Every candidate has a story. That story can be short and sweet, or it can be longer and more comprehensive. A resume functions as a marketing document that helps an individual stand out in a crowd, expressing their skills, experience, and competencies as a personal brand. In the clutter of online job boards, a typical resume receives fewer than 10 seconds of scrutiny! An employer (or recruiter) typically wants something different—they want an accurate, verifiable career history that fills in all the details and explains both accomplishments and transitions.
Transform a resume into a career history (CH) by focusing on the details.
Easy to Read: Like a resume, a Career History (CH) is simple, easy to read, and well laid out for clarity (no more than two font styles and three font sizes). However, unlike a resume, a CH allows for many pages to comprehensively detail one’s professional journey.
Contact Information: Include full name, mailing address, phone numbers, and email address. Include a hyperlink to the LinkedIn profile, maintaining consistency with the resume. An outdated profile reflects poorly on professionalism.
Specific Dates: While a resume lists dates for each job, a CH should encompass all time frames following the attainment of the first college degree. Specify the starting month and year as well as the ending month and year for each period. Even during periods of unemployment or job-seeking endeavors, it is imperative to indicate these transition times. The narrative surrounding transitions offers valuable insights into an individual’s professional journey and should therefore be included in the CH.
Work Experience: For every employer, provide details such as the organization’s name, city, and position held. Additionally, include information regarding the company’s size, both in terms of revenue and number of employees at the beginning and end of employment. Elaborate on the scope of responsibilities by delineating the organizational structure, including the title of the individual to whom the position reported, titles of peers, and any management titles under the position’s supervision.
For each employer include:
- Challenges faced when hired.
- Key responsibilities.
- Major accomplishments.
- Actual amounts rather than percentages i.e., revenue grew from $8 to $12M rather than revenue grew by 50%.
- Hyperlinks of the organization’s in electronic versions.
Why you left: The last thing a candidate wants to disclose is WHY they left a position—but it’s the first thing an employer will ask. While a resume often entails cosmetic adjustments to mask imperfections, a career history transparently presents the narrative, inclusive of all setbacks and successes. Following each position, italicize explanations for leaving, the process of securing the subsequent job, and the driving factors behind accepting the role.
Education: Include the type of college degree (e.g., B.S., MBA), subject area, name of institution, city and state of the institution, and the date awarded. Exercise caution when listing a degree from an institution not accredited by a regional accrediting body, as the degree may be viewed as having little merit by knowledgeable employers and recruiters.
Submit in a Word document, not PDF.
Do not write in the first person (I, we, our, etc.) See sample career history here
Leadership Burnout and Board Governance