Leaving Experience Off of a Resume and LinkedIn
Kent R.
One of my main goals with Tandem Powered is to provide people with credible, honest, and actionable advice based directly on my extensive experience working on both sides of the table. So, I've formalized this Q&A series and – as I always have – welcome your questions. Don't hesitate to get in touch; you may just find your question addressed right here in the Tandem Powered blog.
Q. Do I have to list out all my work experience on my resume or can I just keep the relevant experience, and then list the rest of my experience on LinkedIn?
A. You should never feel like you need to include all of your experience on either your resume or LinkedIn. Being strategic about which experiences to include is smart. Here are some things to keep mind when deciding whether or not to include certain experience on your resume or LinkedIn.
Your resume should provide readers with your most recent and relevant experience. It is a best practice to include about 10 years of professional experience on a resume (perhaps more on LinkedIn).
It can be wise to not include overlapping experience or side jobs, especially if those roles are not directly related to your desired position. Streamlining your professional experience, when possible, is generally a smart move.
Consider the transferable nature of the skills required to perform a position that you deem irrelevant. Many of my clients are surprised to learn that positions they felt should be left off of a resume were actually quite relevant when framed strategically.
If you eliminate positions, you may create the appearance of an employment gap. And a gap may be more problematic than speaking to the position you are choosing to leave off.