Careful with resume date formatting: you don’t want to look like you have something to hide
I look at a lot of resumes in the course of my work, and one thing I have noticed is people taking certain liberties with the date formatting. I’m not the only one noticing; check out what Ask A Manager has to say:
I’m seeing what might be a trend of people using a chronological resume format but leaving off any indication of how long they held each position. This is really not a good idea. It looks like you’re trying to hide a series of short stays and in a pretty inept way.
And this, from Coromel’s View:
Also, about your work dates…put the month and year you were at your job. 2007 to 2009 looks like two years but if it’s December 07 to January 09 it’s basically one year. We’re going to ask you so just put it down and we won’t think you’re trying to be cute and hide something.
The truth is, some people are trying to hide something by using this format. Maybe it’s a short stay somewhere. Others are simply trying to de-clutter their resume (in a way that hiring managers don’t really appreciate, but they mean well). Some people are contractors with a (necessarily) fragmented work history. And some of these applicants are on the older side of the spectrum, and trying to showcase their skills over their age.
There are a lot of reasons why an applicant might try to obscure dates. Let’s talk about why, and what they might choose to do instead:
Contractors and Freelancers
Undoubtedly, a lot of assignments end before a person has another one lined up, resulting in unsightly gaps across the years. The temptation to gloss this over can be great. However, hiring managers understand contract arrangements. Be up-front with the months, and simply state that you left because a contract ended. (Your contract work shouldn’t be mis-identified as full employment, anyway, so they already know!) Another great way to work with this situation is to form your own consulting company and use it to fill in any spaces between jobs — if you are busy with your own clients and also fulfilling contracts, you’re going to come across as a busy, capable person.
People with Problem Areas in Their Careers
Some people really are trying to hide a time when they were not totally sure of their career path, or took the wrong position, or even were terminated. Hiding dates is unlikely to hide this for long, though. In my opinion, the best place to deal with this is in the cover letter. Think very sincerely about why you have that date you’re embarrassed to put down, and think about what you’re seeking now, and how you have changed. Admitting that you took a job that was a bad fit can be a sign of maturity, especially if you have a convincing rationale and some proof that you have changed and grown. It is infinitely better to address any strangeness in your resume in a letter, rather than trying to erase the incident (which will probably come up in any serious investigation of your background) or allowing the hiring manager to come up with their own explanation. For more tips on presenting yourself well when you’ve been dealt a rough hand, check out this article: Enhancing Your Employability Despite Those Employment Gaps.
Older Applicants
There are instances where it is acceptable, even advisable, for older applicants to obscure some dates. For instance, removing the year when you received a degree might be acceptable if you truly feel that it distracts from your overall profile. Similarly, if you spent a very long time at just one or two companies in your career, then months are an unnecessary level of detail, and years alone should be sufficient. However, no dates at all just raises too many red flags. So trim off any irrelevant job history that is more than 15 years in the past, but properly date everything that you do include. For more excellent tips on check out this New York Times piece called Presenting Young, in Interviews and On the Job.
In summary: dates are important. Leaving them off entirely raises more than question marks — it raises exclamation points! Months are not necessary 100% of the time, but they are standard, and much appreciated. Finally, use your cover letter to make sure that any date anomalies are fully explained.
Article by, Sarah and courtesy of RiseSmart.com – RiseSmart: Search Smarter. Rise Faster.
