Somewhere in Resume Writing 101, someone came up with the great idea of listing years of experience as a qualifier. You’ve seen (or used) something like this: “over 15 years of experience in...”

It seems to make sense, especially after you’ve spent some time in the industry and you want to show employers that you bring a seasoned background to the table. So what’s the problem?

The issue is that it’s really not impressive at all when held up against what you’ve actually achieved, the projects you’ve led, the teams you’ve influenced, and so on. When you use this phrase, you’re just talking mere survival in your career… and it’s not an accomplishment to which you can lay exclusive claim.

To prove this point, you’ve probably worked with at least a few people who didn’t pull their weight, right? Now, how does this phrase distinguish YOU from THEM? It doesn’t.

Here’s the only exception: in the first stages of your career, employers want candidates to show that they’ve passed muster by gaining those first 2-7 years of post-college experience. However, after that, it really doesn’t describe your unique competencies or abilities.

Worse yet, many people just keep adding to the number until it harms their search. Telling someone that you have more than 30 years of experience dooms you to age discrimination faster than you can say “I’m in my 50’s!”

Last of all, the phrase itself isn’t technically correct. You really don’t have “over” anything (because over means physically located above), but you probably DO have “more than 15 years of experience.”

So, wipe this phrase off your resume, and inject something more vivid and descriptive (that applies to just YOU) instead.