
12 Cover Letter Templates for Microsoft Word (Free Download)
We’ve combed the Internet to bring you a collection of 12 awesome Word cover letter templates. Plus, we'll show you how to use them in MS Word.
Do you have to list dates on a resume? What about job-search ageism? Here’s the definitive answer, plus how to align dates on resume, format, and how to head off discrimination.
Older job seekers are right to wonder if they can leave off resume dates. After all, dates on resumes show your age, and that can be deadly to your job search. In a massive FRBSF study of 40,000 resumes, older applicants got 20% to 50% fewer callbacks. But is it OK not to include dates on your resume?
The definitive answer? You must include dates on your resume if you want to get hired. But there’s a silver lining to this employment-search cloud. In short, they’ll find out your age anyway during the interview. Plus—there are some great ways to put dates on a resume and come out smelling like a rose.
This guide will show you:
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.
Looking to build the best resume in the stack? See our resume samples and templates for every profession: Resume Examples for Every Profession
No, you have to include resume dates despite the sad fact of ageism in hiring. Without dates in your work history, applicant tracking systems (ATS) and live hiring managers can’t tell if you’re worth interviewing. Plus—they’ll figure it out in the interview anyway, unless you’ve found the fountain of youth.
But here’s a breath of fresh air: there are tried-and-tested ways to list resume dates and still prove you’re the best employee for the job. Ready?
Read more: How many Years Should You Go Back on a Resume?
Your resume needs months and years for every job in your work experience section. Also list the year you graduated college, joined professional associations, or got a certification. You should also include the year and months you started and stopped working on an internship.
Read more: How to Put Expected Graduation Date on a Resume
“She’s too old.” If the hiring manager says that (or thinks it) your chances fade fast. The manager will think your experience is outdated. Or that you won’t listen to a younger manager. Or that your technical skills are weak. To combat those things, tailor your resume and cover letter.
Keep your resume short. I don’t mean, “write a one-page resume.” If you’ve got the experience, show it! But show it a special way. In your work history section, write detailed descriptions of every job you’ve had in the past 10 years. Write 3–6 bullet points per job, stuffed with achievements.
Think about it—those last 10 years matter most, don’t they? They prove your skills are fresh, no matter how old you are. Think about Warren Buffett, Lee Iacoca, and Jack Welch. They all achieved massively in their older years. (Buffett is still going strong!) But their achievements at age 30 don’t matter.
Should you still list older jobs? Yes! But just list them. Don’t add bullet points to anything past 10 years—unless it’s a stunning achievement.
Pro Tip: Job search ageism is real, but you can overcome it. The trick? Show the details that prove your last few years have helped employers succeed massively. Bye-bye ageism!
If you’re older and you’re worried about resume dates, you need a cover letter. But don’t write just any cover letter. In yours, highlight your major achievements from the last 10 years. This works even better if you focus on the last five years. Then, make it clear you can work for a young manager.
That last bit’s important. Many hiring managers worry that an older employee will be stubborn. Show you’re still a vital part of the workforce by talking about working with young managers. Bonus points if you mention specifics.
Read more: What is a Cover Letter for a Job?
While you have to show dates on resumes, proving tech skills can help. If you worry that resume dates will make you look long in the tooth, show your technological achievements. Your resume should have a few tech accomplishments in the last 5–10 years that really moved the needle.
If what you did is impressive enough, highlight it in your cover letter, too. Proving technical skills in a resume and cover letter can make your age look irrelevant.
Read more: Employability Skills: List and Examples
If you’ve been in the workplace for long enough to want to write a resume without dates, I have good news. You’ve probably got an exceptional network that most younger applicants would drool over. Tap your network and announce that you’re in the job market. It won’t make you look weak.
Far from it! There are almost certainly people out there who’d love to hire someone with your experience. And if you’ve just lost your job, they’ll pitch in to help.
Now that 80%+ of hiring managers use LinkedIn to screen candidates, you’d better use it. Update your LinkedIn profile now. It should basically be an online resume, integrated with proof of your achievements. You can overcome the resume dates issue by beefing up your profile to show you’re still active.
Want more? See our guide: 99 LinkedIn Profile Tips: from Summary & Headline to Images
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Here’s another reason to ask if it’s OK not to include dates on your resume—employment gaps. If you’re young and you’ve got a rocky work history, you may think you can dodge it by leaving the months off your resume. Nope. That just makes you look dishonest. Leave them on, and explain the resume gap in your cover letter.
Put the start and finish dates under your job title and organization name and location. Separate them with a dash or an “en dash” (two dashes together).
Brief Job
Waitress
Snug Harbor Camps, North Belgrade, ME
May–September 2019
Internship
Software Development Intern
Blue Ocean Development
June–August 2020
Long-Term Job
CFO
Sarsa Tech Inc.
May 2015–July 2020
Certification
Six Sigma Black Belt 2019
Professional Association
American Society of Manufacturing Engineers (member since 2015)
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English
Colby College, 2012
Education (Incomplete)
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
DePaul University
Expected Graduation May 2021
Read more: How to Build a Resume for a Job
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Here’s why it’s not OK not to include dates on your resume:
We’ve combed the Internet to bring you a collection of 12 awesome Word cover letter templates. Plus, we'll show you how to use them in MS Word.
Here's a selection of 10+ awesome Open Office resume templates. All available for FREE and will work with your favorite open source office suite.
Canva resume templates let you make a great-looking resume for free. But are their resume templates what hiring managers want to see?