If you have been out of the workforce for some time and are now planning your strategy for reentry, you will definitely need a resume that highlights your key achievements (even those that were some time ago) to ensure that you are positioned appropriately.

A résumé really serves a couple of purposes. For starters it provides a potential hiring manager with information regarding your professional background. More importantly though, it demonstrates your ability to deliver results – even if those results were generated a few years ago. Everything counts. In light of this, it is perfectly fine to reference things done several years ago at the top of the document. You want to draw the reader’s attention to what you have done – this demonstrates your potential. Just because you have not been in a traditional employment role does not mean you cannot add value. Have you done any volunteer work? If so, that would most definitely count, and I would strongly suggest adding that information to your document.

Here’s an example of how your resume might look if you have been engaged in other things for the past few years:

As you can see the headline at the top provides a quick understanding of what this person’s focus is as related to conducting a job search. This client has been in sales in the past and managed client interactions. Immediately the reader understands this and can apply this concept as part of potential fit within a role.

Next is the core competency section. This section is critical to a résumé. Especially in light of the fact that you have less than 10 seconds to make an impact, this section facilitates ease of reading. Those bullets will demonstrate to the hiring manager if the candidate possesses the key elements to fill a role. In that area you will notice that a number of things are covered – leadership and project management, to client relationships – all things that are important in a client facing sales role. The great thing about the core competency section is that you can quickly revise it to meet the needs of a new position. Simply review the job description of the role that interests you and insert the competencies that most closely match your skills you possess and the essential functions of the job.

The significant professional accomplishments section is the key component necessary to establish a link between what you have done and how you can make an impact in a new position; this is particularly important if you have been out of the workforce for a while. This section will allow you to draw from past experiences – no matter how long ago and reference them toward the top of the page, particularly useful if you want to draw attention away from the fact that you have been doing other things for some time.

If you have more bullets that you would like to add to this type of section, you can create headings and add like information under each particular heading. For example, you might have a heading called Team Leadership, one titled New Business Development, and another called Project Management and Oversight with three or four bullets under each heading. This will facilitate ease of reading and help the reader quickly understand what you bring to a new role.

After you complete the significant professional accomplishments section, you would then reference professional experience. Start with the last position held and work your way backward. No need to reference the months in your roles, the years employed is perfectly fine. Anything that dates back more than 15 years or so can be referenced with the name of the company and your title under a Previous Experience section.

Of course, if you have done any volunteer work or participated in any programs that have the potential to add value to your résumé, don’t be afraid to add them. This is the time for some self-promotion. Love yourself, and others will love you too!