienced professional, it’s fine for your resume to span two pages, but it shouldn’t go beyond that. If it does, it will either be read so quickly, much information won’t be absorbed, or they’ll opt against reviewing it all together. The last thing you want is to inadvertently disqualify yourself for a job because your resume was too long.

Don’t Age Yourself

Age discrimination in hiring isn’t right, but it happens. If you’re an experienced professional, listing every job you’ve ever had on your resume dates you. Hiring managers may wrongly assume you’ll get bored in the job or have salary expectations that exceed that maximum allowed for the position. By omitting jobs from way back, you increase your chances of having the opportunity to interview for the position, allowing you to dispel any misconceptions in person.pr

Focus on Relevance

Your resume needs to sell you for the job, so positions that don’t relate to your current career path serve as nothing but a distraction. It can make you appear less qualified for the job because you’re offering up roles that are irrelevant to the ones you want. Putting them on your resume might also cause the hiring manager to think you don’t understand what the position entails.

Need a little help making your next career move? PrideStaff Northern Kentucky is here to guide your search. Contact us today to find your dream job!

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