How far back should I go for work history

by Charlene
(Shelburne, Ontario, Canada)

I was at my last job 11 years as a retail manager and the company has a no reference policy. My jobs before that were supervisors at fast food for 6 years but nobody that is there now knows me because that was so long ago. What do I do?

Answer: In answer to your original question, most experts recommend you go back no more than 10 to 15 years in a resume. Anything older than that is rarely still relevant. Just because a company has a no reference policy doesn't mean they won't confirm that you were employed, along with the job title and dates of employment.

Actually, a lot of employers are reluctant to give references these days over fear of being sued.

So just list your jobs as they existed and be prepared to supply some personal character references if asked.