How much employment history should be on a resume ?

Question

How much employment history should be on a resume ?

Answer 1

I'll try to tell you a bit from my experience in job searching in Israel, I hope similar rules apply where you live...

A resume is your calling card when looking for a job. This is your first contact with the company and its main purpose is to generate enough interest for them to invite you for an interview.

Having that said, keep in mind that resumes should be short. As far I know two pages is already considered a lot. Now, start with the most relevant history. It could be education, it could be employment history, it could be personal life experience. It doesn't always matter. Emphasize what you think is most relevant for this job application, and according to how relevant you think it is, determine how long sthe description should be. For instance, if you're trying to get into a High-Tech company and you have no experience whatsoever but you have a degree in Computers, put that first and make it detailed and emphasized. If on the other hand you do not have high education but you do have plenty of work experience in the field, put that first and emphasize and elaborate much. Think of a resume as a self-selling document, something like an ad. Those human resources managers get plenty of them, make sure yours stands out.

Leave out what you think is irrelevant for this application. No one really cares if you served burgers when you were 20. Again, everything you write should serve your main purpose - to convince them they should invite you for an interview. According to this you should decide what to include and what to leave out.

Good luck.