Let the Past Be the Past
Kent R.
Open up your resume and have a quick look at your past jobs. Are they being communicated in the present tense? If so, you are not alone. I'd say that 80% of the resumes that I read (and I read A LOT of resumes) communicate past work experience in the present tense. That might seem like a very minor issue, but it can have big ramifications. Here's why:
It's a mistake – Even the smallest mistakes on a resume can undermine your credibility.
It makes your past jobs read like job descriptions – Listing past experience in the present tense makes the information you include for those roles sound like a list of items that are expected of someone who currently holds that role.
It sends a weird message to readers – "It says here that this candidate left this job two years ago, but it also says she 'manages a team of 8.' Why is she still managing that team of she is no longer in the position?" Of course readers know that you are not really still managing that team, but you can understand the very subtle, confusing message tense issues can cause.