Conventional advice says resumes should be short. No more than one page and only your most recent work history – definitely not more than ten years. But is the conventional advice right?

In fact, showing as much work experience on your resume as possible can be a benefit when you’re trying to land a job. A work history that extends well into the past indicates dedication, while experience in multiple levels of the same company or experience developed through regular promotions along a single career track demonstrates your commitment to proactively growing your own career.

How can you fit all your experience on your resume without making it too long for employers to read? Try these tips:

Focus on recent accomplishments that showcase multiple skills.

Instead of listing the duties for every job you’ve ever worked, list one or two major accomplishments in each job that tied together your top skills into a single success. For instance, if you managed a sales and marketing department, don’t list each duty of management. Instead, note that you “Recruited, hired, and supervised a staff of 20 in a company earning over $12 million in annual sales.” Hiring managers will know what “duties” you fulfilled to pull this off, and you can talk about specific tasks in your interview.

Use different jobs as opportunities to diversify the experience you present.

Managing those 20 staff member probably gave you valuable experience in conflict resolution, organization, communication, and training others. In the position you held before becoming manager, you might have used these skills as well. But what other skills did you use? For instance, if you worked as marketing professional just before your promotion, use this line on your resume to emphasize accomplishments that required you to multitask, offer great one-on-one customer service, or cooperate with teammates – key skills, but slightly different from those you emphasized as a manager. You’ll maximize skill descriptions and save space.

File anything older than ten years under “Previous Experience.”

If you want to emphasize a long career in a single field, consider listing older jobs under a separate heading, labeled “Previous Experience.” Here, list only the job title, employer, and dates worked – no duties or accomplishments. This section signals your commitment to the career path and lets the hiring manager ask specific questions during the interview if they wish to do so.

At SMR Group Ltd, our experienced recruiters help candidates find marketing and sales jobs with companies that offer a great fit. Contact us today to learn more about our great career opportunities.