What to Write When You Dont Know Exact Date

We're going to talk almost the dates on your resume. Many of the problems I run into with resumes stems from people non knowing what to do and how to list them. Near the stop we'll get to the big question—should you include months on a resume?

Dates

I like talking near nothing more than than dates. I don't hateful the kind we had as teenagers or the kind you consume; I hateful the dates on a resume. Why? Because this is where people seem to get hopelessly awry. The deplorable affair is that this is the easiest part of the resume to get correct. All you have to practice is learn where to put them—and, tell the truth.

Dates on a resume are similar olive forks; there is no special slot for them in the silverware drawer. There are options:

• You could put them with the iced-tea spoons.
• Or with the espresso spoons.
• You could even squeeze them in with the cocktail/shrimp forks.

Merely regardless of where you put them, it always seems to be the incorrect choice. That's because you lot accept options. Having options confuses us, especially when it comes to resumes.

Questions I Become Asked About Dates

• Practice I put them in the left margin?
• Practise I put them on the same line every bit the visitor, but to the right?
• Do I right-justify the date?
• How most after each position if there are more than i in a company?
• Do I include the months or just the years?
• Practise I spell out the months? Or use numbers?
• Do I include days?
• How do I handle gaps in employment?

Fortunately for you, I'g here to take away many of your options. If y'all don't align the dates properly, they can be confusing. I prefer the dates of each position to be beginning from the dates at each company, like this:

See how clean this looks, and how easy it is for the gatekeeper to glance at the resume and see the progression? Likewise note that this resume uses numbers for months, and that the dates following each position are in regular font, non bold. Y'all want the dates for the companies to stand out and to exist aligned. The dates for each position should exist first and unobtrusive. I have seen people exercise resumes with the dates on the left margin—and it looks good—but information technology devours valuable space. I adopt this option.

Gaps

Allow's talk about gaps in the work history. This person left ABC in 9/2001 and didn't first at XYZ until 12/2001. Many people would cover up the gap by listing years only. This person did information technology the right way. If you lot have a gap—exit it. Show it. Shout it out. Information technology will earn you a red flag, but just one, and you can explain the gap to the gatekeeper when y'all get the interview. (Remember—forth with the red flag, you also earn bonus points for beingness honest. Trust me; that goes a long mode toward getting you the interview.)

Lying has no identify in the resume, and resumes are where the lies normally rear their ugly heads, specially about dates. I've seen people exit out jobs, go out off dates, fudge dates, and outright lie about dates. Besides existence just not right, when you prevarication about dates, it'southward too like shooting fish in a barrel to get caught. I received a resume once with everything filled in neatly, all dates deemed for. I did some checking on Linked-in to see who else I knew that might have worked with this person, and I saw a recommendation from a person who said "worked with Bob at XYZ Company." I was puzzled. Bob's resume didn't testify employment at XYZ Visitor. I did some digging, and, sure enough, Bob was at XYZ for most six months. He just "forgot" to mention it on his resume.

Needless to say, I didn't correspond Bob. The distressing affair is—and I checked this—his tenure at XYZ wasn't bad. He didn't get fired. He did nothing wrong. Information technology was just i of those circumstances that didn't work out. Perfectly explainable to a prospective employer. Instead, Bob chose to hide it, and information technology cost him a shot at a good job.

Should Y'all Include Months on a Resume

You should always listing the months yous worked—not just years. Many resumes listing years only, not months. I know a lot of that comes from bad advice, and I hope that'southward the primary reason. But in case yous're still thinking most it, read the argument below. Then read it over again.

If you lot don't put months on your dates of employment, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Every gatekeeper and every headhunter I know gets suspicious when they see only years listed on a resume. If your resume shows 1997–2001, and and so 2001 to present, the first matter I think is, "Did they get out in Jan 2001 and start the other job the following December?" It might be wrong to think like that, but it's a fact of life that gatekeepers practise. If you don't put the months down, yous're assumed guilty. Period. Finish of give-and-take. Resume trashed.

The Bottom Line

• Have your dates aligned, preferably to the far correct.
• Evidence the dates you spent at each company in assuming.
• Testify the dates afterwards each position outset to the left, non bold.
• Do not fudge on dates. Testify both month and year on each one.
• Show any gaps in employment. Be prepared to explain those gaps, but do non try to cover them up.

By the mode, if you want to know how to correct-align the dates on resumes, you might have a await at this postal service.

If you liked this postal service, delight share.

And yous might consider checking out my book No Mistakes Resumes. You can buy it almost anywhere online. If you really need help, consider our resume services.

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141103154947-1709349-should-you-include-months-on-your-resume

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