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How much to include on LI profile?
Hi, friends - I am almost 50 years old and am actively job hunting. I have been in the workforce since 1993 and already feel the affects of ageism. I don't have room on my resume for all of my work experience, so I only have roles from the last 15 years on there. However, I do have my full work history on my LinkedIn profile.
In an effort to avoid ageism as I search for my next role, I want to remove older work experience from my LinkedIn profile. Although I don't think I look my age, when I hit the in-person interview stage, I'm sure it will be evident I have been in the workforce more than 15 years. Would it be considered deceptive for me not to list older work history on LI (or even in applications)? Or is this just something employers expect and accept?
(And, please, don't tell me I don't want to work for a company that discriminates based on age. I am the primary provider for my family, so I need solid opportunities that pay well. I just want to be given a CHANCE.) Thanks for your advice!
Mindy ClaggettMarketing | Communications | Program Management
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10/20/19 at 1:49AM UTC
The timing for this was prophetic. I was told a couple of days ago that my position is being eliminated at the end of this month. I'm glad I already was in job-hunt mode, but now I need to ramp it up higher...
Joanna GiordanoHBO HR experience. Resume/Job & Health coach.
358
10/17/19 at 10:51PM UTC
Share only what you want to share at the resume stage. IMO, more than 10 years is too much. Ask yourself: how relevant is a job experience from 2008 to next month in the next role you want? If the answer is "very" then you find a way to include it. There are ways to name drop employers, clients, skills, etc. that don't force you to list all your history. Also, no reviewer has time to read back that far. It's up to YOU to edit your stuff and showcase it appropriately. Serve it up!!
Mindy ClaggettMarketing | Communications | Program Management
238
10/20/19 at 1:53AM UTC
Thanks for the insight. From 2004-2014, I was in a role that's very pertinent to the jobs I am looking for, so I definitely need it on my resume. I'm hoping my next role will give me enough of the appropriate work experience to permit me to take the older job off my resume.
Anonymous
10/17/19 at 6:25PM UTC
Hi Mindy- how I will do it sometimes is to add it right to the bottom of the last job (maybe 10-15 years back) and stack the jobs within that role, but leave the years out. Then we can add the "Started career..." part. We've had good luck with it.
Good luck to you! :)
Mindy ClaggettMarketing | Communications | Program Management
238
10/20/19 at 1:45AM UTC
Thanks for this suggestion. It was VERY helpful!
Anonymous
10/17/19 at 3:31PM UTC
Hi Mindy- I understand your concern about ageism. One way we work around it is to group several jobs under one heading. So, let's say you "stack" a couple of jobs (you have to edit it so it looks good) and then summarize what you did in the roles, like "Started career at XYZ Company and worked up to Sales Manager. Gained valuable experience with B2B sales, customer development, and market expansion..."
So this way, you aren't leaving out your experience, but you aren't listing every role you've had that may age you (and you might not need on there).
Hope this helps!
Erin Kennedy, MCD, CPRW, CMRW, CERW, CEMC
www.professionalresumeservices.com
Mindy ClaggettMarketing | Communications | Program Management
238
10/17/19 at 3:35PM UTC
Thanks for the reply, Erin. Do you have suggestions for how to do that on LinkedIn, specifically? The platform isn't quite set up with the same flexibility that we have on resumes. LI won't let us leave off dates.
