Resume Help

Straight answers to resume questions

Every page here answers one question you hit while writing a resume, with a committed answer up front — a number, a yes or no, and the exact line to type. For complete, editable resumes by job title, see the resume examples.

• How Far Back Should a Resume Go?

  Go back 10–15 years, or your last three to four relevant roles, whichever tells the better story. Compress anything older into a one-line "Earlier experience" entry or cut it entirely; a resume is a sales document, not a full employment history. The exception: when an older role is your most relevant one, it earns real space no matter its date.

• How to List References on a Resume (and Why You Shouldn't)

  Leave references off your resume, and cut the "references available upon request" line too — it spends space on something every employer already assumes. Keep a separate references document ready to send when you're asked, usually after an interview. The exception is government, academic, and some licensed-field applications that explicitly require references; there, follow the posting exactly.

• How to Put Babysitting on a Resume

  List babysitting under Work Experience like any job: "Babysitter — Private clients," with dates and two or three bullets that show scope (how many families, the ages, what you were trusted with). Paid, recurring, trusted work counts as experience; you don't need a company name to claim it.