How Far Back Should a CV Go?

Most CVs should give detail on roughly the last 10 to 15 years of experience. Summarize older roles in a short "Earlier career" line or section with titles and employers only, unless an older role is especially relevant to the job. This keeps your CV focused, within two pages, and centred on what you can do now.

How to handle older roles

When to go further back

• An older role is directly relevant to the job.
• Your field values long track records, such as academia or some senior roles.
• You are returning to a previous career. See career change CV.

Dates

Use consistent formats. Years alone for older roles can simplify the layout.

Keep the best achievements

If an older role contains a standout achievement, you can mention it briefly in your profile or a key achievements section.

See how long should a CV be and how to write a CV.

Example: a 20-year career on two pages

Education and old qualifications

Keep degrees and professional qualifications, even if they are old, because many roles require them. You can drop old school results once you have higher qualifications or several years of experience.

Avoid age signals if you prefer

Some experienced candidates leave off graduation years and very early roles. That is acceptable, as long as everything you do include is accurate and consistent with your LinkedIn profile.

Returning to an earlier field

If your most relevant experience is older, consider a short "Relevant experience" section near the top that pulls those roles forward, followed by your full work history.