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Tidying Up: How Far Back Should Your Resume Go

When crafting an effective resume, one key decision is how far back to include your work history. Should you list every job, or focus on the most relevant experience?

In this article, we'll explore the optimal resume length and guide on determining which experiences to include.

Why 10-15 Years Enough for the CV

The consensus among career experts is that the most relevant work experience to include is from the past 10-15 years. This timeframe strikes the right balance, allowing you to highlight your most recent accomplishments while keeping the document concise and focused. This approach ensures the hiring manager can grasp your career progression. There may be exceptions, particularly for academic or scientific fields where a more comprehensive CV is expected. However, for most job seekers, the recommended length for a resume is 1-2 pages (or up to 3 pages for senior-level roles), with 10-15 years of experience being the sweet spot.

Why you should keep your CV length brief

In today's fast-paced job market, hiring managers have little time to review each resume. Studies show recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds scanning a resume before deciding, whether to consider the candidate further. With such a brief window, your resume must be concise, easy to skim, and packed with relevant information. Longer resumes risk overwhelming the reader or burying key qualifications beneath unnecessary details. "The strategic goal should focus on keyword optimization, meaning the resume should have a strong mix of skills and terms that support their qualifications," advises Jennifer Johnson, a professional resume writer. For junior professionals and recent graduates, a one-page resume is often ideal. This succinct format allows you to highlight your most relevant skills, education, and any internships or projects that demonstrate your potential. By keeping your resume to 1-2 pages (or 3 pages for senior-level roles), you can ensure the most impactful and relevant information is front and center, increasing your chances of making it past the initial screening.

Why you should remove early work experience from your CV

While it's tempting to include every job, doing so can actually work against you. Hiring managers are primarily interested in your most recent and relevant experience - anything beyond 10-15 years is often seen as less important. Don't include an internship from 10 years ago. Instead of cluttering your resume with outdated or irrelevant positions, focus on highlighting experiences that directly align with the job you're applying for. This could mean:

Consolidating early-career roles into a brief "Earlier Career History" section at the bottom of your resume
Omitting certain positions entirely if they don't contribute to your current career goals
Limiting bullet points for less relevant jobs, while expanding on the impact and results of your most recent roles

By selectively curating your work history, you can create a resume that is streamlined, impactful, and tailored to the specific opportunity you're pursuing.

What to put in relevant experience on a CV

When deciding which experiences to include, ask yourself: "Does this information directly support my candidacy for the role I'm applying for?"

DO include:

Your most recent 10-15 years of relevant work experience
Achievements, accomplishments, and quantifiable results from those roles
Skills, certifications, and areas of expertise that are directly applicable
Education, training, and professional development that enhance your qualifications

DON'T include:

Jobs or internships from more than 15 years ago, unless essential
Irrelevant hobbies, interests, or personal information
Excessive details about each role - focus on highlights and key contributions
Graphics, logos, or other visual elements that may confuse applicant tracking systems

By carefully curating the content, you can create a concise and compelling resume that showcases your most relevant qualifications.

Exceptions to the CV length rule

While the general guidance is to keep your resume to 1-2 pages, there are exceptions where a longer CV may be appropriate:

Academic or scientific roles: In fields like academia or sciences, a more comprehensive CV spanning 3-15 pages is often expected to document publications, research, patents, and scholarly achievements.

Federal government positions: When applying for U.S. federal government roles, your resume may need to be 3-7 pages long to accommodate the extensive information required.

Senior-Level Positions: For executive roles, a CV of up to 3 pages may be acceptable to provide enough detail on your extensive work history and qualifications.

Specialized or Technical Roles: Certain specialized or technical positions may warrant up to 3 pages to adequately cover your relevant skills, certifications, and project experience.

Keep your CV concise and focused

Regardless of your experience level, the key to an effective resume is to keep it brief, targeted, and easy to scan. By limiting your work history to the past 10-15 years and selectively including only the most relevant information, you can create a resume that makes a strong impression and helps you stand out. Remember, your resume should highlight your qualifications and demonstrate why you're the ideal candidate. It is your best marketing tool. You can transform your resume into a lean, mean, job-winning machine. All you need is a little strategic pruning.