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Re: How to mention distant-past experience on a resume?
Subject:Re: How to mention distant-past experience on a resume? From:"Stuart Burnfield" <slb -at- westnet -dot- com -dot- au> To:"Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>, "Techwr-l" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 03 Dec 2014 18:16:44 +0800
I just don't agree that 20-year-old experience is automatically
irrelevant. If someone worked for a few years as a geologist or
industrial chemist or in the military that could be highly useful and
applicable to certain TW roles.
If anything some employers are swayed too much by past job titles. Bob
used to work as an X, and everyone can write, so Bob can write our X
manual.
--- Stuart
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Kim-Eng"
To:"Stuart Burnfield" , "Techwr-l" ,
Sent:Sun, 30 Nov 2014 18:20:14 -0800
Subject:Re: How to mention distant-past experience on a resume?
Look at that long past "relevant" experience and tear it down to its
component functions, then look for the more recent jobs you've had in
which you used those. The only person who's likely to be pulled in by
the fact that you "used to be" a programmer, lab tech or telecom
developer 20 years ago is the recruiter or HR drone who's skimming
your
resume for key words (not that you don't have to attract that person,
but don't make the pandering too obvious). The real hiring manager is
going to be looking for something that shows you have skills that are
relevant to what's going to be in the contract now.
Gene Kim-Eng
On 11/30/2014 5:32 PM, Stuart Burnfield wrote:
>
> Instead, I'd mention the relevant-but-old experience in the cover
> letter or intro paragraph ("... experienced technical writer and
> former XXX") and list only the recent and relevant gigs in the body
of
> the rÃsumÃ. If they're curious about when you got the XXX
experience
> they can ask at the interview.
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