A work history is a list of jobs someone has had, which is important for job applications and building a career. It should include company names, job titles, dates of employment, and may include compensation and benefits. Gaps in employment should be explainable. The history can be tailored to specific positions.
A work history is a detailed list of jobs someone has had in their lifetime. Most job applications ask for at least a partial list of previous jobs, and some ask for a complete list of a person’s experiences as an employee. Building a strong and solid work history is an important part of applying for a job and building a career, and keeping accurate records can make resume writing and similar activities much easier.
At a minimum, an employment history should include the names of all companies someone has worked with, along with job titles and dates of employment. Some companies also ask for compensation and benefits on these lists, and many ask for a job description. Typically, each entry in the work history is short, so a reviewer can quickly glance at the document to get the necessary information.
Obviously, an employment history should be accurate, since companies can check them. When companies ask for references, they will ask for the employee’s job title and dates to ensure that the applicant’s details match those of their former employer. References may also be required for more general information about the candidate to determine whether or not he or she would be a good fit for the new job.
Gaps in employment history should be explainable; if not, they make potential employers very suspicious. Gaps are expected during their college years, but once someone graduates, unexplained gaps reflect poorly on the candidate. Some people like to include information about their employment gaps, explaining that they have been made redundant or have used their savings to travel. Without a clear explanation, a company may assume that a gap reflects a period of work that did not go well and will assume that the applicant lied about their previous employment.
In some cases, a company expects an employment history to be less complete, such as when a company is applying for relevant or applicable employment. For example, someone looking for a position in a medical laboratory would include information about the jobs that qualify them for the position, but a summer job at a coffee shop might be omitted as this information is not relevant to the job. In the case of a resume, it’s common practice to tailor the work history to specific positions, so that the resume doesn’t become too cumbersome.
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