Should I Leave My Last (Really Horrible) Job Off My Resume?

During the course of your professional career, you may have had a job that was an unmitigated disaster by anyone’s standards. It could have been a frightshow of a job itself, a sociopathic manager, a hostile work environment, or poor job performance on your part – even the best of us drop the ball once in a while. You will need to decide whether or not to include an unsavory job experience on your resume.

Bear in mind, there’s no hard and fast rules when building a resume (only guidelines), although the overriding imperative is truthfulness. The decision whether to leave a job off your resume isn’t easy. Frankly, it’s better to leave it in the resume because doing so tends to avoid raising questions. But there are several angles to consider. Here are some common examples of positions that may fall into a category you’d prefer to omit from your resume:

• Temporary jobs – If you work a temp job for a month or two to make money while you’re searching for a permanent position, you can probably leave it off your resume without consequence. However, a better option may be to include the temp agency as your employer and the time frame they found temp work for you. That way there is no gap on your resume and many employers will be impressed you kept busy during your job search.

• Short-term and/or contract positions – If you work freelance and the majority of your positions are short-term and/or contract positions, this is a no-brainer – include it on your resume. But what do you do if the job turned out to be a nightmare and you’re afraid your previous employer with give a negative reference? This is a judgment call, which will be discussed in more detail later in this article, and not an easy one.

• Non-compete clauses (NCC) – Please note: We are not attorneys, and you are best served discussing this with your lawyer. That said, if you have a non-compete clause in a contract and you are looking to accept a job with a competitor, you could technically be in breach by doing so. Leaving it on your resume restricts you, leaving it off will sink you. This is a game of deception, plain and simple, and it’s not recommended you play it.

• Side Hustles – Many people supplement their main income with side hustles that may or may not be related to their primary profession. For example, a business executive with a passion for photography may shoot and sell images on the side. These activities have nothing to do with each other. There is no reason for it to be on your resume. Now let’s say you work in tech and you’re developing an app on the side. There is no downside to leaving it off your resume, but it may be a great conversation piece during an interview and demonstrates initiative and an entrepreneurial spirit. Another judgment call.

• Bad or short job experiences – At some point, everybody has a bad job experience that they want to forget, or believe will be a hindrance to a job search. There are so many ways a job can go south, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But a cursory online background check by an employer may turn up that job you left off your resume, and raise some serious red flags as a result. The better approach may be to have your story ready about what happened at the job, why it didn’t go well, and what you learned from the situation.

• Termination – Not all terminations are equal. There is a big difference between getting fired for being drunk on a Zoom call and calling your company’s most important client a jackass, and being fired because your company was bought out and everybody in duplicative departments can’t stay. If the axe fell because of G&A cuts beyond anyone’s control and separate from job performance, there are no liabilities to your future if it’s on your resume. If you’re sacked for something that is clearly your fault, then you have another tough decision to make. The temptation to sweep a termination under the rug is strong, but as above, the consequences for doing that may be worse.

As you can tell, the decision to include or leave out a job position on your resume is more nuanced than black and white. However, consider the proposition that inclusion has more pros than cons.

• If you leave anything off your resume, there will a gap that you will be expected to explain.

• If you leave anything off your resume, but it’s on your LinkedIn profile, or other job boards, the inconsistencies may sink you and lead to some awkward moments in a job interview.

• If you leave anything off your resume, there will be suspicion why. You can overcome any questions about a job’s details in the room, even a messy termination, without it affecting your candidacy, but if your honesty is questioned then the battle may be over.

• A gap on your resume, or a job position deliberately left off, will open you up to a deeper level of scrutiny. You will be at a disadvantage. If you include everything, no matter how unflattering, the disclosure puts you at an advantage. You can drive the conversation. You can prepare your answers.

• There are no long-term penalties for full disclosure and honesty – even if it affects your immediate prospects. A whiff of deception, dishonesty, or a deliberate cover-up of your past, may permanently damage your professional reputation and create obstacles for you far beyond your current job search.

In the end, what you choose to include on your resume is up to you. It’s your work history and professional story. The old saying, “Honesty is the best policy,” may not always be the best policy for you in the short term, but if you want to succeed in the long game it’s recommended you consider it your default path.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.