Experience question

spimonkey

I was wondering if I should list experience that is non IT related on my resume. 2.5 years ago, before I was into IT, I managed a restaurant. Would it be a good idea to leave that off, or should I add it for the management experience? I worked there almost 5 years. Thanks!

JDMurray

A resume is a registry of all your employment experiences. However, it is sometimes beneficial to alter its record for clarity when applying for specific positions, such as removing non-related experience to the position that you are applying for. In your case, however, a prospective employer will want to know what you were doing 2.5 years ago during that 5-year gap, so you might as well leave this employment history in.

I have worked as a software engineer for two companies that sold hardware and software to restaurants. Both companies considered actual restaurant operations and management experience to be very desirable in new technical employees. You may very well find such a situation where your restaurant experience may be considered as valuable as your IT experience.

spimonkey

Thanks Alot, I appreciate it!