If you are wondering what to put on your resume – and what you shouldn’t put on your resume, we have some helpful advice. After all – age is an asset, not a limitation.
Let’s say you’re about to attach your resume and hit send to apply for that job you’ve been eyeing for the past week-and instead you hit the panic button in your mind. You check your resume one last time and wonder, “Should I include the dates of my graduation and specific dates of my work history, or will that reveal my age?”
What To Put On Your Resume
Showing your age is a common question for many when filling out online applications. However, your age should never be a limitation, rather an asset. Why? Read on…
You have experience.
Your college graduation date is no competition for the years of experience you have under your belt. Use this to your advantage by listing your recent and relatable work history, specifically the transferable skills that are beneficial to the job for which you are applying. Take action and remember you ARE good enough.
To keep or not to keep your graduation date.
Age discrimination concerns aside, it’s irrelevant information. Unless you are a recent graduate, your exact year of graduation is not the focus of hiring managers. The asset you possess is the degree itself, not the year is was awarded.
In fact, it’s so common to leave the year of graduation off that you needn’t worry it will look as though you’re hiding something.
Your resume will SPEAK.
What to put on your resume is a hard question to answer, but it is easy to do so when you are able to showcase your personal brand. Your resume is your opportunity to showcase your Skills, Personality, Experience, Accomplishments, and Knowledge of what makes you the standout candidate. Additionally, while having the experience and skills to represent what you have done, it is just as important to focus on what you can do that will benefit company.
Do keep work dates.
Although it’s not necessary to include your graduation date from college, including dates from your past and recent work experience can enhance your chances of impressing your future employer. Employers want to track your past work history and using dates only enhances rather than diminishes your chances of landing the job.
“Being confident and believing in your own self-worth is necessary to achieving your potential.” –Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook
