# job history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319 "2012-01-31T17:40:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/1 "2012-01-31T17:40:06Z")
Can anyone direct me on how I can get a copy of my job history and dates? My computer died with my resume on it and my mempry isn’t good enough to reconstruct along with dates. I looked on my stats employment page and in Social Security but didn’t see anything to assist me. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/2 "2012-01-31T17:54:24Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > Can anyone direct me on how I can get a copy of my job history and dates? My computer died with my resume on it and my mempry isn’t good enough to reconstruct along with dates. I looked on my stats employment page and in Social Security but didn’t see anything to assist me. > > Thanks There is no such place in the US, where someone takes note of every job you have ever worked – unless you have worked for one employer your whole life, and even then, they might not have kept decades worth of records on you. Do you use LinkedIn? If not, have you ever emailed anyone your resume? If yes, look in your sent mail. If those don’t pan out, you could review your old taxes going back to whenever. Also I don’t know what this means: > [@](#): > > I looked on my stats employment page is it relevant to a particular industry? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/3 "2012-01-31T17:55:39Z")
If I had to reconstruct work history, I’d do it from old tax returns. Or else I’d guess. What. . .resumes are supposed to be accurate? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/4 "2012-01-31T17:56:36Z")
The last place you worked no doubt has a copy of your resume, no? ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/5 "2012-01-31T18:35:16Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The last place you worked no doubt has a copy of your resume, no? you would think. But corporate and my former supervisor say they gave the file to local HR who is clueless. I know the information has to available somewhere because several years ago I applied at FedEx and they gave me a printout of every job I ever had in order to fill out their exhaustive application. But thanks for the advice everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/6 "2012-01-31T18:38:43Z")
Well, then, why not submit another application to Fedex? And this time when they give you a printout of every job you ever had, save it. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/7 "2012-01-31T18:47:00Z")
What about one of those background check companies that employers use to verify employment? Do any of them actually do investigative research (e.g., ‘John P. Bellows sent us a resume with a gap from Jan 2003 to Sep 2005. Find out what he was doing. Was he in school, working somewhere, or was he in prison?’), or do they primarily do reference checks (e.g. ‘I’m calling from Verify-O-Resume Inc. in Chicago. I’m doing a background check on John P. Bellows, who claims that he worked for your company as a truck driver from Feb 2000 to March 2004. Could you please confirm this information?’)? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/8 "2012-01-31T18:54:52Z")
Perhaps this[nearby thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=170468)has some useful information. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-history/611319/9 "2012-01-31T18:55:41Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > I know the information has to available somewhere because several years ago I applied at FedEx and they gave me a printout of every job I ever had in order to fill out their exhaustive application. My best guess for that would be a credit report, but not all jobs would be reported there and the information may not be accurate.