How Many Jobs Should You List on a Resume?

You should list all the jobs you’ve had that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Usually, you’ll list 2–4 jobs on your resume, but that number can change based on your experience level.

You don’t have to put every job you’ve ever had on your resume. Instead of looking impressive, too many jobs can tell a recruiter that:

• you’re overqualified, especially if you’re applying for an entry-level job
• the skills you’ve picked up are now outdated
• you’re a job hopper

If you’re unsure how far back your resume should go, focus on your most recent positions. These jobs are usually more relevant and give a good indication of your skill level.

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How to tell if a past job is relevant

To decide if a job is relevant:

1. find the skills you’ll need to fit the position in the job posting
2. jot these skills down in one column on a page
3. write a second column with examples of when you used these skills in the past
4. add the positions in which you used the relevant skills to your resume’s work experience section

How to list your roles if you’ve had many jobs

If you have tons of relevant work experience, you can still put it all on a succinct resume. Here’s how:

1. Write a two-page resume

Though one-page resumes are typically best because they provide the most concise look at your qualifications, you can write a resume that’s longer if you’re an experienced job seeker with 10+ years of work history and are applying to senior or management roles.

Two-page resumes let you space job entries out. If you try to squeeze too many jobs onto one page, your resume will be hard to read.

Just ensure you have enough information to fill both pages. Also, fit key information (like recent jobs) onto the first page to make a strong first impression. You can leave less important resume parts like your certifications list or education section for the second page.

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2. Combine relevant experience

Group similar jobs together under one resume work history entry to save space.

For example, if you’ve had three jobs in customer service, combine them below one heading like this:

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Sales Assistant, Crate and Barrel, August 2016–May 2017
• Call Center Agent, AT&T, March 2013–June 2016
• Sales Intern, Shopify, July 2012–February 2013

You can also learn how to show promotions on your resume to group multiple jobs at the same company.

3. Include an additional experience section

Removing jobs from your resume can create gaps in your work history. A long period of inactivity is a red flag on a resume for hiring managers because it could mean your skills are outdated or that you were fired and had trouble re-entering the workforce.

A clever way to explain employment gaps on your resume is to add an additional experience section. An additional experience section gives you room to combine jobs that aren’t related to each other or list any unpaid work you’ve done.

When you describe your additional experience, be brief to save space, like this:

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Lab Technician, Oakridge Facility, 01–09/2020: Analyzed medical samples
• Intern, Milford Industries, 03/2017–07/2018: Researched and assisted senior lab technicians

What to do when you lack relevant experience

Are you in the early stages of your career or writing a resume for your first job?. Here are three tips on how to improve your resume to show hiring managers you’re qualified:

1. Add related volunteer work or internships

Highlight relevant internships and volunteer activities. Such experiences can show the hiring manager that you have the skills and work ethic they’re looking for.

When you put internship or volunteer work on your resume, showcase notable skills or achievements from those experiences, using hard numbers and examples to show hiring managers what you can do.

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2. Describe relevant coursework

Adding relevant coursework on your resume is a great way to make up for a lack of professional experience. Describing your classwork shows employers that you’ll bring up-to-date industry knowledge to the position.

But only feature courses directly relate to the job you want. For example, a module on web analytics could catch the employer’s eye if you’re applying for a Digital Marketer position.

Place your relevant coursework section under your education section, and format it as a bulleted list of the major topics the courses covered. Include any skills you learned or academic achievements you earned.

Here’s an example of a good relevant coursework section:

RELATED COURSEWORK

• Economics: Studied microeconomics and macroeconomics, learning how to predict market movement and earning second place in the Columbia University FDIC Academic Challenge (2020-2021)
• Business Analytics: Practiced creating strategies for maximizing organizational success in strong, weak, and volatile markets

3. Focus on your skills

If you’re switching careers or writing a resume with no experience, draw attention to your transferable skills. By focusing on your skills, you can justify why you’re qualified for a job even if you have no experience in the field. For example:

You have work history in retail that seems irrelevant if you’re applying for a teaching job. But the communication skills you learned as a floor manager are valuable for commanding a classroom.

The best way to highlight your skills is by writing a functional resume.

Unlike the standard chronological resume, the functional resume format uses skills categories instead of job subheadings. Bullet points under the headings give examples of how you’ve successfully applied your skills. Here’s a good example of a functional resume’s skills section: