Including dates on your resume, yes or no?

This question came up a few days while I was doing resume reviews: Should I include the exact months for my employment or is it okay to just include the yearly dates?

Well, here are my thoughts. If you did include the months and you have had good tenure, you will be happy that you did. However, if you didn’t and you make it to the initial screening process you will be wishing that you did explain this detail. This a question that every employer will ask when going over your work history. Including your months helps the employer to determine exactly how much time you have spent in a particular position. Additionally, when you give full details this is one less question you would have to answer if you make it to the interview. It also makes you look as if you have nothing to hide by giving the full dates. If your dates are longer this speaks to your ability to hold a position and this will build to your credibility as a potential candidate.

Allow me to use this example to further illustrate the importance of using exact dates on your resume. If you have on your resume that you worked a specific position from 2011-2012, this is very ambiguous and can go either way. This could mean a longer tenure i.e. Feb 2011 to Dec 2012 or the alternative: Dec 2011 to Jan 2012, which would only be one month compared to an entire year. Some employers might see you as being dishonest and misleading on your resume if you have in fact worked the shorter period. This becomes problematic because this is something that could potentially disqualify you from the position. Additionally, listing complete dates and months helps the employer to identify any gaps in your work history.

Honesty is always the best route. Generally, experience spanning less than three months should not be included in your employment history unless you are trying to bridge an obvious gap or if it was for a contract position and it is something that will strengthen your job application. The general rule of thumb is that you should always be ready to explain any and everything on your resume, even shorter terms of employments. Including the proper months and being upfront leaves one less thing to be explained.