Listing Dates on Your Resume

Listing Dates on Your Resume Now that you have decided to update your resume, you need to ensure all the details are correct and appropriate for today’s job market. Once you gather the necessary information, including places of employment and achievements, it is not necessary to add date information to professional history, community involvement, andâ€"maybeâ€"education. Tip #1 â€" In professional history, it is not necessarily to list the exact dates of employment. Instead, list only the month and year of employment start and end. For example, saying “January 2012 â€" February 2015” is appropriate. Tip #2 â€" If you have changed jobs rather frequently and have only held positions for less than one year, then list only the years. For example, if you worked at a retail store from January through May 2015, then you could simply list “2015” as the date for this particular position. Tip #3 â€" There is no need to list the date(s) associated with your education. Unless you have recently graduated (within the last six months to one year), the year you graduated shouldn’t be listed. At some point in your career, listing this information could lead to age discrimination and a missed employment opportunity. Tip #4 â€" If your community involvement was in the past and you are still listing it for some reason, then be sure to just title the section “Previous Community Engagement” or “Past Community Involvement.” There is no need to make a list of years when the activities took place. When compiling your resume, be sure to think about the dates you are listing and how those reflect your career history. Obviously, never misrepresent your information or lie about dates, as this information can be easily verified. If you are curious about how your resume ranks against others, send it to us for a free resume consultation â€" we would love to help you!