Because hiring managers are bombarded with dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of resumes on a daily basis, the key in writing an effective resume is to make the data as easily accessible and readable as possible.

 

In presenting dates you must:

Presenting data in reverse-chronological order:

 

If you worked for ABC Company from 1999 to the present, and at XYZ Company from 1989 to 1999, your data would be written in this manner:

 

ABC COMPANY, City, State 1999 - Present
  
XYZ COMPANY, City, State 1989 - 1999
  
When you have had more than one position with a company:

 

Let's say you worked at ABC Company from 1989 to the present and held three positions of increasing responsibility.  The best way to present that would be:

 

ABC COMPANY, City, State 1989 - Present
Controller (1999-Present)
Chief Accountant (1994-1999)
Accountant (1989-1994)  
  

The above provides specific information about your dates of employment for each position, with total employment for that company provided in the first line.

 

Formatting dates:

 

Because a hiring manager will most often scan, rather than read, a resume, it's best to provide dates of employment immediately after the company's name and location, preferably with those dates flush right.  This separation avoids the dates getting lost in the other data, yet still showcases them for potential employers.

 

Using years of employment, rather than months & years:

 

By excluding months, you can improve the readability of the data, while also downplaying brief periods of employment.  For example, indicating that you worked during the year 2000 is certainly more positive than indicating that you only worked January - February 2000.