Use Month Year – Month Year for employment dates, for example May 2021 – September 2024. For your current role, use May 2021 – Present. Full month names and familiar abbreviations are both readable; choose one style and use it consistently.
You usually do not need the exact day on a resume. If an application form asks for full dates, supply them there. No date format guarantees that every applicant tracking system will interpret your document correctly.
Resume date examples you can copy
| Situation | Example | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Previous job | March 2022 – August 2025 | Both months match your records |
| Current job | September 2025 – Present | You still work there |
| Shorter month names | Mar 2022 – Aug 2025 | The same style appears throughout |
| Completed qualification | BSc Business Management, 2024 | State the actual award year |
| Qualification in progress | BSc Business Management, expected June 2027 | Clearly label the expected date |
| Fixed-term project | January 2025 – April 2025 | Explain that it was a project or contract |
| Career break | Career break, May 2024 – February 2025 | Keep the description brief and accurate |
These are fictional formatting examples. Replace every date and qualification with your own.
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Where should dates go on a resume?
Keep the date range beside or immediately below the job title and employer. Use the same placement for every entry. Ordinary text is easier to edit than text boxes or a complicated table.
Customer Service Adviser | Example Company
March 2022 – August 2025
• Resolved customer enquiries and maintained accurate handover records.
For education, a completion or expected completion date may be enough unless the employer requests attendance dates. Describe unfinished study accurately; do not present an unawarded qualification as completed.
Should I use years only?
Year-only dates can be appropriate for a brief earlier-career summary or education. They provide less detail about the length of a job. Use month and year for your main employment history when available, and follow any explicit application instructions.
Do not choose year-only dates to imply that a short job lasted longer. If a role ran from December 2024 to January 2025, the range “2024–2025” is technically true but may suggest more experience than you have. Month-year dates make the duration clear.
How should I show overlapping jobs?
Keep the true dates and label the working arrangement. Overlap is normal when someone freelances alongside employment, works two part-time jobs or studies while working.
Retail Assistant, part-time | Example Shop
September 2023 – Present
Freelance Illustrator, evenings and weekends
January 2025 – Present
Do not move dates to make overlapping work appear sequential. Group assignments under a single freelance entry only when that accurately describes the work, then show the relevant projects underneath.
How should I show a career break?
Use accurate dates and a short description where it helps the reader understand the timeline. You can mention relevant learning, volunteering or responsibilities if you want to, without sharing unnecessary personal detail.
The National Careers Service guidance on employment gaps recommends explaining gaps honestly. Our resume gap examples provide wording you can adapt.
If you cannot remember a month, check your employment records rather than invent one. Where records are unavailable, be clear about any approximate dates and answer requests for further detail honestly.
Common date-format mistakes
- Mixing “03/24”, “March 2024” and “2024” without a reason.
- Leaving “Present” on a job you have left.
- Using an expected graduation date without the word “expected”.
- Changing dates to hide a gap or imply a longer tenure.
- Including exact days when the employer only needs a career timeline.
- Letting dates separate from the relevant job when the document is exported.
Check your final file
Read your history from newest to oldest, check each date against your records, then inspect the Word or PDF export. Dates should remain attached to the correct role and be selectable as text.
Use the editable Google Docs CV template for a simple layout. If your history spans many roles, the guide to how many years of experience to include explains what to detail and what to summarise.