Listing Long-Term Employment on Your Resume

Listing Long-Term Employment on Your Resume Many clients come to me with several different jobs within the last few years. With an evolving economy, downsizing, and moving, there are many reasons why people may have had multiple jobs within a short time frame. Occasionally, I work with clients that have the reverse issue â€" they have worked at the same place for 15 or 20 years and don’t know how to present that information in a positive light. Will it look like they couldn’t get a job elsewhere? Will people think their skills are old? How will they show their qualifications are still in-line with today’s job market? Read on for several tips for those of you that have longevity with your current company. #1 â€" List each position separately. Even though you may have been with the same company for a long time, chances are that your job titles and responsibilities have evolved over time. By listing each position separately, you are able to showcase that progression, leadership, and new achievements. THIS is where that longevity is a positive thing. If you weren’t doing a great job at the beginning, they wouldn’t have promoted you to a management position. And, if you hadn’t been successful with managing the local store, you wouldn’t have earned a district-wide leadership position. #2 â€" Remove outdated skills. Whether you are in IT or a managerial field, be sure to remove outdated skills that will date you. For example, don’t include an ability to utilize Windows 95 or the fact that you know shorthandâ€"neither skill is relevant today. Every skill-set listed should be a benefit to the potential employer. And, if you have a great deal of skills in one particular areaâ€"like technologyâ€"consider giving that its own section. #3 â€" Add a career summary. The career summary is a three to five line description at the start of the resume that provides the reader with a high overview of your roles, achievements, and skills. When you start with this, you can also list the progression in your career and may even provide a very description of the organization. #4 â€" Add a separate section that calls out your accomplishments. Use this section to draw attention to the sales increases you have brought to the company, how many employees you have managed, number of projects overseen within a year, or amount of accounts you manage on a quarterly basis. #5 â€" Include community engagement and volunteerism. If you have worked at the same company throughout your entire career, you may also have played a vital role in representing that organization within the community. By listing your volunteerism, you are also showing collaboration skills with others outside of your workplace, communication abilities, organizational skills, and a focus on assisting others. Instead of viewing your longevity with one company as a potential detriment to your future employment opportunities, consider it a blessing. It shows that you have provided a great service for that organization, have progressed through the ranks, and are still successful today. P.S. Are you ready to move forward with your new resume and want to rewrite it on your own? Check out our Do-It-Yourself Resume Kit that has 14-pages of valuable information, including a resume template!