How far back should my CV go?

Many who ask the question have had several jobs with multiple employers throughout their career, or they have 15 - 20 years plus experience and need to present this on their resume. But their CV spills on five or more pages when they do, and it becomes far too long. Has this happened to you?

If this situation sounds familiar, I suggest having a section on your resume that lists, in a small spreadsheet-type format, the company, position, and duration of all your roles to date. That way, employers can see a quick summary. Then, I suggest going no further than ten years back under employment history or limiting it to 6 jobs.

Let's say you are applying for a job in a field that you worked in 10 years ago. If you want to promote that experience and not your latest work, list those jobs in the employment history section and, just under the header, write a small paragraph that acknowledges what you have done to date.

This is also a great way to dissuade an employer from thinking your over qualified if your latest jobs have been more senior or higher paid.