Deciding when or if you should list the year your graduated on your resume can be a real dilemma for some. It’s something I’m asked about quite often. When working with my clients there are a few rules I follow to determine if it should be included.
1. Does it benefit you?
Often when a potential employer is looking for a recent college grad, listing when you graduated can be beneficial. Companies looking for entry level employee who they can train will look for graduates with a recent graduation date on their resumes. This is a signal to them that you will bring a fresh perspective and they wont have to help you break bad habits learned at past employers. So if you’ve only been out of college a couple of years and you’re applying to entry level positions, include it.
2. Could it cause discrimination?
If the year you graduated from college will show you’re at an age that might be covered by age discrimination, don’t list it on your resume. You never want to include information that will allow a potential employer to discriminate against you (even subconsciously) on your resume. Listing a graduation year on your resume that is potential before the company recruiter was born makes it hard for the person to deciding who gets interviewed to relate to you. So if this is the case, simply leave it off. The important thing is that you have a degree & the experience to be the best hire for the position you’re applying for.
