Tales from the Resume Reef: Fill in the Recent Blanks

My car is a 2004. While I’m very happy with it, I could hardly claim it as a “new vehicle.” Put it on a lot with 2008 models, ask people to spot which are “new cars” and mine won’t quite make the list. In “Car years,” 2004 may not be a lifetime ago, but on a resume, if it’s your most recent date of employment/activity, that’s an issue.

If you haven’t worked or worked in your field in at least 2 years, you need to put SOMETHING for your most recent activity. Why? Employers who see a resume with a work history ending in 2004 and nothing since are puzzled, and then they tend to ignore the applicant.

(Please note that this is NOT about re-entering the workforce, and the difficulties you may run into. That’s a whole other issue. Instead, this is about the resume you are using to do so.)

Some brief points:
• If your most recent job isn’t “related” to your field, DON’T remove it completely if it fills in some key time.

Example:

Work History
2004-2007 Greeer/Customer Service Big Mart Austin, TX
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

This way, people see that you have been working, even if not in your field. Otherwise, the question becomes “What has this person done since 2004?”

• If you were in school, use that as a replacement for “blank time.”

Work History
2004-present Studies toward B.S. in Chemistry Don Haas College
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

• If you had a family-related issue, use that.

Work History
2004-present Stay at home parent
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

Now, we’ve previously discussed not giving out personal information; however, we’ve got that “what happened after 2004” issue otherwise. Employers are likely to respect a decision to be a stay at home parent; however, they will not be certain what to do with someone who looks to have done “nothing” since 2004:

Work History
1995-2004 AV Technician Al Wright’s Repairs Austin, TX
1990-1994 AV Technician McFloyd’s Zeke, AZ

Note: Volunteer work can also be a valued “time filler.”

Very few people who have several recent years of inactivity on their resume were really inactive. However, if your resume reads that way, it doesn’t give the employer anything to go on more than “I wonder what he/she’s done since …..” And then set the resume on the road to oblivion, less gently known as a shredder or trash can!

You deserve better! Fill in the blanks!
Employers see a more complete you, and you become a more "complete" candidate!