How Far Back Should Your Resume Go?

How Far Back Should Your Resume Go?If you're a college graduate seeking a position as a computer programmer, then you probably already know that you should write your resume from the perspective of 'historical data.' A professional resume is written from a business standpoint, not an academic one.In the old days of electronic forms and word processing software, you could place resumes in envelopes or laminate them and take them with you to work. The job seeker just had to print the resume out and save it for a certain date in order to be considered for the position. Computer technology hasn't changed a whole lot since then; you still need to look at the paper resume as the very first thing in the chronological order of your application.For computer programmers and other professionals in the area of software, you must include your 'work history' and then your 'resume' as part of a particular part of your resume. Do not use the phrase 'many years of software programming experience' as a sentence. The actual words are 'years of experience programming,' and those are different.How far back should your resume go depends on what you do. Many companies actually hold your resume until the time that they would need you, but if your application has gone to their entire staff for evaluation, they may hold your resume until the time that they're actually hiring you. You don't have much choice; you need to be included in the process of evaluation for the company. If you're willing to leave your resume on the shelf until the time comes, then you can't claim that you deserve the position until you've actually received it.This isn't the same as a specific type of position, such as a consulting engineer. Consulting engineers aren't really in need of programming skills, but they are in need of the ability to communicate. And if they want someone who has programming skills, then a computer programmer is going to be used as a consultant. It is only the latter which needs to be inc luded in the technical skills section of the resume.Obviously the question of how far back should your resume go is only relevant to computer programmers, but even there the criteria is slightly different. A great programmer can work for years and never be asked about their qualifications. But many of the people who ask how long should your resume go are looking for someone who can be fired within a few months for performance issues.When you get to the interview stage, if you're being asked the question of how far back should your resume go, then you will need to answer this question. Otherwise, you will be accused of hiding your past.As a point of contrast, how far back should your resume go is irrelevant if you're being asked about a position where the primary responsibility involves typing code or dealing with high levels of programming, such as a developer who works directly with a development team. These types of jobs can be a little more complicated than you might think.