Is it okay to not include dates on resume?
It makes sense for older job seekers to ponder if they can omit résumé dates. After all, dates on resumes reveal your age, which might be fatal to your job quest. Older applicants had 20% to 50% fewer callbacks in a large FRBSF study of 40,000 resumes. But is it acceptable to omit dates from your resume?
The conclusive response? To be hired, you must put dates on your resume. But this cloud of unemployment has a silver lining. In other words, they’ll figure it out during the interview nonetheless. Additionally, there are some excellent ways to include dates on a resume and still look professional.
What Dates to Put on a Resume
Your resume needs the months and years for each position listed in your work experience section. Use the best online Resume Builder for assistance. Include the year you obtained a certification, joined a professional association, or graduated from college. It would help if you also mentioned the year and the months you began and ended your internship.
How to Combat Ageism When Looking for a Job
“She is far too old.” If the hiring manager says (or believes) that, your chances quickly diminish. The manager will consider your background to be dated. Or that a younger manager won’t get your attention. Or that you lack strong technical skills. Create a customized résumé and cover letter to overcome those issues.
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Create a concise resume
Your résumé should be brief. Not “write a one-page resume,” please. Show off your experience if you have it! But do so in a unique way. Write thorough details of each job you held throughout the previous ten years in the work history section of your resume. Write 3-6 accomplishment-filled bullet points for each job.
Think about it: don’t the past ten years mean the most? They demonstrate that, despite your age, your talents are still current. Consider Jack Welch, Lee Iacocca, and Warren Buffett. In their later years, they all made enormous accomplishments. (Buffett continues to be effective!) However, their accomplishments at age 30 are irrelevant.
Should you still list previous positions? Yes! Just a list, though. Unless it was an amazing accomplishment, anything over ten years old shouldn’t have bullet points.
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Compose a convincing cover letter
You need a cover letter if you’re older and concerned about the resume’s expiration date. However, don’t just draught a cover letter. Include your top ten accomplishments from the previous ten years in yours. If you concentrate on the previous five years, this works even better. Tell them you can work for a junior manager after that.
That last sentence is crucial. Many hiring supervisors are concerned that an older worker will be unyielding. Talking about working with young managers will demonstrate that you are still an important team member. If you include specifics, you get extra points.
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Highlight technical skills on your resume
Although resumes must include dates, demonstrating computer skills might be beneficial. Showcase your technology accomplishments if you’re concerned that your resume’s dates will give you a senile appearance. In the past five to ten years, you should have made a few significant technological advances that you may list on your resume.
If your accomplishments are noteworthy enough, mention them in your cover letter. Your age can appear immaterial if you demonstrate your technical skills in your resume and cover letter.
Here’s why leaving out dates on your CV is not acceptable:
- To demonstrate the specifics of your experience, your resume must include dates. However, don’t be concerned that your resume’s dates may reveal your age or make you appear overqualified (or underqualified). In any case, they’ll learn during the interview.
- Concentrate on details in your resume to combat ageism. What actions have you taken recently to aid organizations in achieving their objectives?
- Make your job history bullets as explicit as possible by including numbers to indicate accomplishments. How many and for how much? Display your outcomes!
- Dates for employment, school, internships, certifications, and memberships should be included on resumes.
- Use an “en-dash” and left justification to align dates on a résumé.
Hopefully, this guide helped you better understand why you can take advantage of dates on your resume. The ideal thing to do is always add dates in years, so you can also cover up any gaps that there may be. Thank you for reading!