How far back should a resume go?
Go back about 10 to 15 years for relevant roles. Older positions, or anything unrelated to the job you're targeting, can be dropped or compressed into a short 'Earlier experience' line. This keeps the focus on recent, relevant work and quietly avoids age bias from decades-old dates.
Employers care most about what you've done lately. Detailed bullet points belong on your last two or three roles; older ones can shrink to a title, company, and year.
There are exceptions — a directly relevant role from 18 years ago can stay if it's central to the job you want. Relevance beats recency in those rare cases.
Build an ATS-ready resume, free
Create a free account to build, tailor, and track resumes that actually get past the filters.
Start free →Related questions
Guidance for identity documents changes and varies by authority — always confirm against the current official specification before submitting.