Resumes and CVs are powerful, life-changing documents that should be valued as such. They can open doors you never thought you could open and provide access to the dream job you’ve always wanted. But, if done incorrectly, can also slam the door shut, before you’ve had a chance to prove yourself in an interview.
As I’ve said many times, the purpose of a CV or Resume is to land an interview. However, many people mistakenly think that a CV or Resume should land them the job. This line of thinking often leads to other mistakes, such as including every task ever undertaken and turning what should be a simple document into a short life story.
Resumes which are too long are a major turn-off for both algorithms and humans that are sifting through the hundreds of candidates for their position. Getting the length of your resume just right is key and can vary between different resume types, industry sectors and at what stage of your career you are in. I know what you’re thinking - This is so confusing! I thought I needed to give them all of my experience!
So how much is too much? Well, let’s take a look at how far back your resume should go…
What’s Covered…
1. How far back should my resume go?
2. How far back should my resume go if I’m a student?
3. How far back should my resume go if I’m experienced?
4. How long should my resume be?
5. How far back should my resume go for education?
6. What style of resume should I use? (with resume examples)
7. Quick Fire Questions & Answers
1. HOW FAR BACK SHOULD MY RESUME GO?
Your resume should only be as long as it needs to be, now, I know as advice goes this is pretty ambiguous and not overly helpful, so I’ll aim to elaborate.
As we mentioned in the intro, the amount of experience you include on your resume is conditional to the positions you are applying for, the industry sector you’re in and also what stage of your career you are at. It needs to be as long as it needs to be to quickly convey your level of experience in a concise and relevant way.
If you have an extensive career spanning 30+ years it simply isn’t necessary to include all of this, generally speaking your resume shouldn’t extend beyond 15 years and ideally curtailed at 10. However, if you are a graduate or at the start of your career, you may want to make use of everything you have done including internships, work experience and volunteer work.
So, the short answer:
No longer than 10-15 years for experienced candidates
Up to 10 years for mid-career candidates
As much as you can pull together for entry level and Junior candidates
But, what about those who simply don’t have a great deal of experience, well, clearly we don’t want you to just lie on your CV, so remember what you put as your experience should be true, and you should be able to provide references to back everything up!
If you are just entering the workforce after university, your resume is going to look very different than someone with a few years under their belt. Advice on how to write a CV when you have no experience is essential for those starting out.
Which brings us onto our next point… what to do if you are a student, or recent graduate.
2. HOW FAR BACK SHOULD MY RESUME GO IF I AM A STUDENT?
Many times students feel like they’re in “no man’s land” when it comes to putting together a CV or resume. But, it’s important to recognise you shouldn’t sell yourself short, there is still plenty on offer and many desirable attributes that you can use to make yourself stand out among other candidates!
Students still have skills that employers are looking to add to their talent pool. It’s important to bring attention to both the hard and soft skills that make your resume shine! Include technical skills you have (hard skills) such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop as well as languages that you may have gained while in school. Also, don’t overlook your soft skills like your attitude, how you communicate with others and other personality traits that show you work well in a productive team environment. It’s likely that you have many more skills than you give yourself credit for, spend some time to sit down and list them all, selecting the most relevant ones for your resume and your chosen career path.
It’s unlikely that you will have more than a few years of experience, but highlight any internships, volunteer work, and any university jobs you feel can push you towards the top. Make each piece relevant to the job you’re applying for and look to keep your CV to one page in total length.
It’s not necessary to include every paper round or restaurant job, the aim is to include positions that demonstrate clear transferable skills which relate to your future career path. When you are a student your resume is about creating a story that an employer can relate to in reference to their position.
As the image below highlights, 1 page provides plenty of space to feature one or two relevant voluntary positions, internships or commercial projects whilst leaving plenty of space for your transferable skills and education.
On the left we have the Holborn Resume Template on the left and the Seneca Modern Resume Template on the right…
Student Resume Examples - 1 page is the perfect length
3. HOW FAR BACK SHOULD MY RESUME GO IF I AM EXPERIENCED?
I was approached on social media the other day and was asked “how can I fit 40 years of experience onto a 2-page resume?” my answer was consultative but in short translated to “no employer in their bloody right mind is going to care what you were doing in the 1980s!”.
Employers are only interested in the skills, experience and qualifications that relate to their needs and problems. They want to be able to see the value you can bring as a candidate in as little information as possible. Anything that falls outside of what is deemed “of value” is considered a distraction.
As an experienced candidate aim for no more than 15 years of employment history and only go back further if you feel your extra experience is relevant and directly contributes towards your chances of getting the vacancy.
Top load your resume so that you include the most information towards your recent positions and tail off as you go back further in time. It’s also perfectly acceptable to only list headline information for older employers (Company Name, Job Title and Date) or group multiple positions together under one title. Examples below…
Top load your employment history so your most recent positions feature the most detail. Employers are going to be most interested in your recent work experience.
Just use headline information for older positions.
Consider grouping multiple positions together under one headline to keep the length down and to avoid distraction.
The above images were taken from the following downloadable professional resume example.
4. HOW LONG SHOULD MY RESUME BE?
If you are a mid-level or senior professional you should aim to have a CV / resume of two pages. This should provide enough space to present relevant work experience, while not going overboard with immaterial information. Use the techniques shown in the previous point to keep things concise and to the point. The following quote from the American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson can be applied directly to your CV. Depth is way more important the length.
If you are a published author, professional freelancer or a senior consultant, you should aim to make your CV / resume no longer than three pages in length. The extra page allows you additional space to highlight lists of publications, freelance projects, and other work relevant experience that is usually expected with these types of roles.
No matter the length, you’ll want to make sure your employment history is first and stands out the most, with education and other achievements towards the bottom.
5. HOW FAR BACK SHOULD MY RESUME GO FOR EDUCATION?
Achieving a grade, passing an exam, gaining an industry qualification, in many ways these appear as greater achievements than those accomplished through work experience. It feels like a crime to omit any education from a resume! But there are things you can do to keep your education history on your resume concise without detracting from your achievements.
With school grades, as you become older and more experienced these become less important and relevant. However, you should always include your degree education and grades. Graduating is no mean feet and something that should always remain as a constant on your resume.
With regards to professional qualifications, and other types of education, my advice is to include as much of it that is relevant for the roles you are applying for. For example, there is no point featuring a bricklaying course you did in 2003 if you are applying to marketing jobs.
It is less important when you achieved your qualifications than it is to how relevant they are for the professions and jobs you are applying for. Relevancy is key.
6. WHAT STYLE OF RESUME SHOULD I USE?
The style of your resume should reflect your type of profession. Style shouldn’t be based on length, your resume should reflect your industry and your chosen career professions. Pick an approach that will catch the eye of the hiring manager according to the industry you’re in.
Style matters, it is a great way to present yourself in a attentive way that speaks to the job you’re pursuing. A buttoned up office professional may frown at an overly colourful and image heavy resume, but if you’re applying for a job in an art gallery it might be just the ticker.
1. PROFESSIONAL CV TEMPLATES
i.e. Accountant, Teacher, Project Manager, Sales Engineer, Stockbroker, Analyst, Software Developer etc.
Professional CV Templates are formal in nature, demonstrate clean layouts and use limited amounts of colour, creativity and design. Typically these templates will not feature a photo, however certain positions may require it.
Professional CV templates should be used for “professional” jobs, such as the technical industry, engineering, or finance. This is also a great option for teachers and those in medical fields, as well.
Click to download - Professional Resume Template
2. CREATIVE CV TEMPLATES
i.e. Graphic Designer, Social Media Manager, Content Editor, Blogger, Photography Graduate, Marketing Exec etc.
Creative CV Templates are eye-catching and designed to stand-out. These templates lend themselves to creative, design and marketing related positions. When reviewing CVs employers like to see interesting applications and will give preference to these candidates. Creative CV Templates will often include a photo, however this isn’t necessary and can always be removed.
Creative CV templates should be used for jobs that require you to design or present creative material, such as a graphic designer, photographer, marketing executive or even fashion designer. You want a document that does not look too stuffy and boring, and creative templates often have a flair that grabs attention.
Click to download - Creative Resume Template
3. MODERN CV TEMPLATES
Modern CV Templates encompass both professionalism and creativity and will fall somewhere between these styles. Typically a Modern CV Template will be professional in nature but will include a few additional creative touches to help add personality and bring the document to life. They can be used across a plethora of professions and are generally chosen by creatives who want to appear understated as well as corporate professionals who want something to catch the eye.
Modern CV templates are great for those that find themselves somewhere in the middle of creative and professional. Corporate roles for creative companies or creative roles for corporate companies. Modern CV templates are stand-out without being over the top.
Click to download - 1 page resume template with cover letter
In summary, your CV or resume should basically go far enough back to include anything that is relevant to the position, while being sure to keep it a decent length based on your experience. Make sure it is concise and pops with a great template that does the hard work for you, which is of course landing that interview!
If you need additional advice on your resume or assistance selecting the template that is right for you, contact me directly and I’ll happily advise.
7. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: How long should a resume be?
A: 1 page for graduates and students, 2 pages for mid-level and senior, 3 pages for published professionals and consultants
Q: How many jobs should I list on my resume?
A: As many as are relevant for the role, omit totally irrelevant positions that you did a long time ago.
Q: How many years of work experience should I include on my resume?
A: Aim for between 10-15 years if you have that many. Only include older roles if they are relevant, otherwise if you are uncomfortable about omitting information group older positions together under one header or list just top line information.
Q: How far back should work history go on a job application?
A: As above.
Q: How far back should a resume go for education?
A: If you’re a student, graduate or junior include it all, for those who are more experienced pick based on relevancy for the jobs you are applying too, and, always include your degree.
Q: How many words should my resume be?
A: There is no determined perfect length of characters for a CV, there are too many factors in play to say what it should or shouldn’t be. If you wanted to take an average it varies between 300-450 for students and entry level candidates up to around 600-800 for more experienced pros.
Q: Is a 3 page CV too long?
A: Not if you can justify it, many consultants and published professionals will have 3 page CVs, using the third page to list all their work. The average professional should be aiming for no more than 2.
Q: Is a 1 page CV too short?
A: No. I’ve seen professionals with 20 years of experience stand-out a mile with just a single page CV. It’s how you use the space that’s the most important thing. Less is more as they say. Remember, the purpose of your CV is to generate an interview, not land you the job. 1 page is more than enough for graduates, freshers, juniors etc.
Q: How long should my cover letter be?
A: One page, unless you’ve been specifically asked to create something longer.
Article Updated: 17th March 2023