When NOT to Include a Job on Your Resume

Imagine you changed jobs, and you’re just not a fit. You’re miserable and plan to say adios as soon as possible. Is excluding that role from your resume okay, or is that dishonest?

At Life Working®, that question is all too common. Here’s a letter we recently received from a client.

Dear Wilma,

I hate my new job. I worked at my old company for 12 years but was let go in a major restructuring. I found a new job, and I’ve been here for four months, but I don’t like it and plan to quit.

My question is: Should I include this job on my resume? — Life Working client

As with many job-related issues, the answer depends on the circumstances—did you plan to stay short-term, or did it end up that way?

If the job was a contract (or a contract-to-hire role that didn’t get picked up), the usual answer is: Yes, include the job on your resume. Make sure to describe it as “Hired for a temporary, three-month role during the maternity leave of key staffer” or “Contract-to-hire position ended prematurely due to termination of company relationship with the client.”

Hiring managers are often sympathetic to short-term engagements when the circumstances are explained.

If the position wasn’t meant to be short-term, it might be wise to find a way to make it seem like it wasn’t as short. You could include it on the resume but list your experience by year instead of month/year to month/year.

For example, list the experience as Bumblebee, Inc. (2019) vs. Bumblebee, Inc. (March 2019 – August 2019).

Also, consider whether you can “group” the role with other positions. For example, if you had several short-term roles — even if they were not technically temporary— consider combining them into a single description.

For example, if you had a sales role with company ABC for eight months but left for a better opportunity with company XYZ — and only worked there for a year — consider listing the positions jointly as “Sales Representative, ABC/XYZ” with the inclusive dates. However, this only works if the titles and responsibilities are very similar.

What happens if you quit or are fired?

Consider leaving it off if you quit or were fired because you didn’t like the job/company/people. But even in this situation, there are exceptions.

Did you learn any new skills in this role? If so, include the position so that you can showcase those skills.

Did you work for a name-brand company or a name-brand client in the scope of your work in that role? Would including the position on your resume increase your chances of getting through the applicant tracking systems (ATS) — or impress a hiring manager?

Will having this position better position you for a career change? If listing the experience helps you bridge the transition from one career to the next, consider including it.

Finally, is this role your only work experience relevant to your job target? For example, if you are a recent graduate but were “first in and first out” at your first job, consider including it if you were on the job for more than 90 days. Having some experience — even short-term experience — may be better than having no experience.

If you were laid off because of the economy, loss of a critical company customer, or another reason unrelated to your performance, include the role in the resume.

If, on the other hand, the role doesn’t fit in the narrative of where you’ve been in your career — and, more importantly, where you’re going — consider omitting it. If including the job on your resume will raise more questions than it will answer, consider not mentioning it, especially if omitting it wouldn’t cause a significant time gap on your resume.

Your resume shouldn’t be a job listing graveyard

Let’s look at Ted. He left the military after a career in naval intelligence and took a job at a startup software company, working in their security department. After a few weeks, he decided that the culture didn’t fit his personality and left the role. Instead, he went to work for a defense contractor. After two years, he’s ready to look for a new job. Ted should probably leave the startup position off his resume.

Remember, your resume is not an obituary that lists every job you’ve ever held. It’s a marketing document that should support the job target you’re seeking.

That’s a good reason only to include the most recent 10-15 years of work experience on your resume. This may help reduce the likelihood of age discrimination, and your older experience may no longer be relevant in a rapidly changing world. 

Your newer skills, experience, and projects better reflect where you are going, not where you have been.

However, you should not remove a job from your resume that you’ve held for any significant length of time (say, more than six months) just because you were fired (even for performance). Not wanting to discuss the situation is not a good reason to leave the job off your resume. 

Let’s say you are a sales professional who was let go because you missed two consecutive quarters of sales quotas. In that case, you might include the role on your resume (especially if you were selling a desirable product or working with high-profile clients) but be ready to explain that you didn’t have the depth of product knowledge needed to be successful in that position. This strategy is particularly effective if you have succeeded in previous sales roles but not in this one.

One important thing to note: If you are asked to complete a job application that requires you to list all positions you’ve held (read the application directions carefully!), you should include every role — no matter how short — particularly if you’re required to sign the application (and, therefore, attest to the truthfulness of the information included).

But on the resume, you can decide which positions to include and exclude.

Life Working® professional resume writers can help you determine what to include and exclude on your resume to maximize your chances of getting an interview. Having the guidance and advice of a trusted professional can save you time and money and help you land that dream job faster and potentially even at a higher salary than you were expecting.

A Quick Reference Guide to Whether (or Not) to Include a Job on Your Resume

Ask Life Working® resume experts if you need more clarification on anything related to your resume or job search! We stay current about trends in resumes and hiring technology and will be able to offer you the best solution for your specific needs.

For more information about Life Working® services, check out our career coaching services, resumes & writing services, and schedule your free consultation.