One of the most frequently-asked questions when it comes to resume writing is whether every previous job should be included.
To find the answer look at the positives and negatives of doing it.
If you are applying for an accounting job and you have had several years of experience in accounting, there are no advantages in including jobs from your pre-accounting days simply because they add nothing to your desirability.
There is no real downside to including these previous jobs, although the reader may wonder why they were included if they were jobs that you held very early in your working life.
If you are going for less specific jobs, then there are advantages of including your past unrelated jobs and very little downside.
The positives include showing that you are a go-getter and that you can take on various jobs and even some that may be outside of your skill set.
There is also a chance that one of your previous jobs will resonate with the person reading your resume.
For example, if you spent a few months as a painter and come across an interviewer who has painted their own home, you will soon find yourself bonding as you reminisce over what is possibly one of the world’s most tedious jobs.
And anything that helps you make an impression during an interview is a big plus.
What are the downsides? None at all.
Craig Binnie, the director of The Job Factory – a company that specialises in finding jobs for clients fast – says job seekers should not stress too much about what to include in a resume.
“Keep it short and simple,” he says. “The aim is to tell your story and display your skills, qualifications and experience in an easy-to-read document. If you can do this, the only thing preventing you from getting a job fast is the 100 other applicants who have probably applied for the job you want.”
If you need to find a job fast, contact The Job Factory (www.thejobfactory.com.au) to find out how we have been able to set up interviews for our clients in less than five minutes.
