Your resume is not a history book
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When dealing with clients in their 50s and 60s, it isn’t uncommon for someone to think that they have to put every job in chronological order complete with dates. But your resume isn’t a history book.

Resume IS a Strategic and Targeted Marketing Document

Your resume MUST be a strategic marketing document that highlights your value, clearly defines your success stories, and positions you with the key words that match your target.

Yes, I also said target. Just like your resume is not a history book, it can never be a one-size-fits-all document that you blast off at any potential job that you vaguely might have one or more of the qualifications.

Here at Design Resumes, I work with you to target your resume and create a career marketing strategy that resonates with the contributions you have made in other roles and delivers a resounding story of how you can provide value to the company you are targeting.

Do you have short-term jobs that are way back in your history?

Delete them. Why list 6 months or 9 month jobs. If you have already created a branded story that reflects the benefits you brought during the last 10 to 15 years, you have no reason to list short-term older jobs.

What if you have significant contributions but they are 20 years old?

You can create an Early Career Profile or a Prior Background section that lists only the title, company name, and total years. Did you have multiple positions with the same company? List them with the years in each role.

If your contributions in that role past the time test — no outdated technology, no low value information, then by all means add a bullet beneath it.

Early Career Profile

XYZ CORPORATION, Pittsburg, PA (11 years)
Facilities Engineer (4 years) | Production Supervisor (5 years)| Manufacturing Engineer (2 years)

OR

Early Career Profile

Director – Product Engineering | XYZ SYSTEMS, Division Candid Industries, Santa Ana, CA | 16 Years

Rapidly promoted within first five years from Senior Metallurgist to Director of Product Engineering.

Directed broad-based engineering staff of up to 100 engineers, charged with the task of creating safe and quality engineered aero system products, specifically landing gear for Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed, and Northrup-Grumman platforms for both commercial and government markets.
  • Spearheaded full product lifecycle in collaboration with diverse engineering design team from multiple disciplines, including Structural, Mechanical, Material Science, Electrical, Test, and Reliability, Maintainability, and Sustainability Engineers as well as dedicated Procurement Agents and Manufacturing Engineers.
  • Orchestrated initial industry systematic approach to steering design team to manufacture and deliver complete aircraft landing gear systems marketed to airframe developers such as Boeing, and Lockheed.
Repeat after me “My resume is not a history book.”

You need to think deeply about the value and contributions you brought and then create that strategic marketing document.