# Resume opinion, please
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 2, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303 "2007-03-02T15:38:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/1 "2007-03-02T15:38:15Z")
I have been with my company for 14 years. When I list my most recent three jobs, is it appropriate to show the last three jobs within my company as separate items?
example (ignore the form for now):
\*EMPLOYMENT
Group Manager, ABC Company…August, 2003 - current
Maintained…
Implemented…
Created…
Department Mananger, TransUnion…April, 2001 - August, 2003
Managed…
Handled…
Coordinated…
Project Manager, TransUnion…July, 1999 - Arpil 2001\*
—end sample
I’ve been employed at current company since 1993. How far back do I go…three postions…four or more?
Cut me some slack. I’ve seen alot of resumes, but now that I have to do one, it doesn’t seem so obvious. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/2 "2007-03-02T15:50:07Z")
I say yes, particularly if separating out the jobs shows a progression of promotions. However, I only use one “header” per company so:
Company Name, location
dates, title III, description
dates, title II, description
dates, title I, description
Company’s name, location
dates, title, description
Company’s name, location
dates, title, description
I do as much as will fill up a page (using one header per company saves some space. If any of the positions were minor, transitional (maybe you worked 2 weeks in a department and tranferred), or really irrelevant to the present job, AND you’re running out of space, just skip those.
---
### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/3 "2007-03-02T15:55:26Z")
I’d do present-tense verbs on your current position.
My last resume, for my then-job, I’d been there 14 years with a couple of changes of title reflecting additional duties and responsibility, so I did:
Name of company, address
1991-93, title; 94-98, slightly more impressive title; 99-present, even more impressive title
Duties include: (all present tense, and all about the then-current duties).
---
### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/4 "2007-03-02T16:23:10Z")
Hey Phil -
Functional resumes are best in my opinion for people with long experience lines, and multiple moves within an organization.
Google Functional resume, you will find tons of info. Basically, it lists:
What you can do in Para 1
Where you got the skills
Credentials.
That is a gross oversimplification but see [here](http://www.quintcareers.com/functional_resume.html) for info on if a functional resume would work for you.
---
### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/5 "2007-03-02T16:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
Name of company, address
1991-93, title; 94-98, slightly more impressive title; 99-present, even more impressive title
[/QUOTE]
See, I would do what \*\*HelloAgain \*\* did with the one header per company, and then most recent _first_. especially if they are related; I did:
COMPANY, location
**Billing Manager** \ [M/YY-MM/YY] Promoted from \*\*Billing Assistant \*\* [MM/YY-MM/YY]
and assume they know Billing Assistant is a minor version of Billing Manager.
---
### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/6 "2007-03-02T17:24:56Z")
[QUOTE=gigi]
See, I would do what \*\*HelloAgain \*\* did with the one header per company, and then most recent _first_. especially if they are related;…
[/QUOTE]
Hm, good idea.
---
### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/7 "2007-03-03T01:17:21Z")
To me, working for the same company is one job, but with different responsibilities and achievements.
So I would have a header with the company name and length of employment.
Beneath I would list any important (or relevant to your next job) positions within the company.
If you have stayed with a company for a while, it shows loyalty. If they gave you new responsibilities, it shows they appreciated you.
---
### Author:  [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/8 "2007-03-03T02:37:35Z")
I do a big heading per company with smaller headings for jobs within a company. Some of my changes within a company have had fairly dramatic changes in job responsibilities. If it’s Billing Assistant, Billling Manager, Director of Accounts Receivable that’s a bit different from Billing Assistant, Payroll Manager, Director of Accounts Payable. The first situation is more amenable to combining the positions, the second one they should be broken out more.
Regarding functional resumes, you hear a lot about them. You may even hear them recommended by people who should know what they are talking about. I have had them recommended to me for reasons that made perfect sense. HOWEVER, after I read a couple multi-page threads on a human resources message board describing just how much they hate functional resumes, I redid mine. I am an HR person. I don’t personally hate functional resumes. But the facts of the matter seemed pretty clear–a lot of people who screen resumes hate them with the fire of 1000 suns. And, FWIW, response to my resume seems to have improved since I switched to chronological.
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/9 "2007-03-03T09:23:52Z")
Do you need to include the months?
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/10 "2007-03-03T09:43:24Z")
I suggest you get a pro to read over your resume and edit it. Now, you need the right buzzwords for the search-bots.
---
### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resume-opinion-please/394303/11 "2007-03-03T12:37:01Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz]
Do you need to include the months?
[/QUOTE]
Not if you’re talking about big chunks of time. Recent grads, usually, yes, esp. since there tend to be a lot of summer jobs, internships, etc. People who have been in the workforce for a while – it doesn’t really matter if you started a job in April or May of 1996 if you’re still with the same company.