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Post being replied to

Resume questions by tf86

Since there was one below, I thought I'd post one of my own here.

My situation is that I'm in the process of making a career change in my mid-50's (not ideal, I know, but those are the circumstances in which I find myself). That raises a few questions for me:

1. As far as work experience goes, how far back should I go? I've heard with older job seekers, you really don't want to go back more than 15 years. Is that accurate?

2. Education. Although I went back to school in anticipation of this move, most of my education took place a long time ago. Should I include the date, for example, of my ND degree (1986), or my law degree (1993)?

3. Veteran status. I am a veteran, but resigned from the Navy a long time ago (1990). I qualify for the hiring preference that exists for combat veterans under the laws in many states, including the one where I currently live (New York), so I think I should include this. On the other hand, I'm not sure if including my dates of service is a good idea.

4. On top of all of this, I remember hearing, many years ago, that prospective employers were leery of any unexplained gaps of time in a resume. Of course, the advice I'm now receiving as an older employee seems to fly in the face of this. How to reconcile?