What Dates are Important on a Resume This Year

Updated June 17, 20221.7k

Dates are an important part of your resume – everything from employment dates to certification dates can tell a recruiter a lot. Here’s how to handle them.

Resume Dates

Every detail matters when it comes to a resume, so while resume dates may seem like a very small thing, they can be important to a resume. If you don’t make sure that you have the exact dates recruiters need in the right places, it could impact your chances of getting a new job. Here’s what you need to know about resume dates.

Which Resume Dates are Important?

Some dates are more important than others, especially on a resume. For example, the date that you graduated high school shouldn’t be at the top of your resume to-do list, but the employment dates for your most recent job should definitely be included. Dates give a hiring manager an indication of how much experience a job seeker has. Likewise, dates when you earned a certification or professional license tell them whether a job seeker has an up-to-date understanding of the role and industry, and whether a potential employer will need to account for license renewal at any time in the near future. These may seem like small things in the grand scheme of a job search, but recruiters will focus on these details.

When to Add Dates to Your Resume (and Where to Put Them)

There are some areas of a resume where you should always include dates and others where you should avoid adding dates. According to career experts, these are the dates you should include on your resume:

Dates of employment in a work experience section (e.g., your employment start and end date alongside the job title and company name)
Membership dates for professional memberships
Internship start and end dates (listed separately from your paid job history)
Publication dates
Certification dates
Professional license dates (award and renewal)

Job seekers should list dates using the same format throughout their resumes to ensure a cohesive appearance. This will make a good impression on a recruiter by giving your job application a professional appearance.

How to Fight Ageism During Your Job Search

Age is a protected class for a reason, and while we would all like to think that potential employers won’t discriminate based on age, it can happen. There are a number of steps that you can take to lower the chance that ageism will impact your job search. Here are some of the most effective:

Update your education section

Show evidence of ongoing education and learning to prove that your knowledge base is up to date. This will be even more effective if your recent academic education is relevant to the job description you are applying for.
Showcase your technological and digital literacy

Some potential employers have inherent biases towards older employees because of the belief that they have poor digital skills. If you show that you are proficient with social media platforms, commonly-used software (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel), and the Internet, you can offset this.
Limit your work history

Generally speaking, you should only include your last ten years of experience on any resume, but some job postings may request more than this. If they do, then you should provide only the amount of experience that they ask for, or perhaps a few years more if you want to distinguish yourself. Remember to provide your work experience in reverse chronological order.
Do not include your graduation date

Whatever academic achievements you include in your resume, you should not list your graduation date, as this will make it easier for people to guess your age.

If you want to ensure that your professional resume and cover letter are as good as they can be, consider using the ResumeNerd online resume and cover letter building tools. These tools will ensure that your documents are perfectly formatted and help you to determine where exact dates are needed.

FAQ: Resume Dates

Can I remove resume dates to hide an employment gap?

No, you should not remove dates to obscure an employment gap. You can switch a functional resume format or combination resume format to take some of the emphasis off of your professional experience, however. These formats focus on skills more heavily than a chronological resume format and so can help divert attention from a short or patchy employment history.

Do I need to put my date of birth on a resume or CV?

No - age is a protected class, and as such, you should not include your date of birth on a resume. As is the case when resumes have pictures attached, professional resumes listing date of birth may be discarded as a matter of company policy to avoid potential lawsuits.

How should I format dates on my resume?

The standard US date format is MM/DD/YYYY - while you do not have to use this date format, it is probably the best choice in most cases. However, you format your dates on a resume, the most important thing is that you are consistent.

Link copied!

About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.