Career Coach: Employment History And Experience, Networking
CHICAGO (CBS)-- CBS 2 is Working for Chicago by getting advice from our career coach every Thursday.
This week, the focus is on employment history and experience. Lynn Alves, president of Interview Line An Expert, says it's important to tighten up the resume.
"Only go back 20 to25 years maximum, thats all you need," Alves said.
This advice applied to both your resume or your LinkedIn profile and may sway the employer looking for more youthful hires.
Bosses aren't allowed to ask your age, that's the law. She also says don't provide the year you graduated school.
But what if you have career highlights from more than 25 years ago?
"What I suggest is you create a different heading, such as 'other or additional professional experience' and put the name of the company and role, but don't add dates to your roles, which allows you to express your experience without revealing your age," Alves said.
She also suggests modernizing the layout of your resume, even down to the font. Stay away from Times New Roman. She said it looks dated to some employers.
Instead, look at modern resumes for fonts with a fresher look, like Arial or Calibri.
The CBS 2 career coach says if you've been in the workplace a while, don't use this as the opportunity to change career paths.
Focus on jobs that showcase your specialty and then you can pivot after landing the position.
"specially with those having more experience, it's important to stay inside your discipline to look for a new job, Alves said. "When you're unemployed its not the right time to switch professions. Its much more difficult then."
Also, don't be discouraged if it takes a little while. Use that time to help develop a deeper career network.
She says to reach out to people who may be able to put you in touch with the right people. Alves recommends letting your network of contacts know specifically what your areas of expertise are.
"More experienced candidates have to realize their job search may take a little longer, the more experience you have you may not fit into everyones pay grade and that's okay, there is job out there for you, your experience is valued," she said.