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Your employment history is a list of all the jobs you have held, including the companies you have worked for, job titles, and dates of employment. When you are filling out a job application or applying for unemployment benefits, you'll likely be asked for your employment history.
In some cases, the hiring manager may only be interested in where you worked most recently. In others, the company may want an extensive employment history going back many years.
If you've been working for a long time, this may sound like a daunting task, but it is something you can recreate yourself even if you don't remember exactly when you worked at each job. Once you've confirmed the details, you can just keep track of subsequent positions moving forward, so it will be easier to provide the information to prospective employers.
Here's when you'll need to be able to provide your employment history, how to collect the information if you're missing details, and the best way to keep track of your employment record.
It can be hard, especially if you've had a lot of jobs, to keep track of your personal employment history. However, when you're applying for new positions, many companies want an accurate record of where you have worked, especially when they're conducting employment background checks. Similarly, when you're applying for unemployment benefits, you'll need to provide your most recent work history as part of the application process.
If you don't remember the details—and many people don't—you can recreate them with information from the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, your state tax or unemployment department, and prior employers. It's important to provide prospective employers with accurate information. Don't guess where you worked and when because, if you're wrong, employers will want to know why.
If the dates don't match what the employer discovers about you when they verify your employment history, it will be a red flag and could jeopardize your chances of getting hired.
Keep in mind that you can include the months and years you worked at a company rather than specific dates of employment on your resume. However, some job applications may require more specific details.
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What can you do when you don't remember your exact dates of employment? It will take some time, but you can recreate your work history yourself at no cost. Even though you may be tempted by ads from companies saying they will do it for a fee, you don't need to pay a company to get the information for you.
State tax departments and unemployment agencies can often release employment histories for individuals, as long as they worked for in-state employers. In Washington state, for example, there's a form allowing you to request the wages reported by your employers as far back as 2005. In New York, you can request a transcript of your New York State wages and tax withholdings. Most states have similar resources available.
You can receive a statement of your employment history from the Social Security Administration (SSA) by completing a "Request for Social Security Earning Information" form. You'll receive detailed information about your work history, including employment dates, employer names and addresses, and earnings.
The SSA charges a fee for detailed information based on the length of time for which you would like to receive records.
If you have saved copies of your tax returns, you should have copies of your W2 forms, as well. These forms will give you company information, and you should be able to estimate your dates of employment.
You can request transcripts of previous years' tax returns if you don't have your copies. The IRS provides detailed instructions on how to get transcripts of your tax returns online or by mail.
You can also reconstruct your employment history by contacting the human resources department of any of your former employers if you're not certain about your start and end dates of employment. Let them know you would like to confirm the exact dates of employment they have on record.
Job seekers typically include work history in the "Experience" or "Related Employment" section of a resume:
Make sure whatever work history you include on your job applications matches what is on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Make sure there are no inconsistencies that could raise a red flag for employers.
For future reference, an easy way to keep track of your personal employment history is to keep your resume and LinkedIn profile up to date.
Many employers conduct background checks and verify your employment history before finalizing a job offer. At the least, they may request your start and end dates of employment and job titles. Discrepancies could cost you the offer.
Surveys report that over 90% of employers conduct background checks during the hiring process. Depending on state law and the job you're applying for, this could include checking your criminal history, employment record, education, credit history, and driving record.
