Ask LifeClever: Should I Omit Short-term Work from My Resumé?

Trisha asks:

Should I omit any positions I have held for less than a year or insignificant ones? What is your opinion? I would rather explain a gap, like moving or staying at home with the kids, than explain why I left something after only 4 months.

If it’s not relevant, leave it out.

Think of your resumé as a story. When editing, ask yourself: “Does my resumé tell a compelling and coherent story about what I can offer?”

For example, say you spent two months apprenticing under a master chef in Paris, learning the intricacies of creme brulée and yummy strawberry tarts. If you’re applying for a pastry chef position in New York, then you’ve got a fantastic story to tell. No matter how short the time frame is, you should include it.

On the other hand, if you were only a temp doing data entry at a boring dotcom in Silicon Valley, it’d be a tougher story to tell. In that case, I’d leave it out.

Tip: if you’re in the creative field, explaining gaps is easy—you were freelancing.

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