What is the general chronological depth recommendation for work history on a standard resume, excluding prestigious or highly niche older roles?
Answer
A maximum of 10 to 15 years.
Hiring managers are primarily focused on recent activity and its applicability to the role being filled. Therefore, across various experience levels, there is a universal recommendation to limit the chronological scope of the work history presented. For a standard resume format, the suggested maximum look-back period is between 10 and 15 years. Any work history older than this threshold should typically be omitted or summarized significantly, unless that older experience holds exceptional prestige or is directly relevant to a specific niche requirement of the new job opening.
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